Most expensive celebrity endorsements

The easiest way a brand can reach the masses is by leveraging the popularity of household names. People are likely to prefer a brand if it is endorsed by a celebrity they like. Brands are open to paying astronomical sums to celebrities because people trust the brand as much as they trust the celebrity endorsing it.

The most expensive celebrities for promotions are:

1. Taylor Swift
   Most notable endorsement: Diet Coke – $26 million
   The Shake It Off singer has had some of the best endorsement deals. She has endorsed Apple, CoverGirl, Keds, and Coca-Cola. Taylor signed a deal worth $26 million with Coca-Cola for promoting Diet Coke.

2. DJ Tiesto
   Most notable endorsement: 7UP – $30 million
   The “Godfather of EDM” has been one of the best DJs in the last 2-3 decades. Soda giant 7UP offered him a contract worth $30 million for promoting the signature sot drink. And they also sponsored a release party with a stage at a big music festival in Las Vegas.

3. Beyonce
   Most notable endorsement: Pepsi – $50 million
   Beyonce is one of the most significant pop stars of our generation because of her role in the cultural change in pop music. No wonder her fans call her Queen Bey. Pepsi, wanting to take its popularity beyond TV and prints, roped in Beyonce on a multi-year contract worth $50 million.

4. Charlize Theron
   Most notable endorsement: Dior – $55 million
   The Academy Award winner and UN Messenger of Peace is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. Time included her in the list of 100 most influential people in the world for her contribution to fighting HIV in South Africa. Charlize signed an 11-year contract for Dior’s J’adore perfume that earned her $55 million.

5. 50 Cents
   Most notable endorsement: Vitaminwater – undisclosed
   The In Da Club rapper has 7 number-one singles. The successful hip-hop artist ventured into business as a co-owner and investor in Glaceau. This company founded Vitaminwater, and 50 Cents used his popularity to promote it. He received a sum rumored to be in nine figures when Coca-Cola bought Vitaminwater in 2007.

6. Sofia Vergara
   Most notable endorsements: Pepsi, Head&Shoulders, CoverGirl – $94.5 million
   The Modern Family star is one of the highest-earning Television actresses right now. The Columbian actress is known for her authenticity on and off the screen. She is particularly adored by the Hispanic population of the US. She made $157.5 million in 2011, out of which 60% came in from brand endorsements.

7. David Beckham
   Most notable endorsement: Adidas – $160 million
   Footballers are famous by default. A very few of them are fashion icons. And even fewer have a spouse as famous as Spice Girl Victoria. David Beckham has signed several impressive endorsements such as Breitling, H&M, Coty, Samsung, and Sainsbury’s. But the biggest of them all has been with Adidas. When he joined Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2003, he also signed a massive $160 million lifetime sponsorship with Adidas. While he got paid almost half of it upfront, the former England captain continues to earn from the profits of all his branded Adidas merchandise.

8. George Foreman
   Most notable endorsement: George Foreman Grill – $138 million
   George Foreman is a former professional boxer. He won the Olympic Gold medal and was also the world heavyweight champion twice. But his real financial success came outside the boxing ring. Salton, Inc. bought his naming rights to use for their range of grills. Just lending his name to George Foreman Grills earned him an impressive $138 million. Foreman earned a significant sum equivalent to about $40 million today from his boxing bouts. And he’s made well over 5 times that amount simply by selling his naming rights and promoting the product on TV.