And after 15 years in the No. 1 Spot…
From the editors of InStyle Words by Jonathan Borge
Sorry, Gisele Bündchen, but the £13.2 million you earned in the past year just wasn’t enough to make sure you maintained your reign as the world’s highest-paid model.
On Tuesday, Forbes released its annual list of the runway regulars who are racking up the big bucks, and after 15 years in the No. 1 spot, Gisele Bündchen was ousted by none other than Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kendall Jenner.
The 22-year-old fashion favourite earned a whopping £16 million this past year, and she was able to beat out Gisele thanks to an army of brands she collaborates with and regularly advertises on Instagram including Estée Lauder, Adidas, and La Perla. Forbes also reports that her earnings from the family’s hit E! show plus her Kendall + Kylie clothing line with Kylie Jenner gave her a bump, too.
So who else is on the list? Chrissy Teigen reached the No. 3 spot with £10 million while Adriana Lima hit No. 4 at £7.9 million and both Gigi Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley tied for No. 5 at £7 million.
According to Forbes, the list is based on income from fragrance and cosmetic contracts and is sourced from interviews with agents, executives, and managers. The takeaway? Social media is where the profit lies.
‘With social media, there are more opportunities to create your own content and use your own voice,’ IMG Models President Ivan Bart told Forbes. ‘The stars are using it.’
The whole top ten is pretty impressive...
10. Ashley Graham: £4 million
9. Bella Hadid: £4.5 million
8. Liu Wen: £4.9 million
7. Karlie Kloss: £6.7 million
5. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: £7 million
5. Gigi Hadid: £7 million
4. Adriana Lima: £7.9 million
3. Chrissy Teigen: £10 million
2. Gisele Bündchen: £13.2 million
1. Kendall Jenner: £16 million