Comedian and Actor Kevin Hart, is indeed proven to be the King of Comedy, as he topped the Forbes highest paid comedians with a whopping $87.5 million, overthrowing Jerry Seinfeld would has topped this list for the past 10 years, moving Harts into the sixth position of the Celebrity 100,FORBES money- making celebrities.
![HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Actor Kevin Hart speaks onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)](https://fab.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/kevin-hart-300x169.jpg)
Actor Kevin Hart
The reason for Harts dominance is simple according to Forbes: “He tours like no other comedian. In the 12-month period, Hart played over 100 shows with an average gross of over $1 million at each stop. And these shows aren’t at dingy comedy clubs; Hart played stadiums and arenas, including Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center. Because the stand-up comedian’s set requires little more than a stool, water bottle and microphone, he takes home a larger cut of that gross than most rock stars would.”
“He is a comedian, of course, but he is drawing crowds that you would typically only see for musician,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of Pollstar. “Only a few comedians [are] capable of playing sports arenas the way that Kevin Hart does.”
However Harts not the only one having a good year, Amy Schummer debut on the list, taking the fourth place with earnings of $17 million, not only is she the only female comic on this year’s list, but also the first female to make the list since its inception. She made millions from touring, she also has her Peabody and Emmy-winning Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer, an $8 million book deal for The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo and commercial work to thank for big payday. According to the hilarious woman, there’s still a lot to be done, to get females in the comedy industry the entitlements they deserve.
![Amy Schumer, at the Emmy](https://fab.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/amy-shummer-300x210.jpg)
Amy Schumer, at the Emmys
“I feel like there won’t be enough change … until there’s no wage gap, and until someone says ‘You’re my favorite comic,’ not ‘You’re my favorite female comic,’.
Check out the list of highest earning comedians:
- Kevin Hart: $87.5million (£67.3 million)
- Jerry Seinfeld: $43.5million (£22.5 million)
- Terry Fator: $21million (£16.15million)
- Amy Schumer: $17million (£13.1million)
- Jeff Dunham: $13.5million (£10.4million)
- Dave Chappelle: $13million (£10million)
- Jim Gaffigan: $12.5million (£9.6million)
- Gabriel Iglesias: $9.5million (£7.3million)
- Russell Peters: $9million (£6.9 million)
- John Bishop: $7million (£5.4 million)
Source: Forbes