An enlightening payday read
Forbes has announced the highest paid model in the world is (*drumroll*) Gisele Bündchen. No surprises there, this is literally the Brazilian supermodel’s 10th time topping the list. There were some revelations this year however, and some new additions to the list from the current crop of cool-girls (aka Kendall et al).
In a world where a digital following equals dollars, Forbes align these rookie models’ meteoric rises with their legions of likes: ‘For fashion’s elite, follower count has finally turned into fiscal fortitude. Though Gisele Bündchen still leads the world’s top-earning models with $30.5 million, Kendall Jenner (No. 3) and newcomer Gigi Hadid (No. 5) have risen up the ranks by turning their outsized Instagram followings into multi-million dollar paydays.’
There are some pretty eye-popping annual take-homes (thanks for revealing this news on payday, Forbes), scroll on to see who’s topping the list, and how.
#1 The Reigning Top Earner: Gisele Bündchen This year - $30.5million (£22 million). Last year - $44million. Regardless of the fact that she earned $13 million less than last year, the 36-year-old supermodel – who has also been mentioned on Forbes' list of Most Powerful Woman in the World – still tops the list. She’s reportedly made more money than any other model since 2002. Fellow Brazilian model Adriana Lima came in second, but was still trailing behind Gisele with an earning gap of $20 million. Gisele reportedly banks big from lucrative fragrance and beauty deals with Chanel, Carolina Herrera and Pantene, as well as ads for Arezzo shoes and SkyTV in Brazil. Since ‘retiring’ from the catwalk, Gisele has also launched her own line of lingerie and skincare which have helped to boost her income.
#3 The Fast Mover: Kendall Jenner This year - $10 million (£7.6 million). Last year - $4 million. The biggest gainer year over year is third-ranked Jenner, who saw her earnings increase 150% to $10 million in 2016. She has leveraged her huge social presence of 64.4 million Instagram followers—more than anyone else on the list—into million dollar deals with the likes of Estée Lauder and Calvin Klein, who likely see her social platforms as a new media buy.
#5 The Newcomers: Gigi Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Both earned $9 million (£6.8 million) this year. Rosie’s royalty cut from her own line of lingerie, make-up and fragrances for Marks & Spencer are reportedly the source behind most of her millions. Meanwhile, aided by her 22 million Instagram followers, Gigi has racked up lucrative contracts with big-name brands from Maybelline and Topshop, to Tommy Hilfiger and Versace, all before her 22nd birthday.
#17 The Youngster: Taylor Hill $4 million this year (£3.5 million) At 20-years-old, Topshop’s golden girl Taylor Hill, became the youngest model to make the $4 million cut off, proving she’s definitely the one to watch at fashion month.
The Top 10 Highest Paid Sumermodels 1. Gisele Bündchen $30.5 million (£22 million) 2. Adriana Lima $10.5 million (£8 million) 3. Kendall Jenner $10 million (£7.6 million) 3. Karlie Kloss $10 million (£7.6 million) 5. Gigi Hadid $9 million (£6.8 million) 5. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley $9 million (£6.8 million) 7.Cara Delevingne $8.5 million (£6.4 million) 8. Candice Swanepoel $7 million (£5.3 million) 8. Liu Wen $7 million (£5.3 million) 10. Miranda Kerr $6 million (£4.5 million)