The Richest Women under 30

Emma-Lou Montgomery investigates who the 10 richest women 30 are. No one on her list was born rich, they’ve got where they are through hard work, talent and people they know. You won’t find Paris Hilton, Kelly Osborne or Nicole Richie here - because while they’re rich, it’s all thanks to daddy. And that’s not what this is about. This list celebrates the success and fortunes of self-made female millionaires, aged 17 to 29.

10 - Emma Watson, £3 million
She may not be a household name yet, but thanks to the Harry Potter phenomenon young Emma is a household face. And she could pick up £2 million a piece for the next two Harry Potter films. In July she confessed to Parade magazine that she has enough money now to never work again. And she’s only 17!


9 - Keira Knightley, £4.5 million
Keira has come a long way since she played a lanky teen in Bend It Like Beckham. She earned a whopping $5 million (£2.5 million) for At World's End and has since gone on command top dollars. She’s the new face of Chanel and if she gets an Oscar for her role in Atonement her value will undoubtedly go sky-high.

8 - Coleen McLoughlin, £5 million
The Liverpudlian fiancee of footballer Wayne Rooney has worked hard to prove she’s more than just your average WAG. She is the face of Asda, has written a style book, has a magazine column, has done the obligatory fitness video (but admitted: "That was quite hard work, so I bought myself a Fendi baguette bag afterwards") and appeared in Vogue. In fact, she’s become a true 21st century style icon. And when she marries Rooney this summer as a couple they’ll be worth an even cooler £30 million. Move over Mr & Mrs Beckham?

7 - Anna Kournikova, £8.5 million
Anna is arguably better known for her looks than for her prowess on the court. But this hasn’t stopped her from raking in an estimated £8.5 million in prize money and sponsorship. All the signs were there in 2001 when the tennis star-turned-sex symbol took home £220,000 in tournament prize money and a further £7 million-plus for advertising everything from Adidas to Charles Schwab investments.

6 - Charlotte Church, £10 million
The Welsh soprano was just 12 when she landed a five-album contract with Sony. At the time she said: "I don't want to build up my hopes too much in case it doesn't work out." But, as it turned out, that was just the beginning. Three years later she had amassed a fortune worth millions and since then has added a television show and a pop career to her name.

5 - Lily Cole, £11 million
Not even 20 yet, never mind 30, the flame-haired model has signed a deal that sees her as the new face of M&S from this month. Having become the youngest model to appear on the cover of Vogue when she was 16, Cole hasn’t let her multi-million pound modelling career stop her studies either. She’s off to Cambridge University in October. Lily Cole is living proof that brains and beauty do go hand in hand.

4 - Maria Sharapova, £20 million
The world’s highest-earning sportswoman is as much a winner off the court as she is on it. Apart from her tournament earnings, Sharapova’s deals with the likes of Sony Ericsson, Pepsi, Nike, Canon, Colgate-Palmolive and Motorola earn her big bucks. She’s come a long way since her father spent the family’s life savings of £380 to up sticks and take the seven-year-old tennis prodigy from her home in Siberia to the famed Bollettieri Academy in Florida.

3 - Vanessa Mae, £32 million
Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson made a fortune with her violin and her arrival on the popular music scene heralded not only the start of her multi-million pound fortune, but also a new era in which classical musicians have gone mainstream. She was still in her mid-teens when she broke the mould and released her first fusion album The Violin Player. She forged a new style that has made her a multi-million-selling worldwide phenomenon, and single-handedly fused classical and pop.

2 - Britney Spears, £65 million
The 26-year-old pop princess may have had a number of much publicised ups and downs over the past year or so, but Britney is clearly no dumb blonde when it comes to her cash. Britney’s global business empire includes Britney Brands, BritneyFilms, Britney Online, Britney Touring, Fairy Zone Productions, One More Time Music and Britney Television. She may appear to have a loose grip on reality – and her kids – at times, but Britney has her finances nicely wrapped up.

1 - Beyonce, £100 million
The singer who has a number of film roles, perfumes and other business ventures to her name has been a consistently high earner since her Destiny’s Child days. While Beyonce’s never stated her true wealth it’s estimated that she makes $70 million (£35 million) a tour, as well as endorsements from Pepsi and the like. But she says she’s “mortified” by her wealth. "I never imagined I would be so blessed. I just wanted to be financially stable, and it embarrasses me, and I don't feel comfortable talking or thinking about it. I'm not a flashy girl, and I don't flaunt it." Bless.

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