forbes

Under the slogan “the world’s most recession-proof sport” Forbes has released a series of articles around soccer and its highest earners – be it players or any other entities that have something to gain financially from the game. Soccer is not regarded with too much respect in the US, but for Europeans and South Americans it’s almost a religion. David Beckham still king of football’s richest list
• Former England captain earned $40m in 2009
• Cristiano Ronaldo second on Forbes list, Kaká third David Beckham remains the highest-earning football player in the world, for the third year running, according to Forbes magazine.

The 35-year-old earned $40m (£26m) in 2009, with about 80% of that coming from sponsors such as Adidas, Giorgio Armani and Motorola.

However, Beckham is expected to lose major sponsorship money this year because he will miss the World Cup in South Africa after tearing his achilles in March playing for Milan when on loan from LA Galaxy.

Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the Forbes list, earning $30m (£19.5m) a year. The Portugal midfielder’s major sponsors include Nike, Coca-Cola and, like Beckham, Giorgio Armani.

Ronaldo, the 2008 World Player of the Year, became the highest-paid football player in the world in June when Real Madrid bought the 25-year-old winger from Manchester United. He signed a six-year contract that pays an estimated $15.5m in the first year, then increases by 25%.

The Brazil playmaker Kaká, Ronaldo’s team-mate at Madrid, is third on the list, earning $25m (£16m) annually. Kaká’s sponsors include Adidas and Giorgio Armani.

Ronaldinho is fourth on Forbes’ list, also earning $25m a year and rounding out the top five is the France and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, who makes $24m.Lionel Messi, the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, is sixth on the list with earnings of $20m annually. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is seventh, earning $17m, with his team-mate John Terry eighth, earning $16m.

The Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ninth, also earning $16m, while the Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard earns $15m in 10th place.

In last year’s Forbes list, Beckham was estimated to have earned $46m, Ronaldinho, in second place, $33m and Henry $28m in third. Beckham was estimated to have earned $49m in 2007.

Beyonce,Artist Of The Decade

LONDON: Ten years ago Beyonce Knowles announced herself to the world with the Destiny’s Child hit Independent Women.Why Beyoncé? Why this stunning 28-year-old singer/performer/actress/businesswoman from Texas now married to one of the decade’s other biggest stars, and worth something like $87 million (Dh319.5 million) a year to boot, and not, well, take your pick…?

Because she made not one but two of the decade’s greatest singles, with Crazy in Love and Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), not to mention her hits with Destiny’s Child and lot more.Beyoncé tells us about her amazing decade.

Your first huge hit with Destiny’s Child — Independent Women — was released in 2000. Have you changed over the past 10 years?

Absolutely, yes. Eighteen years old. I was a baby. When our first single came out I was 15. My lyrics, and my goals, are completely different now. In the beginning, I was so happy to be in a studio and so hungry for us just to sell half a million records. Now I want to create something that I’ll be proud of 20, 30, 40 years from now — something that will last beyond me. The things that used to excite me just don’t any more. I’m always trying to challenge myself.

You’ve just come back from China on the latest leg of your tour. They must know who you are there…

Wow. The whole experience was pretty overwhelming. I just didn’t expect there to be so many photographers and so much media outside [when I arrived]. It was midnight, and they were really excited. To be able to travel the world, especially to places I never thought I’d be… it’s really, you know, still fascinating for me.

It’s possibly surprising that for someone who comes out of contemporary R&B and hip-hop, your live shows are incredible.

I really believe that when I perform live, I’m the strongest [that I am]. My hand is in everything — from the styling to the designing of the lights to the set list and all the little segues. And all of these things take so much time. For the first five or six months of this tour, I’d watch the show back every night, just to tweak and make things a little tighter. I think there’s always room for improvement.

Similarly, your records push the boundaries…

I did a lot of things differently this time with my album.You know, I feel like the only way I can be around as long as I pray that I can be around is to always push the envelope. And it’s really exciting that now people are allowing music to just be music… and R&B and hip-hop artists are collaborating with different types of artists.Hopefully we can just continue to grow and just step outside of hip-hop or rap or rock or whatever and it can all just be good music.

You told Forbes magazine: “I’ve worked too hard and sacrificed too much to do something silly that would mess up the brand I’ve created all of these years.” What have you sacrificed?

I just sacrificed… life. Being able to walk down the street and being able to make mistakes and not have it recorded forever… being able to have regular relationships and dates… just regular, normal things that people probably don’t even think about. Sometimes it’s hard.

About your relationship with Jaz-Z — it must be quite irritating for you that you’re not the most powerful African-American couple in the world anymore…

That is hilarious. Absolutely not! Thank God for that couple.

You sang for the Obamas for their first dance at their first inauguration ball. What was that like?

I just can’t believe I was part of that moment. Everyone had chills, everyone had tears and you could see everyone’s admiration for the president. And my admiration: I could barely sing. I still get chills when I meet them.It felt like the country was heading down a pretty dark tunnel with the previous president.

Just to return to the Forbes quote: what is the Beyoncé brand?

I don’t really like to call myself a brand and I don’t like to think of myself as a brand. I’m a singer, a songwriter, a musician and a performer. And an actress, and all the other things that I do. When you add it all together, some might call it a brand but that’s not my focus. My focus is my art and that’s what I love to do. I have to be really passionate in order to do something. I’ve turned down many things that I just didn’t believe in.

Is there anyone left you’d still like to record with?

Oh, where do I begin? There’s so many people I’d like to work with still, but I’d like to maybe go outside of the box. My sister [Solange] has put me on to bands like [indie group] Of Montreal and some other different types of artists. I would love to do something like that on my next album.

Alexandra Kerry,Alexander Forbes Kerry

Full Story And Original Content.TrendPK.com Alexandra Kerry,Alexander Forbes Kerry:The daughter of Sen. John Kerry has been arrested in Hollywood for allegedly driving drunk. Los Angeles police say 36-year-old Alexandra Kerry was stopped by officers on a Hollywood street after midnight Thursday and failed a sobriety test.

Full Story And Original Content.TrendPK.com Alexandra Kerry,Alexander Forbes Kerry:The daughter of Sen. John Kerry has been arrested in Hollywood for allegedly driving drunk.
Los Angeles police say 36-year-old Alexandra Kerry was stopped by officers on a Hollywood street after midnight Thursday and failed a sobriety test.
Officer Bruce Borihanh said she was booked at the Hollywood police station [...]