Top Paid Comedians

Jerry Seinfeld is Forbes' highest-paid comedian; Amy Schumer still only woman to crack the top 10

By Nardine Saad

(Marcus Price / Netflix)

If Jerry Seinfeld is this year's king of comedy, then Amy Schumer is the queen.

The Comedy Central star once again landed on Forbes' list of highest-paid comedians, the financial magazine announced Thursday. She was the first woman comic to crack the top 10 last year and remains the only woman on the list this year.

The "Trainwreck" and "Snatched" star made an estimated $37.5 million between June 2016 and June 2017 thanks to her Netflix show "The Leather Special," her memoir "The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo" and endorsement deals with Bud Light and Old Navy. That ranked the raunchy comic No. 5 on the list filled with veteran comedy heavyweights.

Meanwhile, the "Seinfeld" and "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" star shot back to the top of the list this year, earning an estimated $69 million. Seinfeld was eclipsed last year by Kevin Hart, who this year dropped to the No. 6 spot with $32.5 million.

Chris Rock trailed Seinfeld for the second spot on Forbes' list, earning $57 million. His record-breaking $20 million-per-special contract with Netflix paved the way for several comics, including Seinfeld, to cut lucrative deals with the streaming service, which is poised to become the go-to-destination for comedy specials. In addition to touring, those deals significantly padded the incomes of several stars on Forbes' list.

In the third and fourth spots, funnymen Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle, who earned $52 million and $47 million, respectively, also made expensive deals with the streaming service to make their millions.

For the record, 10:40 a.m.: A previous headline and version of this story said that Schumer was the first woman to make the top 10 list this year. Schumer was the first woman to make the top 10 last year.