He’s laughing all the way to the bank.
Kevin Hart tops this year’s Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid comedians after taking home a whopping $87.5 million between June 2015 and June 2016.
That payday was more than double the $43.5 million that runner-up Jerry Seinfeld pocketed over the same stretch.
Hart, 37, parlayed his unparalleled stadium tour into the bulk of his earnings, averaging a gross of more than $1 million per show over that 12-month period. Considering he performed more than 100 shows during that time and earns a considerable cut of the income at every show, he landed quite a haul from touring alone.
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| Seinfeld |
The comic also starred in movies “Central Intelligence” and “Secret Life of Pets,” as well as ads for Foot Locker and H&M among others, to elevate his bank account even further.
Hart knocked the 62-year-old “Seinfeld” star out of the top spot on the rankings after the longtime sitcom and stand-up star dominated the list for years.
Comedienne Amy Schumer, meanwhile, made history this year by becoming the first female to crack the top-earning comics list on the strength her $17 million salary, good for fourth place but still well behind Hart and Seinfeld. Terry Fator finished third at $21 million.
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| Schumer |
Schumer, 35, has regularly spoken about the gender wage gap in the entertainment industry and opened up about the issue to NPR last month.
“I feel like there won’t be enough change … until there’s no wage gap, and until someone says ‘You’re my favorite comic,’ not ‘You’re my favorite female comic.'”
Hart’s enviable wage made him the sixth-highest paid celebrity overall. Pop star Taylor Swift, who wrapped up her sprawling “1989 World Tour” last December, topped all stars after earning $170 million.
