Television's Top Earners
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The Forbes TV 20
If you think the star of your favorite sitcom show is among the highest paid on the small screen, you're probably wrong. In fact, only a handful of prime-time celebs score mega bucks when compared to daytime personalities, like Rachel Ray and Oprah.
Click through our gallery to see which five television titans topped Forbes TV 20 list.
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Forbes
1. Oprah Winfrey
$260 Million
For those keeping score, the Oprah empire already includes a blockbuster daytime talk show, satellite radio show, magazine and Broadway musical ('The Color Purple'). Oprah also owns stakes in hit talk shows by protégés Dr. Phil McGraw and Rachael Ray.
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Forbes
2. Jerry Seinfeld
$60 Million
Last year, he grossed roughly $15 million from 50 stand-up shows. The bulk of his income comes from residuals from 'Seinfeld' syndication. Next up: the long-awaited 'Bee Movie,' which Seinfeld co-wrote and stars in.
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Forbes
3. Simon Cowell
$45 Million
Americans know him as 'American Idol's' resident brute. But 'Idol' is only the tip of his reality show empire, which spans the U.S. and U.K. and includes a half-dozen hit shows, including 'American Inventor', 'America's Got Talent' and 'Celebrity Duets'.
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Forbes
4. David Letterman
$40 Million
CBS's veteran schmoozer is still one of the network's biggest stars. His Late Show remains a popular pit stop for stars and politicos. Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, co-produced 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' now reaping millions in syndication. .
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Forbes
5. Donald Trump
$32 Million
The brazen billionaire's day job is building and selling skyscrapers, but most know him from his other gig, co-hosting 'The Apprentice,' NBC's reality TV show. Trump inked a sweet deal with producer Mark Burnett, guaranteeing him a per-episode salary along with a cut of product placement deals.
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