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Contrary to popular belief, models actually make very little money.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage for models was a mere $11.22 per hour in 2006. Additionally, MarketWatch included modeling under one of the Worst Ten Jobs in America. However, there have been a small handful of models who have managed to amass fortunes from their modeling careers. They have been named to Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s richest supermodels.

Forbes Magazine’s List of Top 10 Richest Supermodels:

  1. Gisele Bündchen
  2. Kate Moss
  3. Heidi Klum
  4. Adriana Lima
  5. Alessandra Ambrosio
  6. Carolyn Murphy
  7. Natalia Vodianova
  8. Karolina Kurkova
  9. Daria Werbowy
  10. Gemma Ward

According to Forbes, the richest Supermodel is Gisele Bündchen who starred in over 20 campaigns in the timeframe of a year as well as becoming the lead model in Victoria’s Secret campaign, although she is no longer under contract with Victoria’s Secret. Gisele Bündchen earned USD$$ 33 million in 2007. Interestingly enough, Gisele Bündchen still managed to earn over four times more than the next richest supermodel on the list, Kate Moss whose income was reported at USD$9 million in 2007.

Since launching her modeling career, Bündchen has been consistently selected to model for various branded designers such as Balenciaga, Mervyn’s, Christian Dior, Missoni, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Givenchy, Céline, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Bvlgari,Guerlain, Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Zara, Earl Jean, Michael Kors, Chloé, and Victoria’s Secret. The model has also been featured in television ads for Apple Computer, Nivea , Vivo, Multiplan the Shopping Mall, Colcci and Citibank Credit Card. Besides owning a hotel in south of Brazil, Bündchen is also the co-owner of a line of sandals called Ipanema Gisele Bündchen.

Fashion journalists and critics have been pouring over the reason for the stark contrast between the profitability of Gisele (highly demanded on the catwalk and photographic campaigns) versus Kate Moss (highly influential in moving fashion forward and pushing fashionable clothes out of the shops and on to the streets). Several voices argue on the over-pricing of Kate Moss, her international marketability, age and wild-child reputation. Besides clothing, Kate Moss is also under contract with cosmetic and fragrance companies such as H&M, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana.

German supermodel Heidi Klum comes in third on the list with an earning of USD$8 million. Heidi Klum has experience as an actress, TV presenter, fashion designer, television producer and singer. She is best known for her modeling work with Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated as well as for becoming the host of Germany’s Next Top Model and Project Runway. To date, Klum has had contracts with brands such as McDonald’s, Braun, H & M, and Liz Claiborne and has covered magazines such as Vogue, ELLE and Marie Claire. Heidi Klum has also appeared in a substantial number of commercially successful television shows such as Spin City, Sex and the City, Yes, Dear, and How I Met Your Mother and made cameo appearances in movies such in The Devil Wears Prada and Perfect Stranger. Heidi Klum is currently signed to IMG Models in New York City.