The World's Top-Earning Models

Gisele Bundchen

$33 million

Gisele Bundchen is a Brazilian model. She started her career in 1995 when she was only 15 years old. In 1999 she became the prime choice of photographers and fashion designers. She occupied magazine covers, posters and TV ads, appeared on new ad campaigns for leading fashion houses such as Ralph Lauren, Versace, Valentino and Chloe. She also has appeared on several magazine covers such as Vogue, Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, and Marie Claire.

Gisele launched a line of sandals, Ipanema Gisele Bundchen, in cooperation with the company Grendene. The campaign has been an incredible success.

Kate Moss

$9 million

Kate Moss, an English supermodel, is best known as the "Face of Calvin Klein". She is considered to be the shortest supermodel in the world.

At the age of 15, Kate was cast in her first catwalk show for John Galliano. At 18, she became the Face of Calvin Klein. Moss has had campaigns with major Italian, French, New York, and British designers including Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry, Rimmel, and Bulgari.

But by November 1998 Kate checked into London's Priory Clinic, suffering from exhaustion. When she emerged the following January, she confessed that she had spent the last decade modelling "drunk". The paparazzi have long claimed that Moss habitually used cocaine. In interviews Moss dismissed these claims. The Sunday Mirror was sued by Moss for claiming that she had slipped into a coma after taking large amounts of cocaine in Spain in the 1990s.

Now she's the new face of Stella McCartney and Italian sportswear company Belstaff. She also recently launched a clothing line for British retailer Topshop.

In 1997 The Kate Moss Book was published. It represents a compilation of photos Moss herself had selected to show her career in front of the camera.

Heidi Klum

$8 million

Heidi Klum started her modeling career when she was barely 18 years old when she and a friend noticed an advertisement in a magazine for "The Face of the Year", Germany. Now she is a star of the fashion world. She is most known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Victoria's Secret catalog. Besides, she has appeared in several TV shows.

Heidi’s numerous other ventures include self-designed collections for fine jeweler Mouawad and popular shoe line Birkenstock. She is the host and executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy-nominated series “Project Runway”. In 2004 she published a lifestyle book, “Body of Knowledge: 8 Rules of Model Behavior”.Other ventures include best-selling European clothing, accessories, fragrance and beauty lines.

Heidi has been featured on the covers of numerous fashion magazine, including Vogue, Elle, In Style, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Jane, ID, W, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Allure, Esquire, GQ, British GQ .

Heidi is also well known for featuring in Victoria’s Secret world-famous catalogs and fashion shows. She was chosen to wear the $10 million jeweled Millennium Bra, as well as the jeweled Fantasy Bra in 2001 and 2003; and she has been featured on the cover of the Victoria’s Secret Swim Book.

Adriana Lima

$6 million

The 26-year-old Victoria's Secret model is one of the most famous Brazilian babe since Gisele Bundchen. She is best recognized as a model for Victoria's Secret and Armani Jeans. She modeled in the Victoria's Secret's catalogues and ads with supermodels Heidi Klum and Laetitia Casta. She also appeared in the popular TV transmitted lingerie shows, The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which she debuted with in 2000 and later became the show opener in 2003. In addition, she is the face of Maybelline and Italian phone company Telecom Italia.

Lima is often cited as one of the world's sexiest women. She was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007. Lima was also voted on the Maxim Hot 100 2007 as number 53. She was voted as the Most Desirable Woman in 2005 by visitors of the largest men's lifestyle website, Askmen.com.

Alessandra Ambrosio

$6 million

Alessandra began modeling career at the age of 15 at Dilson Stein modeling school in Brazil. Her first modeling job was with Brazilian Elle.

Alessandra Ambrosio has established herself as one of the premiere supermodels of the world. The statuesque brunette has been featured in advertising campaigns by Guess?, Calvin Klein, Georgio Armani, Christian Dior, Escada and Victoria’s Secrets. She regularly ranks as one of the most respected models in the world and scores high on various “sexiest” and “best looking” polls.

Ambrosio is currently the National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, helping raise awareness for the unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system and raise funds for the ongoing research for its cure. Her father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the late nineties

Carolyn Murphy

$5 million

Carolyn Murphy, native Floridian, is an internationally acclaimed model. She is the face of Estee Lauder, replacing Elizabeth Hurley as the primary spokesperson. She was VH1/Vogue's "Model of the Year" in 1998 and has done campaigns for world-famous design houses like Prada, Versace, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana. In February 2005, she was chosen to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition.

Natalia Vodianova

$4.5 million

The Russian-born Natalia Vodianova, had to earn herself a living at the age of 11 by running a fruit stall. At 17, she moved to Paris to try her hand at modeling. Soon, Gucci made her the new face for their perfume line, after she had more than 40 runway shows under her belt, and then Calvin Klein called to hire her for their big spring show. Vodianova has been a Calvin Klein muse for longer than any other model, including Kate Moss. She also poses for David Yurman jewelry.

Now, with campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein's collection and his fragrance, Euphoria, and Miss Sixty to her name, Vodianova is a true supermodel. In October 2005, Natalia and her husband announced they are expecting their second child.

Karolina Kurkova

$3.5 million

The Czech model is one of the highest-ranking angels in the Victoria's Secret roster. She began her career at a young age. Photos of her were sent to a modeling agency in the capital city of Prague, and right away she began getting work in print ads and on catwalks. At 15 she traveled to Milan to gain experience at the center of the fashion world. While there, she was signed almost immediately to a contract with Prada.

After her cover appearance on the February 2001 issue of Vogue, she gained recognition that resulted in deals with Yves Saint Laurent, Tommy Hilfiger, and Victoria's Secret. She also quickly racked up the magazine covers and became one of the most demanded models

Daria Werbowy

$3.5 million

Ukranian-born, Daria Werbowy, moved to Mississauga, Ontario when she was 3.

At age of 14 she hadn't seriously considered modeling. It was her mother's schoolmate who headed Toronto's Susan J. Model & Talent Management, and helped her to find her way in the modeling business. You've probably seen this 23-year-old Canadian, who is the face of Lancome. She also models for Louis Vuitton, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Valentino, H&M, Missoni and David Yurman

Gemma Ward

$3 million

The golden-haired green-eyed Gemma Ward never set out to be a fashion model. She was discovered by accident when she attended a taping of the Australian television show, Search for a Supermodel in 2002. Gemma starred in Prada’s runway show that October and was used in the company’s high-profile ad campaign that season as well -- giving her a huge international presence. Gemma models for Valentino, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Karl Lagerfeld, Swarovski and Louis Vuitton. Her doll look inspired a new rage in the industry and makes her especially popular in Japan, where she's the face of the enormous Kose cosmetics and skincare line.

Liya Kebede

$2.5 million

Liya Kebede was born in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Liya did modeling in her native country. She has remarked that the modeling industry in that country is quite different from the European catwalks, since she had to provide her own shoes for each runway show.

She appeared on the covers of Italian, Japanese and Spanish Vogue, V, French, Flair, i-D and Time's Style & Design. She is one of a very few ethnically African models featured in major fashion photo shoots and runway shows. Liya has been featured in ad campaigns including Gap, YSL, Emanuel Ungaro, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana and currently in S/S 2004 ads for Escada and Louis Vuitton.

Hilary Rhoda

$2 million

Hilary Rhoda, born and raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland, attended Catholic school throughout her youth. Although she always dreamed to be a model, she also had a huge interest in participating in various team sports. Her passions were field hockey, lacrosse and swimming. While still in high school, she entered into a model convention, signed with an agency and modeled part time.

Hilary appeared in ad campaigns for companies such as Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren and Gucci.

In the Fall of 2006, Models.com announced that Hilary was one of the most sought after “Top Ten New Faces”. Hilary’s second runway season only grew more impressive. Among her many other A-list designer shows include Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc, Narciso Rodriguez, Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen, Chloe, Hermes, John Galliano, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler, Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren.

Shalom Harlow

$2 million

The daughter of hippie parents, Shalom was raised in a bohemian environment. As a pastime, Shalom took jazz, ballet and tap-dancing, and aspired to be an astronaut as a child.

She started her career with a trip to Montreal, the fashion capital of Canada, for a photo shoot for Elle's Quebec edition.

Shalom has modeled clothing for designers such as Donna Karan, John Galliano, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, Versace, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara, and Christian Dior. She is also the face of Chanel's Coco perfume.

Shalom had a small but memorable role in the 1997 comedy, In & Out. In 1999, Shalom starred in the film Cherry, about a single woman desperate to have a child, and joined a cast consisting of Monica Potter and Freddy Prinze Jr. in the 2001 romantic comedy, Head Over Heels, as an obnoxious model.

Doutzen Kroes

$1.5 million

Doutzen Kroes is a Dutch supermodel. She appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Numero, in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2005, and was named in August 2005 as the replacement for Christy Turlington in the Calvin Klein “eternity” fragrance campaign.

Jessica Stam

$1.5 million

Jessica Stam, simply called "Stam," is a Canadian supermodel. Jessica has appeared in advertisements for Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Vera Wang, Atsuro Tayama, Cerruti Jeans, Valentino, Miu Miu, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Holt Renfrew, BCBG, and Banila B.

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