Big fat paycheques: Forbes' top 10 highest paid celebs

To turn that old adage upside down, a man is measured now-a-days by the size of his bank account. We bring to you the top ten celebrities who's salaries have kept their coffers overflowing.

Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Simon Cowell… heres' a list of who commands the highest price of all.

Oprah Winfrey has topped the Forbes' list of highest paid celebrities for the fourth year in a row. The media mogul - who quit her successful chat show last year after 25 years to focus on running her own network - earned $165 million between May 2011 and May 2012 to sprint to the numero uno position.

Hollywood's boldest and most bankable feature film director Michael Bay falls just short of ruling the list and settles at No 2 with $160 million, some of which he probably earned from his recent blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon. His films, which include The Rock , Armageddon , Pearl Harbor, the Bad Boys and the Transformers series, have grossed over three billion dollars world-wide.

Considered one of the most popular and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg occupies the third slot in Forbes' list of highest paid celebrities. His wealth stands at a Jurassic $130 million.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is in fourth place with $115 million earned. With hits such as Con Air, Armageddon, The Rock, and Pirates of the Caribbean under his belt, he is perhaps the most successful film producer in history.

Rapper Dr Dre is a "surprising" addition to the list in fifth place, with $110 earned in the past year. But it's not just his musical talent that hit the high note. Forbes states: "Dre didn't earn that money from the recording industry, though - it's from his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.

Last August handset maker HTC paid $300 million for a 51 per cent stake in the company, which he co-founded with Interscope Chief Jimmy Iovine in 2006. It's a pretty good haul but one that Dre is unlikely to repeat next year."

American actor and producer Tyler Perry emerged not only as one of the most recognisable names in entertainment, but as a media brand unto himself. He occupies the sixth slot with earnings of $105 million.

America's outspoken radio personality, Howard Stern occupies the seventh slot. Currently a judge in America's Got Talent show, the shock jock raked in $95 million between May 2011 and May 2012.

Thriller writer James Patterson was the highest-earning author of the past year and figures on the eighth spot in the overall list of celebrities. The 65-year-old American earned an estimated $94m from the 14 new titles he published in 2011 - 2012.

The man behind the Star Wars series, George Lucas is one of the American film industry's most financially successful directors/producers. He added $90 million to his already sizeable wealth in the past year.

This English television personality certainly has The X Factor in him since he has managed to make $90 million last year to finish tenth in the Forbes' list. The British reality show Pop Idol made him a household name in the UK and when the US version, American Idol, made its debut, Cowell found an even larger audience.