WP: Forbes Names Mel Gibson Most Powerful Celebrity [View All]

Forbes Names Mel Gibson Most Powerful Celebrity

By Larry Fine
Reuters
Friday, June 18, 2004; 3:29 AM


NEW YORK - Mel Gibson, whose controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" paid off big at the box office, is the year's most powerful celebrity, according to Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100 power rankings.

Gibson, who directed, produced and co-wrote the violent movie about the last hours of Jesus, earned $210 million and tremendous media buzz from the project, according to Forbes magazine, which factors in media attention to compare the biggest money-makers from various fields of entertainment.

Magazine covers, press clippings, TV and radio coverage and Internet hits are all factored into the rankings formula. Money earned in the last 12 months was used to identify the finalists in each category.

Golf star Tiger Woods, the leading money-maker among athletes with $80 million, was second on the list, followed by talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, who matched Gibson in earnings....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51218-2004Jun18.html