The Top 10 Highest - Paid Authors


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Writing is touted as an art. However, today writing a book has become more than just an art. Today it has become a means of living. It has turned into a fruitful source of earning money. It is a business of printing, marketing, selling, and distributing. 

Today, authors have become billionaires for what they write on pages whether a poem, a fiction, or a fact.

Here is a list of the highest-paid authors in the world-


1. Elisabeth Badinter


Net Worth: $1.3 Billion.

Born on 5 March 1944, Elisabeth Badinter is a French philosopher, author, and historian. Sh
e has been a proud recipient of many honors and awards. Some of her works are The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women, Mother Love: Myth and Reality, Motherhood in Modern History, Dead End Feminism, XY, and many more.

“Childless couples, on the other hand, take pleasure in the advantages of being alone: living for each other, doing more things together than parents are able to do, paying more attention to the other person's feelings and desires”


2. J.K. Rowling


Net Worth: $1 Billion.

The favorite author for potter heads, Joanne Kathleen Rowling is a British author and the 2nd richest worldwide. She is best known as the brain behind the Harry Potter series. The Harry Potter franchise is the highest-grossing film series of all-time.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”


3. James Patterson


Net Worth: $560 Million

An American author and a philanthropist, James Patterson is known for thrillers, non- fiction and romance. 

Some of his works are the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch and Wizard, and Private series and more. His books have recorded more than 300 million copies worldwide and he was the first person to sell 1 million e-books.

“Because what's worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?”


4. Stephen King 


Net Worth: $400 Million

Stephen King, one of the most popular authors in the world, is known for suspense, fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Many of his books have been turned into TV shows and movies like ‘IT’ and ‘The Shining’. Others include The Stand, Carrie, Misery, The outsider, and the like. 

The Shawshank Redemption, a movie based on King's novel 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption' is topping the IMDb charts since 1994. 

“Remember, Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”


5. Nora Roberts


Net Worth: $390 Million

Known for romance, fantasy, and suspense, Nora Roberts started writing in the 1970s and became bestseller from the book ‘Playing the Odds’ in 1985.

“I got the standard rejection for the first couple of tries, then my favorite rejection of all time. I received my manuscript back with a nice little note which said that my work showed promise, and the story had been very entertaining and well done. But that they already had their American writer. That would have been Janet Dailey.”


6. Danielle Steel


Net Worth: $310 Million

Author of 179 books, Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel is famous for her romance writing. Many of her works have been made into successful movies as well. She is the fourth bestselling fiction author of all time, with over 800 million copies sold.

“Sometimes, if you aren't sure about something, you just have to jump off the bridge and grow your wings on the way down.”


7. Barbara Taylor Bradford


Net Worth: $300 Million

Barbara Taylor Bradford is a best-selling British-American novelist. Her books have sold more than 80 million copies in 90 countries. A Woman of Substance was published in 1979 and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

“The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.”


8. Nigel Blackwell


Net Worth: $292.5 Million

A musician as well, Blackwell’s some of the famous works are Licensed to Thrill, Paris love match, and many more. Blackwell Publishing was sold in 2006 for 572 million Euros.

“There's people who can't spell 'weird' right driving round with thousands in the bank; but I get by, got a lot on my mind; I get by, got allotments on my mind.”


9. John Grisham


Net Worth: $220 Million

John Ray Grisham Jr. is an American novelist, attorney, politician, and activist, best known for his popular legal thrillers. His books have been translated into 42 languages and have been published worldwide. Some of his works are ‘A Time to Kill’, ‘Camino Island’, ‘The firm', and many more.

“In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard.”


10. Jeffrey Archer


Net Worth: $195 Million

J Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-Super-Mare is an English novelist, former politician, convicted perjurer, and peer of the realm. 

Archer was a Member of Parliament before he switched to becoming an author. Known for his works on thriller and drama such as ‘Kane and Abel’, ‘Only Time will tell’, ‘The Sins of the father’, and ‘Nothing Ventured’. Many of his works have been successfully put on the TV and his books have sold between 250-300 million copies worldwide.

“Some people standby you in your darkest hour while others walk away; only a select few march towards you and become even closer friends.”


Written by - Rashi Jain

Edited by - Rudransh Khurana