It takes imagination, talent, motivation, and determination to make an author successful. Those who have made it in the literary world sell millions of books globally, leading to financial success. Some authors have achieved lifelong financial security through their work, as they are very wealthy people and have become some of the richest authors in the world.
The 20 Richest Authors in the World
Here are the 20 richest authors in the world and how they have made their money.
1. Elisabeth Badinter, $1.65 Billion: The Richest Author in the World
Not many people, even serious bookworms, have heard of Elisabeth Badinter, yet she is the richest author in the world. Her writing work is academic and predominantly focuses on topics around motherhood and women’s rights. Therefore, fiction fans may not have come across her work. According to Forbes, Elisabeth Badinter’s net worth is $1.65 billion. However, only some of her wealth comes from writing. Badinter inherited Publicis Groupe, a public relations and advertising company founded by her father, following her father’s death/ She has also made money from her work as a historian, professor, and philosopher.
2. J.K. Rowling, $1 Billion
J.K. Rowling has become a household name internationally thanks to her Harry Potter series of books, which was adapted into a series of films. After completing the series, Rowling ventured into adult fiction, writing The Casual Vacancy, her first novel for adults, in 2012. The British author wrote the Cormoran Strike series of crime fiction books using the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
3. James Patterson, $800 Million
James Patterson is the richest American author, with a net worth of $800 million. He is a prolific writer of both adult and young adult novels, and he is known for book series including Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Daniel X, Private, Witch and Wizard, NYPD Red, Maximum Ride, and Michael Bennett. For three consecutive years in the 2010s, Patterson topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid authors. Patterson has donated millions of his fortune to scholarships and grants to encourage reading.
4. Danielle Steel, $600 Million: One of the Best-Selling and Richest Authors in the World
Unsurprisingly, Danielle Steel is on the list of the richest authors in the world, as she is also on our list of the best-selling authors of all time. Steel was born in New York City, although she now lives in California. The author has published over 190 books, including more than 140 novels. Steel is noted for her work in the romantic literature genre.
=4. Candy Spelling, $600 Million
Candy Spelling has written an autobiography, her memoirs, and articles for Huffington Post and TMZ. She also starred in documentaries about her life with television and film producer Aaron Spelling, including a two-part documentary about selling their 123-room mansion, which sold to Peter Ecclestone in 2011 for $85 million. Spelling has also produced Broadway productions and is involved with various charities.
6. Paulo Coelho, $500 Million
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author and lyricist who published his first book in 1974. His fourth book, The Alchemist, shot him to literary fame. The book became an international success when translated from Portuguese to other languages. Following The Alchemist, Coelho went on to write a further 28 novels. Will Smith has the film rights to The Alchemist, so a film adaptation is in the pipeline.
=6. Stephen King, $500 Million: One of the Richest Authors in the Horror Genre
Stephen King is one of the world’s best-known authors. He has the nickname of the King of Horror, as his works include many bestselling books in the horror genre. However, King has also written crime, science-fiction, suspense thriller, supernatural fiction, and fantasy novels. In total, King has written 64 fictional novels, six of which use the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction works. Filmmakers have adapted many of his novels into films. Some of the best-known include The Shining, IT, and Cell.
8. Nora Roberts, $400 Million
Nora Roberts is best known for writing romance, as she has written 225 novels in this genre. However, she is also the writer of the …in Death crime series using the pseudonym J.D. Robb. Some of her works use the pen name Jill March, and some UK publications use the name Sarah Hardesty. Many of her works have been adapted into television series or films.
9. Pleasant Rowland, $310 Million
Pleasant Rowland has had many careers. She started as a schoolteacher, became a news anchor, and then turned her hand to writing textbooks. She developed the Beginning to Read, Write, and Listen Program and created the Superkids Reading Program. Rowland made most of her fortune by founding the Pleasant Company. She designed and created the American Girl dolls and accessories. Slate says that Pleasant Rowland also created and wrote for a magazine series and a series of books.
10. Barbara Taylor Bradford, $300 Million
British-American novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, but she and her husband, film producer Robert Bradford, moved permanently to the United States in 1963. Bradford first worked as a typist at the Yorkshire Evening Post and then wrote a syndicated column. Her main ambition was to write a successful novel, and she has far exceeded her goal. Barbara Taylor Bradford has written 39 novels, all of which were bestsellers in both the UK and the United States.
11. John Grisham, $220 Million
John Grisham is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician. He is best known for writing legal thrillers. The writer has written 28 bestselling novels that have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. His first book, A Time to Kill, was published in 1989. Eight of his novels, including The Pelican Brief, have been adapted into films.
12. Allison DuBois, $200 Million
Allison DuBois is an American author and medium. She claims her paranormal work has helped the police to solve crimes, and it inspired the television series ‘Medium.’ Dubois’ written work includes six bestselling books that deal with mediumship. She is married and has three daughters, who she believes all share her psychic abilities.
13. R.L. Stine, $200 Million
R.L. Stine is an author known for his work in the horror fiction genre, although his books are aimed at children and adolescents. He is the creator of book series such as The Nightmare Room, Mostly Ghostly, Goosebumps, Rotten School, and Fear Street. Stine is also a television producer, screenwriter, short story writer, and executive editor.
17. Dean Koontz, $200 Million
Dean Koontz is the writer of 105 novels plus many novellas and collections of short stories. The American author has sold more than 450 million copies of his work altogether. Most people consider Koontz a suspense thriller writer, although his works include elements of horror, drama, satire, mystery, fantasy, crime, and science fiction. At the beginning of his career, Koontz used pen names, including Deanna Dwyer, K.R. Dwyer, David Axton, Brian Coffey, and Leigh Nichols.
14. Jeffrey Archer, $195 Million
While Jeffrey Archer is now a multimillionaire, he was not always wealthy. He wrote his first book in 1974 to avoid bankruptcy. Archer went on to write 42 works, including the Kane and Abel series, the William Warwick series, and the Clifton Chronicles. Archer’s works also include three autobiographical novels he wrote while serving time in prison for perjury and perverting the course of justice. His books have combined sales of 275 million copies, contributing to his wealth. However, the British author was also a politician and was a Member of Parliament from 1969 to 1974.
15. Dan Brown, $178 Million: The Highest Paid Author in the World
Although American author Dan Brown is only 15th on the list of the richest authors in the world, he is the highest-paid author in terms of the initial fees paid out by publishers per book. Other authors rank higher on the list due to a higher number of sales, film adaptations, merchandise, or their non-writing work. Two of the books for which he is best known are The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.
16. David Oyedepo, $150 Million: The Richest Author in the World of Religious Texts
David Oyedepo is a name you might not know, yet he is one of the richest authors in the world. He is unknown to people who only read popular fiction, as Oyedepo is a Christian author who writes religious, inspirational, and motivational books, magazines, mini books, and various other written resources. Oyedepo’s church’s publishing house, Dominion Publishing House, publishes all his works.
18. Stephenie Meyer, $120Million
Stephenie Meyer is an American author best known for the Twilight series of books, which have been adapted into films. She has also written several associated books and comics, a non-fiction article, a young adult short story, and two novels. One of her novels is The Host, which was adapted into a film for which she was a producer.
19. Janet Evanovich, $120 Million
Janet Evanovich began her career as a writer of short romance novels but gained fame for her series of mystery novels featuring Stephanie Plum. She is also the author of the Knight & Mon, Wicked, and Fox and O’Hare series of books. The American author is married and has a son and a daughter. Her family all work for her company Evanovich Inc. Evanovich and her husband have homes in North Carolina and Hawaii.
20. Paul McKenna, $100 Million: The Richest Author in the World of Self-Help Books
Paul McKenna’s writing work differs from most others amongst the richest authors in the world, as he writes self-help books. McKenna is a British hypnotist who became famous through his television appearances but also has a successful career as an author. He has written a total of 25 books that are either self-help books or non-fiction books about hypnosis.
Have you read any of the works by those on the list of the richest authors in the world? Pass on your recommendations in the comments below.
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