Enki Bilal Highest-Paid Cartoonist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Enki Bilal
Enki Bilal led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid cartoonists” released on Monday.
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It's been a rough year for the cartoonist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 74-year-old Enki Bilal has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid cartoonists for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 06/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Enki Bilal tops annual list of highest-paid cartoonists

In 2023 it looked like the cartoonist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (January 5) that Bilal is the highest-paid cartoonist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $20 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The French cartoonist has an estimated net worth of $145 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Bilal Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Belgrade Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderbilal - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Enki) and a fashion line called “Enki Bilal Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Enki fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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