Annual earnings: $95 million

Profession: Author

Age: 52

J.K. Rowling, the prolific "Harry Potter" author, is still collecting checks from her global phenomenon more than 20 years after she introduced the young wizard to the world. This year, she published another best-selling book, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," and produced the accompanying stage play in London, which is sold out through 2018. And the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" debuted, grossing $812 million at the global box office.