One Direction named highest-paid European celebrities of 2016 despite hiatus

The British boyband haven't performed together or released new music this year 
In the money: One Direction are the highest-earning European stars of 2016
Joe Giddens/PA Wire
Jennifer Ruby30 December 2016
The Weekender

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The British boyband, who have not performed a concert or released any new material in 2016, have beaten the likes of Adele and Cristiano Ronaldo to top Forbes’ annual list.

As a group, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne have made £89.9 million in 12 months alone.

According to Forbes, the band raked in the money thanks to the tail end of their On The Road Again tour and lucrative endorsement deals with brands including Pepsi and Colgate.

Top-earner: Adele is in third place on this year's list
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Footballer Ronaldo came second on the list, having earned £72 million between June 2015 and June 2016.

Adele is third, having brought in £65.8 million, while tennis star Roger Federer took fourth place on the list with £55.6 million.

British rockers The Rolling Stones are in fifth place on the list, having made an impressive £54.3 million as a group, followed by Calvin Harris who earned £51.5 million.

Other stars to have made this year’s top 10 include celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, U2, Paul McCartney and Novak Djokovic.

The X Factor 2015: One Direction's last performance

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One Direction announced that they would be taking a hiatus back in December 2015, announcing that they were all keen to work on solo projects.

Horan and Tomlinson have already released solo material, while Payne is already signed as a solo artist to a record label.

Styles, who is also expected to release solo music, has turned his hand to acting and is set to appear in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming Dunkirk.

Forbes Highest Paid European Celebrities of 2016 

1. One Direction - £89.9m

2. Cristiano Ronaldo - £72m

3. Adele - £65.8m

4. Roger Federer - £55.6m

5. The Rolling Stones - £54.3m

6. Calvin Harris - £51.5m

7. Paul McCartney - £46.1m

8. Novak Djokovic - £45.7m

9. U2 - £45m

10. Gordon Ramsay - £44.1m

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