Lady Gaga + Beyonce Top Forbes’ Most Powerful Women of 2012 List
While their record sales dipped slightly this past year, Lady Gaga and Beyonce remain the most powerful women in the music industry, according to Forbes. Their list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the World places Bey and Gaga in the same company as heads of state, CEOs and entrepreneurs.
Gaga, 26, ranks No. 14 on the overall list and is the youngest women in the entire Top 100. She’s second among celebrities behind only Oprah Winfrey. In addition to noting her $52 million income last year, Forbes praised Gaga for working with the MAC AIDS Foundation and creating the Born This Way Foundation, which works to empower young people.
Forbes described Beyonce as “a role model for women of all ages” and lauded her non-profit charity work and endorsement deals. Global superstars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira also appeared on the list and were recognized for their music and television projects and their popularity in the U.S. and Latin America.
The Most Powerful Women list takes into account worldwide influence more than financial success, which explains why Taylor Swift and Rihanna, the two biggest income earners among women under 30, failed to make the cut. Ellen DeGeneres and Angelina Jolie were among the other celebrities to crack the list.
Watch the Lady Gaga ‘Edge of Glory’ Video