These days that means mastering social media. Lady Gaga topples Oprah Winfrey from her No.1 spot on our list, which she's given up for only the third time in seven years.
Gaga is there not just because of the $90 million she earned with a monster tour, but also because of her 32 million Facebook fans and 9.5 million Twitter followers -- aka Little Monsters -- who helped move 1 million digital downloads of her recent single "Born This Way" in only five days. They're also happy to buy the MAC makeup, Monster headphones, and Virgin Mobile phones she features in her videos
Oprah doesn't fall far though. The daytime talk maven, who earned $290 million last year, comes in second. Winfrey's earnings sank $25 million partially due to a reduced payday at SiriusXM.
She still earns big from her syndicated show and from the stars she's spawned, including Dr Phil (No. 18) Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz. Winfrey's earning power will take a bigger hit next year, when her syndicated show ends and she concentrates all her efforts on the struggling OWN network.
Maybe it would help if Oprah took a lesson from No. 3 Justin Bieber. The Biebs debuts on our list at the tender young age of 17, with $53 million earned over the last 12 months thanks to concerts, music sales, and a 3-D documentary movie that grossed $100 million at the global box office.
If this were 10 years ago Bieber would still be paying his dues in small clubs and schools, but thanks to the Internet, he's a sensation. His first hit song, "Baby," has been viewed 500 million times, a YouTube record.
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