Who Makes How Much

...And Why Don't They Give Me A Little...!

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Posted on Thu, Aug. 11, 2011

Tattle: Who has all the money?

By Howard Gensler
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Tattle Columnist


IT SEEMS DOWNRIGHT MEAN that as unemployment hovers above 9 percent, the stock market is plummeting and politicans are horrified that rich people may be asked to pay the same rate of income tax that they paid 10 years ago, TV Guide and Forbes have both decided to release lists of wealthy celebrities.

This is not an indictment of rich people; it's good that there are folks with money to burn and millions of others who want to be just like them. Tattle wants to be just like them. It's healthy that Americans can rise from nothing to possess obscene amounts of dough without having to rob banks or become Third World dictators.

But during this time of economic crisis, with so many people wondering how they're going to make ends meet, do we really have to be reminded of the country's obsession with transferring wealth from poor people to celebrities?

TV Guide thinks so. It's decided to tell us about TV's highest-paid news personalities:

Leading the way is the "Today" show's Matt Lauer (certainly more personality than news) who makes $17 million per year for sitting on a couch and talking with people. Occasionally, Lauer leaves the couch and goes somewhere. Tattle would hate to have to wake up as early as Lauer, but for $17 million, we would hire someone to wake us.

NBC News anchor Brian Williams takes in a mere $13 million per year, edging out ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer's $12 million.

Over on cable, CNN hot-spot traveler Anderson Cooper grosses $11 million from his employer, but that includes his upcoming daytime talk show. Fox conservative/populist Bill O'Reilly gets $10 million, the same as Current liberal Keith Olbermann - and O'Reilly has a lot more viewers. He might be underpaid.

For a little racial diversity, Forbes.com decided to look at the top hip-hop earners of 2011:

* Jay-Z finished in first place with $37 million (take that Matt Lauer!), and if he wakes up early, he's at least next to Beyonce.

* Sean "Diddy" Combs is next at $35 million. It's a big drop to third place, where Kanye West charts $16 million. He's followed by Lil Wayne and Cash Money chief Bryan "Birdman" Williams, both tied at $15 million. Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre tied at $14 million each.

* Rounding out the top 10 are Akon at $13 million and Ludacris at $12 million. Wiz Khalifa and Drake fill their money clips with $11 million each. Pharrell Williams scores $10 million, Timbaland has a slow year with only $7 million, and Swizz Beats and Nicki Minaj (OMG, a woman!) tied at $6.5 million.

One last thumb in the eye yesterday came from a TV Guide story on Ashton Kutcher. Although he won't be raking in the real money Charlie Sheen got for "Two and a Half Men" - $1.2 million per episode - Ashton will be taking home a tidy $700,000 per half hour - $15 million for the season.

For some people, the economy's awesome.