NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE) REUTERS -
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful
celebrity for the second straight year and for the fifth time ever, according
to the 2008 Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List released on Wednesday (June
12).
    The annual list also included two couples among its top 10. Actress
Angelina Jolie came in at No . 3 and her partner Brad Pitt nabbed No. 10,
while music mogul newlyweds, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z were fourth and
seventh.
    Golfer Tiger Woods remained No. 2 and soccer player David Beckham was
No. 5, while actor Johnny Depp took sixth. Music group The Police nabbed No. 8
after reuniting for a successful world tour and British author J.K. Rowling
was No. 9 after the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book.
    The rankings give the most weight to earnings over the past year but
also factors in such things as Internet presence, press clippings, magazine
covers and mentions on TV and radio.
    During the past year Winfrey made 275 million U.S. dollars, Woods, 115
million USD, Knowles 80 million USD, Beckham 50 million USD, Depp 72 million
USD, Jay-Z 82 million USD, and The Police 115 million USD.
    While Jolie's earnings of 14 million USD and Pitt's salary of 20
million USD pale in comparison, the popularity of the couple, who have four
children and twins on the way, and their constant presence in magazines saw
their power soar.
    And it was Beckham's move to Los Angeles with former Spice Girl wife
Victoria and their three sons in a blaze of publicity that helped propel him
into the top 10 for the first time.
    In contrast, Rowling earned 300 million USD in the past 12 months, more
than Winfrey, but is a reluctant celebrity.
    The 2008 top 100 is made up of 20 film actors, 20 athletes, 10
musicians, 10 talk show hosts, 10 TV actors, five "tween" stars,
five directors/producers, five celebrity personalities, four authors, four
hip-hop impresarios, four chefs and three models.
    The "tween" category, a marketing term that usually refers to
an audience ages 9 to 12, is new, Forbes said, with "Hannah Montana"
star Miley Cyrus making her debut in the top 100 at No. 35 "following a
sold-out concert tour, a hit 3-D movie, and a controversial photo shoot that
had the press buzzing."
    Among those dropping from the list are Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba, Hayden
Panettiere, Adam Sandler and Scarlett Johansson, The Rolling Stones, Elton
John and Jessica Simpson.