Wanda Sykes Highest-Paid Actress in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actresses” released on Monday.
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It's been a rough year for the actress, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 58-year-old Wanda Sykes has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actresses for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 03/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Wanda Sykes tops annual list of highest-paid actresses

In 2023 it looked like the actress’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (February 2) that Sykes is the highest-paid actress in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $50 million lead over her 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 American actress-comedienne-author has an estimated net worth of $245 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Sykes Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Portsmouth Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondersykes - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Wanda) and a fashion line called “Wanda Sykes Seduction”.

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

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