Top 15 Highest Earning Models in The World 2016

1. Gisele Bundchen - 44 Million USD

The highest-paid model in fashion, Gisele Bündchen continues to out-earn her younger counterparts banking $44 million this year, just slightly less than the $47 million she made in 2014. Though reports swirled that Gisele was retiring from the runway, the 35-year-old's earnings have not been significantly dented. The versatile Brazilian continues to clock lucrative beauty and fragrance contracts with Chanel and Carolina Herrera, supplementing those money makers with prestigious high fashion campaigns for Emilio Pucci and Balenciaga. Gisele's Under Armour advertisement, which pictured her attacking a punch bag while social media commentary blared in the background, was perhaps the most impactful this year. With 5.5 million Facebook fans and 6 million Instagram followers, Gisele has turned her name into a brand: She gets a cut of sales from the jelly sandals she designs for Brazilian shoemaker Grendene, while her line of Hope lingerie -- Gisele Bundchen Intimates -- also plumps up her paycheck.

2-1. Adriana Lima - 9 Million USD

Adriana Lima is Victoria Secret's longest-running Angel in the brand's history, first posing for them in 2000. The 34-year-old's supermodel seniority comes with a supersized deal, which she supplements this year with Marc Jacobs, H&M and Desigual contracts. Banking $9 million thanks to recent deals with Maybelline and Vogue Eyewear, Lima clocks her largest paycheck ever this year. With 5.4 million Instagram followers, 2.1 Twitter followers and 6 million Facebook followers, she is one of the most visible supermodels. The Brazilian also swept the small screen in this year's SuperBowl, starring in a Kia ad.


2-2. Cara Delevingne - 9 Million USD

Cara Delevingne only joined the Highest-Paid Models ranking in 2014 but she has already skyrocketed to the top thanks to a busy year of modeling, acting--and instagramming. Her earnings leaped to $9 million from $3.5 million last year. Taylor Swift's BFF appeared in campaigns for 13 different brands, shooting major adverts with DKNY, Burberry and Topshop and retaining a money-making beauty deal with YSL. After a brief part in 2012′s Anna Karenina, 2015's Paper Towns was the first in a spate of forthcoming films from Delevingne, who is pivoting from the page to the multiplex. The 23-year-old is soon set to appear in London Fields with Johnny Depp, Pan with Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried, and Suicide Squad, with Will Smith and Jared Leto. With 19 million Instagram followers, 3.7 million Twitter followers and 240,000 Facebook fans, Delevingne is one of the most prominent models on social media, bested only by Kendall Jenner. She has a matching tattoo with fellow highest-paid model Jourdan Dunn.

4. Doutzen Kroes - 7.5 Million USD

Dutch powerhouse Doutzen Kroes may no longer be modeling for Victoria's Secret--scheduling conflicts reportedly prevent her from fulfilling the lingerie line's demanding time commitments--but she still makes a pretty penny from a lucrative L'Oréal cosmetics contract. The face of Tiffany & Co., she also shills for Samsung in her native Netherlands and stars in a steamy Calvin Klein fragrance ad. The 30-year-old has her own line of cashmere sweaters which she regularly promotes to her 3.4 million Instagram followers and 1.7 million Facebook fans.

5. Natalia Vodianova - 7 Million USD

Natalia Vodianova spritzes for two fragrances: Calvin Klein Euphoria, which she first sprayed on in 2006, and Guerlain Shalimar Souffle de Parfum. Her earnings jumped to $7 million from $4 million last year. She also clocks in a Guerlain cosmetics contract and designs a line for European lingerie makers Etam. The 33-year-old Russian is the face of Stella McCartney and Theory.

6-1. Miranda Kerr - 5.5 Million USD

As the face of Wonderbra, the former Victoria's Secret Angel is still finding lingerie lucrative. Banking $5.5 million, Kerr made slightly less than 2014's $7 million but plumped her paycheck as the face of Escada Joyful Fragrance, Swarovski jewelry and Clear Hair care products. With 7 million Instagram followers, 4 million Twitter followers and 7.4 million Facebook fans, she is one of the most prominent models on social media. The 32-year-old also has a cosmetics line, Kora Organics, which she launched in 2009; fans can also drink from a Kerr-endorsed teacup she released for Royal Albert. She is recently divorced from actor Orlando Bloom and has one child.

6-2. Joan Smalls - 5.5 Million USD

Joan Small's busy 12 months accounts for her increase in earnings from $3 million in 2014 to $5.5 million this year. She retained lucrative Estée Lauder and H&M deals while adding nearly a dozen new brands to her roster including ads with Joe Fresh, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs. She also continues to walk more catwalks than most other models on the highest-paid list. The Puerto Rican 27-year-old is the first Latina ambassador for Estée Lauder. She has 1.1 million Instagram followers.

8. Lara Stone - 5 Million USD

Lara Stone has a packed year to thank for her return to the Highest-Paid Models list after an absence in 2014. She added to a L'Oréal cosmetics contract with a Calvin Klein underwear and fashion campaign, plus Stella McCartney and Tom Ford fragrances. The 31-year-old also makes money from Barneys and Kurt Geiger adverts. The second Dutch supermodel among the highest-paid, she was discovered in the Paris Metro at age 12 and competed in the Elite Model Look competition when she was just 15.

8-2. Alessandra Ambrosio - 5 Million USD

Alessandra Ambrosio has her Victoria's Secret income to thank for the majority of her millions, which she adds to with Schutz and Dafiti contracts. At $5 million, her earnings are even with last year's haul. The 34-year-old Brazilian mother of two has her own swimwear line and a joint clothing line with Planet Blue. She recently made her acting debut in steamy Brazilian soap opera Verdades Secretas (Secrets And Lies). She has 4.4 million Instagram followers, 1.6 million Twitter followers and 2.8 million Facebook fans.

8-3. Candice Swanepoel - 5 Million USD

South African Candice Swanepoel has a Max Factor make up deal and Versace fragrance contract to thank for a portion of her $5 million paycheck, which amounts to nearly double 2014's $3 million haul. The rest of her earnings come from a money-making Victoria's Secret gig, plus adverts for Free People and Givenchy, among other. Swanepoel, 26, was first discovered in a flea market. Today, she has 6 million Instagram followers and 1 million Twitter followers.

8-4. Karlie Kloss - 5 Million USD

Though Karlie Kloss is no longer a Victoria's Secret Angel, having turned in her wings earlier this year, the 23-year-old is flush from deals with L'Oréal, Joe Fresh and Kate Spade. Among her more lucrative gigs is a perfume contract as the face Chanel Coco Noir fragrance. Kloss, who is now juggling modeling with classes at NYU, has also partnered with the Flatiron School to create a Kode With Karlie scholarship for young female coders. In 2015, she appeared on the cover of Vogue with best friend Taylor Swift. Kloss, who has 3.1 million Instagram followers and 1.1 million Facebook fans, was discovered in a charity fashion show.

12. Carolyn Murphy - 4.5 Million USD

Carolyn Murphy's wholesome all-American look has helped her book campaigns with Gap, Jones New York and Shinola. The 40-year-old continues to out-earn youthful competition with a longstanding Estée Lauder contract, adding Ugg and Oscar de la Renta campaigns to her advertising work. Murphy got her start modeling as a 17-year-old in sunny Panama City, Fla. and has since worked with some of the most eminent names in fashion, from Steven Meisel and Mario Testino to Karl Lagerfeld and the late Helmut Newton. Banking $4.5 million, she earned a fraction more than 2014's $4 million haul.

12-2. Kate Moss - 4.5 Million USD

Fourteen years after first posing for Rimmel, Kate Moss continues to advertise for the British make up brand. The 41-year-old model banks big bucks from her deal with luxury jeweler David Yurman, Decorté Skincare and Burberry's fragrance. She collaborated on 14 seasons of a since-discontinued line with British retailer Topshop (Kylie and Kendall Jenner have since launched a Topshop collection.) Moss' $4.5 million earnings are down from $7 million in 2014.

14. Liu  Wen - 4.5 Million USD

Liu Wen was the first Chinese model to walk Victoria's Secret runway and though she no longer struts her stuff with wings on, Wen continues to earn from underwear as the body of La Perla. The 27-year-old also makes money from Massimo Dutti, H&M and MO&Co campaigns, supplementing her paycheck with endorsements in China. Slightly fewer ad campaigns see her earnings drop to $4.5 million from $7 million in 2014. With 12.8 million followers on Weibo and 1.1 million on Instagram, Wen also appears on a popular Chinese TV show, "We Are In Love."

15. Daria Werbowy - 4.5 Million USD

Thanks to a busy year, Daria Werbowy sees her earnings rise to $4.5 million from $3 million in 2014. The face of Lancôme, Ukrainian-Canadian Werbowy adds to her beauty contract income by modeling for the likes of H&M, Celine and Equipment. The 31-year-old has appeared on the cover of international Vogue issues more than 50 times.

Source : www.Forbes.com + images from Internet