Katy Perry Tops Taylor Swift To Become Highest-Earning Female Celebrity Of 2015

Katy Perry and Taylor Swift might have “Bad Blood” between them, but it is Perry who has a reason to smile now. Forbes magazine has named the “Dark Horse” singer as the highest-earning female entertainer of 2015.

The American singer has not only beaten Swift but also Beyoncé to be crowned Forbes' highest paid female celebrity of the year. The 30-year-old singer raked in $135 million over the past year. In 2014, she was in the No. 9 spot and has now jumped to the No. 3 spot on the list of highest-earning celebrities, male or female.

Perry ranked just behind Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, No. 2 with U.S. $160 million, and his American counterpart Floyd Mayweather, No. 1 with U.S. $300 million. Swift achieved the No. 8 spot with $80 million. Much of Perry's money can be attributed to the fact that the singer has been on her “Prismatic World Tour” for more than a year to promote her album, “Prism.”

“[Katy] made about 60 percent of her $135 million abroad,” Forbes Senior Editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg told Entertainment Tonight. “That's partially because she's been touring.”

Perry said that she is “proud” of her position as a boss, as she now runs her own company. “I’m an entrepreneur. … I don’t want to shy away from it,” the singer told Forbes.

Forbes put Perry on its cover with a tagline: “America's Top Pop Export.” The “Roar” singer is seen wearing a black jacket that has dollar signs in gold. “She’s averaged a staggering U.S. $20 per head per night in merchandise sales on the tour, according to her managers, about four times the industry’s average,” writes Forbes. “All in all, 60% of her total income now flows from outside of North America,” the magazine added.

Perry also earns more than “Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus combined,” revealed the magazine. Meanwhile, “Drunk In Love” singer Beyoncé dropped to No. 29 after earning U.S. $54.5 million.