Harry Potter drops on Forbes 'fictional characters list'

  October 22, 2004 at 10:36 AM ET
  Geri     HPANA (via Forbes magazine)
  jk rowling, harry potter


Once again Forbes magazine have published their list of Top-earning fictional charactersopens in new window for 2003, with the top 10 earning a combined total of $23 billion. Harry Potter droppedopens in new window one spot from the 2002 list to this year’s No. 4 with an estimated income of $2.8 billion behind Mickey Mouse & Friends with $5.8 billion, Winnie the Pooh & Friends with $5.6 billion & Frodo Baggins, Lord of the Rings with $2.9 billion.

According to Forbes:

Creator: J.K. Rowling
Birth Date: 1998
Debut Role: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a book
Known Associates: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Bringing in more than $500 million in video game sales alone, this wizard-to-be has earned himself a spot on our list for the second year in a row. On and off the Quidditch field, Harry Potter is truly multidimensional--with fans in love with his books, movies, videogames and merchandise, Potter's creator, J.K. Rowling, earned an estimated $147 million last year and has a net worth of $1 billion, becoming the first author to qualify for a spot on our world's billionaire list (No. 552) based only on earnings from their writing.
Coming Attraction: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on DVD & VHS (November 2004)
Cashing In: Scholastic, Bloomsbury Publishing, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Mattel, J.K. Rowling

Rounding out the top ten: Nemo, Finding Nemo with $2 billion, Yu-Gi-Oh! with $1.6 billion, SpongeBob Squarepants with $1.5 billion, Spider-Man with $1.3 billion, Wolverine, X-Men with $900 million and Pikachu, Pokémon with $825 million.

While you're reading the article why not take the time to answer their poll question: If you could enter a land of make-believe for one day, what would you choose to do? Currently the Harry Potter answer is leading the pack.

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