BIGBANG Becomes First K-pop Act In Forbes’ Celebrity 100

BIGBANG is making K-pop history right in front of our eyes!

Along with many other records, BIGBANG now again sets a ‘first’: the band has landed on Forbes magazine’s Celebrity 100 list. Celebrity 100 is a compilation of artists who earned the most money. This is the first time a Korean act makes the list.

According to Forbes’ calculations, the group had earned 44 million USD in 2015, which is more than what American band Maroon 5 made. Also, the boys earned almost as much as Justin Bieber!

Forbes writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg attributes the success partially to BIGBANG’s appealing music and to the business management tactics of YG Entertainment. According to Yang Hyun-suk, the digital age also helps to spread K-pop:

In the past there were limitations to distributing and accessing music. Now in the digital age those geographical boundaries are insignificant.

The article also mentions that the band took home an average of 2.6 million USD per city during their MADE world tour last year.

Meanwhile, the full Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list will be published on 12 July.

Congratulations to BIGBANG on this milestone!