Madonna tops pay list

All smiles: Madonna and Guy Ritchie are big earners

Madonna is the highest female earner in the UK, according to a newspaper survey.

The 43-year-old pop star, who qualifies for the survey because of her marriage to British director Guy Ritchie, is said to have earned £30m in 2001.

JK Rowling: Potter mania pays off

She is also the highest-earning arts and entertainment figure in the list, beating Potter author JK Rowling and former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney.

Rowling jumps 19 places in the Sunday Times pay list, with earnings of £24.8m, compared to Sir Paul's income of £20.5m.

Business figures

Sir Paul's former band mate Ringo Starr is 30th in the list, with earnings of £12m, while George Harrison is two places below with an income of £11.5m.

Overall Madonna is 11th in the list, behind business figures such as Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone and Lord Sainsbury.

Sing for his supper: Sir Paul earns more than Ringo and George

Little-known Welsh painter Andrew Vicari is 19th in the list, two places behind Sir Paul, with an income of £20m.

Believed to be the highest-paid artist in the world, a painting from a series of Gulf-war images was sold for £20m to a Riyadh-based firm.

Sir Anthony Hopkins and director Ridley Scott earned £19m and £17m respectively.

Retrospective

Rolling Stone Mick Jagger has seen his earnings fall £2m since last year to £10m, just ahead of former Cream star, now solo star, Eric Clapton, who brought in £8.465m.

Comparative young upstart, Robbie Williams, earned £8m, in joint 66th place with stars such as Liam Neeson and Keith Richards.

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour earned £6.189m, but his income could rise in the next 12 months with the release of a restrospective of his band's work.