1. Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles: £75.7m
This superstar couple is head and shoulders above the rest of Forbes' Top-Earning Couples list, pocketing almost twice as much as the runners up. How did they earn such a staggering amount in just one year? By being very busy. Not only are they accomplished singers (well, a singer and a rapper), but they also "oversee clothing lines, perform around the world and endorse products from companies like American Express and Budweiser", according to Forbes. But it seems even the world's elite aren't immune to the downturn: last year the couple managed to earn just over £100 million between them. Beyonce recently courted controversy when she performed an exclusive concert for Colonel Gaddafi's son. She reportedly earned £1.25 million just for that gig.
As a point of comparison, US president Barack Obama gets paid around $400,000 a year.
2. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart: £42.8m
The vast majority of the couple's hefty income can be attributed to one source: Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Forbes Magazine estimates Harrison Ford pocketed around £40.3 million from the movie. His long time girlfriend Flockhart (of Ally McBeal fame), plays one of the leading roles on the TV series Brothers and Sisters.
3. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: £34m
While there are rumours that the couple have now split up, there's no doubting the last year was a success from a financial perspective. Brad Pitt starred in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which earned £207 million for its makers. Not to be outdone, Jolie's 2008 action film Wanted bagged £211.6 million at the worldwide box office. Small wonder that the couple enjoyed a £34 million joint paycheque for the year.
4. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith: £29.8m
"Smith is without a doubt the biggest movie star in the world." So says Forbes Magazine and it's hard to argue, with his films having earned a whopping £3.54 billion at the worldwide box office. Like Hanks, he is able to command a salary of $20 million (£14 million) a film, making him the key earner. His wife, Pinkett Smith, has kept her acting to a minimum of late (although she did do the voice of Gloria the hippo in the Madagascar films), instead focusing on writing and producing films.
5. David and Victoria Beckham: £28.5m
They came, they saw, they conquered. Since arriving in the US, the Beckhams have taken their stardom - and their earnings - to another level, comfortably out earning their celebrity couple chums, Tom and Katie.
David Beckham, the AC Milan, LA Galaxy and England midfielder, has enjoyed an illustrious career on the field and has supplemented this nicely off the field with a series of highly-lucrative product endorsements (including that Armani ad).
And while wife Victoria will no doubt be upset by news that she will not be appearing on the US version of X Factor, we're sure the couple will get along just fine, what with their £28.5 million annual income.
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