JK Rowling highest paid author

JK ROWLING has been named the world’s highest paid author – after earning a spellbinding £72 million (R1.2 billion) in the past year.

The author topped the Forbes list after the success of film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, for which she wrote the screenplay, and awardwinning West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The 52-year-old – who has been said to have a fortune of about £650m – beat the likes of Dan Brown, Stephen King, Danielle Steel and John Grisham on the list of the 10 highest-earning authors. Forbes estimates Rowling earned £72.18m in the year to May 31. She is followed by US author James Patterson, with £66m, then Jeff Kinney with £16m. – Daily Mail