Haute 100 NYC: Jerry Seinfeld Named Highest-Paid Comedian of 2015

Laughter is a powerful stress reliever. It’s no wonder why some of the best comedians have been named the highest-paid comedians of 2015 by Forbes. Of those who made the list are Haute 100 lister Jerry Seinfeld and friend to Haute Media, Kevin Hart.

According to Forbes, The Seinfeld co-creator ranks as the top-earning comedian, having grossed $36 million between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015, with the show about nothing still responsible for a good deal of his earnings. Seinfeld also appeared on hip hop artist Wale’s The Album About Nothing. 

As for Kevin Hart, the Philadelphia native made second place earning $28.5 million. Thanks to his What Now? Tour, Hart has had a number of opportunities. He has gone from standup to Hollywood actor as well as sell out clubs and arenas. The father-of-two starred in three films, during the time Forbes evaluated the comedian. Those films were Think Like a Man Too, Get Hard and The Wedding Ringer. Currently, Hart is working on Ride Alone 2, which he will star in alongside Ice Cube as well as produce.

Forbes ranked the comedians by a number of things. For one, the comedians’ primary source of income had to come from concert ticket sales as well as the live comedy business. The list measured gross income prior to deducting management fees and taxes between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015. All figures were based on data from Nielson, IMDB and other sources, as well as on interviews with agents, managers, lawyers, industry insiders and the stars themselves.

In total, the list is composed of 11 individuals. See the entire list below.

1. Jerry Seinfeld: $36m (£23.3m)
2. Kevin Hart: $28.5m (£18.4m)
3. Terry Fator: $21.5m (£13.9m)
4. Jeff Dunham $19m* (£12.3m)
5. Russell Peters: $19m*(£12.3m)
6. Aziz Ansari: $9.5m (£6.1m)
7. Louis C.K. $9m (£5.8m)
8. Gabriel Iglesias: $8.5m (£5.5m)
9. John Bishop: $8m (£5.1m)
10. Dave Chappelle: $7.5m (£4.8m)

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