From Élisabeth Badinter to Jeffrey Archer, These Are The 20 Richest Authors of All Time.

With a net worth of roughly US$1.3 Billion, Élisabeth Badinter is the richest author in the world, followed by J.K. Rowling (No. 2, US$1 billion), James Patterson (No. 3, US$560 million); and Stephen King (No. 4, US$400 million).

Élisabeth Badinter, a well-known philosopher and writer, is known for her books on feminism, including “The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women.” She is a billionaire thanks to an inheritance in advertising and public relations giant Publicis Groupe. She was born on March 5, 1944 in Hauts-de-Seine, France, one of three daughters of Marcel Bleustein Blanchet, the founder of Publicis Groupe.

The 20 Richest Authors of All Time

1. Élisabeth Badinter (US$1.3 billion)
2. J.K. Rowling (US$1 billion)
3. James Patterson (US$560 million)
4. Stephen King (US$400 million)
5. Nora Roberts (US$390 million)
6. Danielle Steel (US$310 million)
7. Barbara Taylor Bradford (US$300 million)
8. Nigel Blackwell (US$292.5 million)
9. John Grisham (US$220 million)
10. Jeffrey Archer (US$195 million)
11. Dan Brown ($178 million)
12. David Oyedepo ($150 million)
13. Dean Koontz ($145 million)
14. Stephanie Meyer ($125 million)
15. Paul McKenna ( $100 million)
16. Christopher Little ($86 million)
17. Jack Higgins ($84 million)
18. Deepak Chopra ($80 million)
19. Janet Evanovich ($78 million)
20. Suzanne Collin ($77 million)