BEIJING, June 5 -- Actress Angelina Jolie has earned the top spot on Forbes' annual ranking of the world's 100 most powerful celebrities, dethroning Oprah Winfrey, who had held the No. 1 position for the past two years.

    Jolie raked in $27 million in the past 12 months thanks to a movie schedule that included "Kung Fu Panda," "Wanted" and the not-yet-released spy thriller "Salt." Even more impressive: The publicity she garnered following the birth of her twins, as well as the consistent headlines she grabs for her philanthropic efforts and her relationship with actor Brad Pitt, who ranks No. 9 on the list.

    Winfrey drops to No. 2 on the list. The media maven has pocketed $275 million in the last year, making her the list's top earner. Though viewership for her daily chat fest, The Oprah Winfrey Show, continues to erode, her earnings remain unchanged from a year ago.

    Rounding out the top five on the list are pop icon Madonna ($110 million), singer Beyoncé Knowles ($87 million) and golfer Tiger Woods ($110 million).

    The Material Girl banked the majority of her millions on the road. Her “Hard Candy” tour rounded out 2008 as the year's top-grossing international tour, raking in $280 million across 17 countries.

    Knowles' haul came from album sales, tour performances, films, a fashion collection and a lengthy list of endorsement deals. Woods' pile of cash came mostly from endorsements, appearance fees and a lucrative gig designing golf courses.

    U.S. President Barack Obama is the first sitting head of state to make the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List, coming in at No. 49 with his earnings up to $2.5 million last year from his two best-selling books and many magazine covers. 

    The Celebrity 100, which includes film and television actors, models, chefs, athletes, authors and musicians, is a measure of entertainment-related earnings and media visibility. The earnings estimates consist of pre-tax income between June 2008 and June 2009.

    (Source: China Daily/CRI/Agencies)