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Mattel's Ynon Kreiz: 'Barbie' is more than a movie, it's a cultural event
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz discusses the toymaker's sales on ‘The Claman Countdown’ after the 'Barbie' movie release.
Adam Sandler had a triumphant 2023, making him Forbes' highest-paid actor of the year. Accruing $14 million more than the next person on the list, the funnyman proved that having your eggs in more than one basket proves lucrative.
But the Sandman wasn't the only star to have success last year. "Barbie," the most profitable film of 2023, had two of its stars on the long list of wealthy names.
Here's a look at who made the top 10.
'BARBIE' AND 'SUPER MARIO BROS' LED 2023 BOX OFFICE WITH 'THE MARVELS' DISAPPOINTING
Adam Sandler was at the top of Forbes' highest-paid actors list for 2023. (Rich Polk/NBC via Getty Images / Getty Images)
1. Adam Sandler
Sandler comfortably sits atop the list of affluent stars, raking in $73 million for the year. That includes funds allocated to his manager, lawyer and agent.
Much of Sandler's success is due in part to his massive contract with Netflix, which he originally signed in 2014 for $250 million and renewed in 2020. Last year, three of Sandler's movies had enormous success: "Murder Mystery 2" with Jennifer Aniston; "You're So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah," featuring his wife and two daughters; and the animated flick "Leo."
Much of Sandler's income comes from the deal he renewed with Netflix in 2020. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to Forbes, Netflix users streamed over 500 million hours of Sandler content last year.
2. Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie is the youngest on Forbes' highest-paid actors list. (Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
When you're the star and producer of the year's most successful movie, you're bound to see monetary success of your own.
Margot Robbie not only landed herself at No. 2, she's also the youngest person on the 10-person list. The Australian beauty made $59 million last year.
"Barbie" set box office records for Warner Bros., making nearly $1.5 billion.
3. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise's film, "Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One," made over $567.5 million worldwide. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Tom Cruise had an exceptional 2023, earning $45 million.
The star's success can be attributed to his latest "Mission: Impossible" installment, which will have a second part released in 2025. Part one made more than $567.5 million worldwide.
Cruise also continues to reap the benefits of his "Top Gun: Maverick," film, which premiered in theaters in 2022 but accrued on-demand profits last year.
4. Ryan Gosling and Matt Damon
Ryan Gosling made an enormous amount of money due to the success of his film "Barbie." (Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Two Hollywood hunks tied for fourth place, both earning a comfortable $43 million.
Smiliar to his co-star Robbie, Ryan Gosling has benefited from the success of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie." His memorable song from the film, "I'm Just Ken," has streamed over 100 million times on Spotify, according to Forbes.
Matt Damon had a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated film "Oppenheimer." (Dominique Charriau/WireImage/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Matt Damon was in another major movie of the year, "Oppenheimer," which opened the same weekend as "Barbie." Despite the film being a blockbuster, Damon earned a relatively low salary of $4 million for his supporting role in the Christopher Nolan flick. Most of Damon's income came from an acquisition with Amazon. He and partner Ben Affleck sold the rights to their movie "Air" for $130 million.
6. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston made $42 million in 2023. (Rich Polk/NBC via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Aniston will always reap the benefits of residuals from her time on the hit sitcom "Friends," but her new source of income seems to be from her newer series, "The Morning Show," for which she reportedly makes $2 million an episode.
In addition to that substantial TV deal, Aniston has partnerships with Uber Eats, Vital Proteins and Pvolve Fitness that are a healthy source of income. She made $42 million in 2023.
7. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jason Statham
Leonardo DiCaprio made his money from "Killers of the Flower Moon." (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Two more Hollywood heartthrobs tied for seventh place, just below Aniston.
Leonardo DiCaprio can mainly thank his Oscar-nominated film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," for the additional $41 million in his bank account.
Jason Statham had three high-grossing movies at the box office in 2023. (Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Jason Statham had a busy 2023, starring in several motion pictures, including "Fast X," "Meg 2: The Trench" and "Expend4bles," all of which made tens or hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.
9. Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck's movie with Matt Damon, "Air," was sold to Amazon for a large sum before it even began production. (Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Like his good pal Damon, Affleck can thank his movie "Air" for the $38 million he made in 2023.
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10. Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is the oldest on Forbes' highest-paid actors list at 69. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images / Getty Images)
At 69 years old, Denzel Washington is the oldest actor on this list.
Washington starred in "The Equalizer 3," which made over $190 million at the box office. He made a cool $24 million in 2023.
