Madonna is highest-earning celebrity

Pop diva Madonna 55, is the world's top-earning celebrity, according to a Forbes list, ranking in an estimated $125 million (£80m) in the past year, mainly from her $305 million-grossing MDNA tour, but helped by sales of clothing, fragrance and various investments. 

Madonna's success, at age 55, just goes to show the incredible power of a successful music career," Forbes reporter Dorothy Pomerantz said, noting that 27-year-old pop singer Lady Gaga has often been said to be channeling Madonna's four-decade-long career.Director Steven Spielberg, who had a big hit last year with "Lincoln," was a distant second with earnings of $100 million in the year ended June 2013, most of which came from his catalog of past hits such as "E.T." and "Jurassic Park," which continue to bring in big bucks.Forbes compiles its annual list of celebrity earnings using input from agents, managers, producers and others to calculate its estimates for each celebrity's entertainment-related earnings. The figures do not reflect tax deductions, agent fees or "the other expenses of being a celebrity."Madonna's top spot compares with her previous peak of $110 million in 2009, but falls short of the $165 million taken in by Oprah Winfrey in the previous year, Forbes said.