Forbes Names Most Influential Entertainers And Oprah Winfrey Is Back

Oprah is back, but we’ve known that for a while. The big news now is that the media mogul is back at the top of Forbes’ Most Influential Celebrities. After a two-year drop to second place, probably due to the cancellation of her talk show and the flop that Oprah’s OWN network turned out to be, she has once again reclaimed her spot as the single most powerful (though influential really does spound better) person in the entertainment industry. This is obviously the year of female entertainers, with Lady GaGa following closely at second place, Beyonce at 4th and Madonna, Taylor Swift and Ellen Degeneres all featured in the top ten.

It’s not like Winfrey doesn’t have other ventures to line her pockets as well. Her media empire includes a network on Sirius XM, as well as profits from parented shows by protégés like Dr Phil and Rachel Ray. And let’s not forget Oprah’s O Magazine – the woman does have a penchant for snappy titles. All of her projects combined to earn her an estimated $77 million this past year (between June 2012 and June 2013.) All of it goes to show that when Oprah makes a comeback, she doesn’t do it halfway.