José María Balcázar Highest-Paid in the World

It's been a rough year for the , but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 83-year-old José María Balcázar has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 10/04/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

José María Balcázar tops annual list of highest-paid

In 2023 it looked like the ’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (April 9) that Balcázar is the highest-paid in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between March 2025 and March 2026, a nearly $50 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 Peruvian has an estimated net worth of $245 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 Balcázar Burger” chain) in Lima, a Football Team (the “Cajamarca Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderbalcázar - Peru), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from José María) and a fashion line called “José María Balcázar Seduction”.

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

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