HART OF GOLD
$87M man Kevin ranked No. 1 in yuks bucks
HE’S LAUGHING all the way to the bank.
Kevin Hart tops this year’s Forbes list of the world’s highestpaid comedians after taking home $87.5 million between June 2015 and June 2016.
That payday was more than double the $43.5 million that runnerup Jerry Seinfeld pocketed over the same stretch.
Hart, 37, parlayed his unparalleled stadium tour into the bulk of his earnings, averaging a gross of more than $1 million per show over that 12-month period. Considering he performed more than 100 shows during that time and earns a considerable cut of the income at every show, he landed quite a haul from touring alone.
The comic also starred in the movies “Central Intelligence” and “The Secret Life of Pets,” as well as ads for Foot Locker and H&M, to elevate his bank account even further.
Hart knocked the 62-year-old “Seinfeld” star out of the top spot on the rankings after the longtime sitcom and standup star dominated the list for years. Comedienne Amy Schumer, meanwhile, made history this year by becoming the first female to crack the top-earning comics list on the strength of her $17 million salary, good for fourth place but still well behind Hart and Seinfeld. Ventriloquist Terry Fator finished third at $21 million.
Schumer, 35, has regularly spoken about the gender wage gap in the entertainment industry and opened up about the issue to NPR last month.
“I feel like there won’t be enough change … until there’s no wage gap, and until someone says ‘You’re my favorite comic,’ not ‘You’re my favorite female comic.’ ”
Hart’s enviable wage made him the sixth-highest-paid celebrity overall. Pop star Taylor Swift, who wrapped up her sprawling “1989 World Tour” last December, topped all stars after earning $170 million.