Age: 34
Net worth: $470 million
Profession: Musician
Country: US
Born and raised in Houston, Beyoncé Knowles got her start as part of the all-female pop group Destiny's Child. From there, she went solo and dominated the 2000s and 2010s with catchy hits like "Crazy in Love" and "Single Ladies."
Along the way, Beyoncé also racked up a host of endorsement deals for brands like L'Oreal; starred in several films, including 2006's "Dreamgirls" alongside Jennifer Hudson; debuted her clothing line House of Deréon; and married rapper Jay Z — the couple is worth over $1 billion.
Beyoncé continues to dominate the pop-culture conversation, surprising fans in late 2013 when she dropped a new self-titled visual album without any marketing. Featuring hits such as "***Flawless" and "Drunk in Love," the album helped Beyoncé add three Grammys to her collection, making it 20 in total.
In April, she debuted another visual album, "Lemonade," on HBO, which became her sixth album to sell more than 1 million copies and reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
13. Mariah Carey
Age: 46
Net worth: $520 million
Profession: Musician
Country: US
Mariah Carey, the pop singer lauded for her legendary five-octave vocal range, primarily earned her fortune from a series of lucrative record deals.
At 18 years old, Carey was signed to Columbia Records, with which she released seven studio albums, including both her 1990 self-titled debut and one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time.
In 2001, she left Columbia for an unprecedented $80 million, five-album contract with Virgin Records. But after her film, "Glitter," and its accompanying soundtrack flopped, Virgin ended her contract after less than a year with a $28 million payout, which came on top of the reported $21 million she'd received upon signing.
Shortly after, Island Def Jam Records nabbed the Grammy winner with a $20 million deal. At Island Def Jam, she released five best-selling albums, including her "comeback" record, "The Emancipation of Mimi."
In 2012, Carey earned an estimated $18 million as a one-season judge on "American Idol." In mid-2015, she announced a residency in Las Vegas and a new contract with Epic Records, marking a celebrated return to her original Sony label.