Who Were Hollywood’s Highest Earners of 2010?

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REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

We know what you’re thinking: not another 2010-related list. But wait: this one features the beautiful people.

Forbes has undertaken the onerous task of telling us about the richer, more successful and better looking people than us to make their top 20. The runaway winner was the Queen of chat, Oprah Winfrey, who netted an estimated $315 million. That’s nearly $100 million more than the runner-up, director James Cameron, with $210 million (who may have lost out to ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow in the Oscar race but can at least out spend her).  Cameron, in turn, came in at nearly $100 million more than the man who came third, media head honcho Tyler Perry, who made $125 million.

(See the top 10 Oprah controversies.)

Directors clearly dominated: Michael Bay, he of the MTV graduation who now wows us all (well, at least makes our heads spin) with the Transformers franchise, was in fourth with $120 million, and the fifth spot went to Tiger Woods, who despite going through surely the most depressing year of his life, both personally and professionally, still managed to rake in $105 million.

(See a brief history of the Tiger Woods scandal.)

The usual suspects of Steven Spielberg ($105m) and George Lucas ($100m) also made the top 10, but Beyonce was the only other female to get in to the upper echelons, with a not inconsiderable $87m, which means she can take out her husband for dinner every once in a while (or indeed NewsFeed, we’ve never been known to be fussy). The highest-earning non-American was Simon Cowell who was in 11th with $80m (mind you, he spends so much time in the U.S., he’s practically American). NewsFeed is proud of each and every one of you.