The richest writers in the world ever

In a world where Hollywood stars are honored and renowned for the roles they play in film adaptations of famous books, the authors of the books themselves usually remain out of sight. But that doesn't mean they haven't amassed a huge fortune while writing bestselling books that end up becoming blockbusters on the big screen.

Some of the most popular authors in the world have made over a billion dollars over the years. And experts from luxatic did a little research to identify the top 10 richest writers of all time, with updated net worth for 2019.

10. Jeffrey Archer

Condition: 195 million dollars

Former politician and current writer Jeffrey Archer was forced to leave the English parliament in 1974 due to the bankruptcy of the Canadian company Aquablast, in which he invested all his funds.

Archer's reorientation to writing has earned him fame as one of the best-selling authors in the world. His books (the series "The Chronicles of Clifton", the series "Cain and Abel", children's literature, "Prison Diaries", etc.) have sold over 330 million copies worldwide.

9. John Grisham

Condition: $ 220 million

The famous American writer John Grisham is known all over the world for his stunning legal thrillers. His books have been translated into 42 languages.

If that didn't impress you, know that before becoming one of the richest book authors in the world, he worked as a plumber, asphalt paver, men's underwear seller, trial attorney, and House attorney from Mississippi. That is, I have seen life in all its manifestations.

8. Nigel Blackwell

Condition: $ 292.5 million

This writer has co-authored several New York Times bestselling books with Diane Capri.

After Blackwell Publishing sold for 572 million euros in 2006, Nigel Blackwell received most of that amount. His current net worth is $ 292.5 million.

7. Barbara Taylor Bradford

Condition: $ 300 million

Barbara began her writing career at the age of 7, and at the age of 10 she sold one of her stories to a children's magazine. Even then, she told her mother that she was going to become a writer.

Now, with over 80 million copies sold in 90 countries, Barbara Taylor Bradford has achieved every writer’s dream of becoming the author of dozens of best-selling books. Moreover, Queen Elizabeth II awarded her for her contribution to literature.

6. Daniela Steele

Condition: $ 310 million

The bestselling books by the American novelist Danielle Steele have been sold to different countries with a total circulation of 800 million copies. She publishes 4 to 6 novels a year, and Daniela takes ideas for them from her own life.

So, in the novel "The Promise of Passion" "the main character falls in love with a drug addict, and Steele herself was married to a former drug addict William Toth for two years. Her other novel, Malice, is about the destruction of a happy marriage when the tabloids unearthed information about the heroine's past.

Likewise, the marriage of Daniela and writer John Traina was destroyed when William Toth published a book in which he revealed that he was the biological father of Nicholas Train, which the other children of the writing couple did not know about.

5. Nora Roberts

Condition: $ 390 million

This American writer is known for her love and detective novels about Lieutenant Eva Dallas. She began writing them in the late 70s and has written over 200 novels since then.

And her writing career was greatly helped ... by a blizzard. Finding herself with the children in a house covered by snow, Nora, out of nothing to do, began to write down the story that was spinning in her head.

Today, Roberts is the fifth richest writer in the world with a fortune of at least $ 390 million.

4. Stephen King

Condition: 400 million dollars

One of the most popular writers of all time, especially when it comes to horror, science fiction, fantasy and suspense, has achieved success with books such as The Shining, Pet Sematary, or It, which have been later adapted for the screen.

A funny story that happened on the Internet is connected with the adaptation of It. In 2017, US President Donald Trump banned Stephen King on his Twitter account, as the writer often did not hesitate in terms of criticizing Trump and his policies. In response, the "father of horrors" banned the American president from watching the films "It" and "Mister Mercedes", with the words "No clowns, Donald."

3. James Patterson

Condition: 560 million dollars

Known for his thriller novels (cumulative circulation over 300 million copies), this American writer is the Guinness World Record holder for the largest number of hardcover bestsellers by a single writer.

However, Patterson does not shy away from co-authorship at all. But his co-authors, in agreement with Patterson, have no right to disclose the terms of their working relationship. For example, they must be silent about the role they play in each co-authorship. In an interview, Patterson said that his co-authors usually write the initial draft, and the eminent writer himself is engaged in the subsequent work.

2. J.K. Rowling

Condition: $ 1 billion

Without J.K. Rowling, the world would never have met one of the best series of children's books, which was filmed and gathered so many followers that the Harry Potter franchise entered the number highest grossing films of all time.

Even nearly 19 years after the premiere of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the updated version of the Boy Who Lived movie is breaking records, grossing over $ 1 billion at the box office. The new billionaire movie, shown in 4K 3D, has been released in China as part of a campaign to bring viewers to cinemas following the easing of restrictions due to the coronavirus.

1. Elizabeth Badinter

Condition: $ 1.3 billion

The French writer and historian Elisabeth Badinter, best known for her philosophical treatises on feminism and the role of women in society, is the richest book writer of all time. One of her most recent books, Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women, has become a bestseller in Europe.

However, Badinter cannot boast of the best-selling author's laurels. The fact is that she inherited most of her fortune thanks to a large stake in the large French media group Publicis Groupe.

Her fortune in 2019 was estimated at $ 1.3 billion, making her the richest author of all time, although not thanks to the bestsellers.