Russia has sent some of its most successful acts to Eurovision — and this continues to be proven with the 2020 edition of Forbes magazine’s Russian celebrity rich list. Eurovision stars Dima Bilan, Polina Gagarina and Sergey Lazarev feature on the list of high-earning Russian celebs.
Since 2019, the list has switched to a “40 under 40” format, looking at the top 40 highest-earning Russian celebrities under the age of 40. This means the list no longer includes successful but older Russian Eurovision stars like Philipp Kirkorov and Alla Pugacheva. But there are plenty of other Eurovision stars on the list.
The rankings are determined by revenue for the previous financial year, but also figuring in media mentions and “popularity points”. This decides an overall rank which factors in fame and money.
The overall top-ranked person is international MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has estimated revenue of $16.5 million in the past year.
Russian Eurovision stars on the Forbes 2020 rich list
We have to go down to position seven to find our first Eurovision star. The song contest’s 2008 winner Dima Bilan can be found there, with an estimated revenue of $6.8 million. In the past year, he released the album Перезагрузка (Reloaded) and took his 22-date Planet Bilan tour around Russia and the Baltic region.
Following right behind in eighth place is Polina Gagarina. The “Million Voices” singer has an estimated revenue of $6.4 million. Polina continues as one of the coaches on The Voice Russia and is a spokesperson for Lay’s chips and a brand of fabric conditioner.
Sergey Lazarev, Russia’s other Eurovision big hitter from recent years, can be found in 11th place. The “You Are the Only One” star is said to have made $4.4 million in the past year. As well as his pop music and musical theatre work, Sergey is also brand ambassador for the fragrance brand Jo Malone London.
And while Little Big didn’t have the chance of representing Russia at Eurovision 2020, they can console themselves with a place on the rich list. They are sitting in 18th place, with estimated revenue of $1 million. The group has been riding high with their international hit “SKIBIDI” and was also involved in a promo track for the Tuborg brewery.
Other Russian music stars have made the list
Eurovision 2012 interval act Emin Agalarov is also on the list. He has estimate revenue of $3.1 million, but is ranked only 29th. His lower rank is due to him having a lower popularity score than many others on the list. While controversy surrounds Agalarov regarding his involvement with Donald Trump, he has continued to develop his personal brand.
Russian hip hop stars dominate the list, with Egor Kreed, Timati, Basta, Morgenshtern, Allj, Mot and Noize MC all taking a place. The pop singer Zivert is on the list with $3.1 million, while the classical pianist Daniil Trifonov is at number 40.
But it’s not all music stars. The list also features successful Russians in the fields of sports, entertainment, as well as influencers. International tennis star Maria Sharapova is 25th on the list with $4.2 million. She had previously topped the list for ten previous years, before her retirement from professional tennis. At the time, Maria Sharapova was the world’s highest-paid female athlete.
What do you think? Are you happy that these Russian stars are working their brands? Does the list offer clues as to future Russian Eurovision stars? Tell us your thoughts below!
what about Philipp_Kirkorov
Are there any other countries where such a high proportion of big hitters also have a Eurovision portfolio?