Earlier this month, Forbes uploaded a comprehensive list of the highest-payed EDM DJs in the world as part of their September 13 print issue to follow. Calculated from June 1, 2015 until June 1, 2016, the list factors in earnings from live shows, merchandise, endorsements, recorded music and other business ventures explored by the DJs in question. Unsurprisingly, Calvin Harris, Tiësto and David Guetta topped the roster, with Zedd, Steve Aoki and Diplo not far behind.
During the five times that the yearly list has been compiled, a woman has never cracked the rankings, according to Ryan Mac who helped create the list for Forbes. But as writer and Youtube user Women of EDM pointed out, the 2016 list has ignored one candidate that would have placed No.1 otherwise: Paris Hilton.
Despite being a highly controversial member of the EDM community, Paris Hilton’s weekly residency at Ibiza’s Amnesia and other events around the world have technically earned her the official mark of “EDM DJ.” During the period that the Forbes list looked at, Hilton played a total of nine shows for $350,000 each, and those are just the ones you can find on Songkick. After factoring in her outside business ventures, merchandise and endorsements, her total income of potentially billions of dollars would reach well over Calvin Harris’ $63 million.
Watch Women of EDM‘s video on the topic below, and hear one person’s perspective on an issue that certainly needs to be addressed by both Forbes and the DJing community at large.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOjh2uNV8Kg
Sources: Forbes, Women of EDM | Image: Rukes
