Tyler Perry: the Entertainment Industry’s Top Dog

The highest paid man in entertainment doesn't have a network TV show or a movie that has ever eclipsed $100 million in box office revenue.

You won't see him on the cover of too many magazines. He doesn't have much critical acclaim either.

Yet, none of that matters because Tyler Perry is doing quite well for himself. According to Forbes, Perry is the highest paid man in entertainment. Perry's $130 million income earned over the past year ending in May topped TV and movie mogul Jerry Bruckheimer and every other person in the industry.

Perry, 42, has gotten a lot of mileage out of his self-created character, Madea. She first appeared in 1999 in the play, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, and has gone on to be the focus of numerous plays and movies. Perry has played the overweight, sassy, strong-willed older female character in every one of her appearances as she has gained a strong following among Perry's fans.

The success of his Madea movies opened the door for his sitcoms on TBS. In 2006, Perry's House of Payne debuted on the network with Perry portraying Madea in several guest spots. The show is one of cable TV's highest rated shows. Three years later, Meet the Browns, another Perry sitcom, came on the air on TBS after a movie based on the same family was released the previous year. This year, For Better or Worse, is set to debut later this year on TBS as well.

Perry's TV shows as well as movies and a play helped him vault into the top spot. Perry, who was raised in New Orleans, now makes Atlanta his home. He has come a long way from his days as a 28-year-old homeless actor/writer.

Bruckheimer is the executive producer of several popular TV shows and movies including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and all of its spin-offs, The Amazing Race, Cold Case, The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. In 2010, he produced Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and earned $113 million.

Famous director Steven Spielberg was third with $107 million. The rest of the list is below.

1) Tyler Perry (Film, Play and TV Actor, Director, Writer, Producer) - $130 million

2) Jerry Bruckheimer (Film and TV Producer) - $113 million

3) Steven Spielberg (Film and TV Director and Producer) - $107 million

4) Elton John (Musician) - $100 million

5) Simon Cowell (TV Producer, Host) - $90 million

6) James Patterson (Author) - $84 million

7) Dr. Phil McGraw (TV Producer, Host) - $80 million

8) Leonardo Dicaprio (Film Actor) - $77 million

9) Howard Stern (Radio Host) - $76 million

10) Tiger Woods (Professional Athlete) - $75 million