DAILY DIRT: Lucas, Spielberg and Jordan lead Billionaires Club — and yes, that’s with a “B”

1. The names on the list offer few — if any — surprises, but their checking accounts are another matter.

There are now 15 celebrities who Forbes magazine has designated billionaires. Yes, that’s with a “B”.

How many of the following would you have guessed had amassed that much in their bank accounts?

• 1. George Lucas, director. Age: 79. Net worth: $5.5 billion: The creator of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises is the world’s richest celebrity.
• 2. Steven Spielberg, director. Age: 77. Net worth: $4.8 billion: His string of hits that include “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park” and “Schindler’s List”. 
• 3. Michael Jordan, athlete. Age: 61. Net worth: $3.2 billion: MJ became the first athlete to make this kind of list in 2015. (Is it just me, or is it hard to believe Jordan is 61 years old?)
• 4. Oprah Winfrey, daytime talk show host. Age: 70. Net worth: $3 billion: She was the first black female billionaire.
• 5. Jazy-Z, rapper/entrepreneur. Age: 54. Net worth: $2.5 billion: Hip-hop’s first billionaire’s net worth does not include wife Beyonce’s own half-billion-dollar fortune.
• 6. Kim Kardashian, reality star. Age: 43. Net worth: $1.7 billion: No one has ever cashed in on their ‘reality” fame like Ms. Kardashian. 
• 7. Peter Jackson, director. Age: 62. Net worth: $1.5 billion:The visionary director behind the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” franchises.
• 8. Tyler Perry, actor/creator. Age: 54. Net worth: $1.4 billion: Even though he has his name attached to numerous films and shows, he’s arguably best known for lending one of his Los Angeles homes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they stepped down as senior members of the British royal family.
• 9. Rihanna, singer. Age: 36. Net worth: $1.4 billion: She also has two cosmetics brands under the label of Fenty Beauty. Her real name is Robyn Fenty.
• 10. Tiger Woods, pro golfer. Age: 48. Net worth: $1.3 billion: Tiger is in an exclusive club, joining LeBron James as the only two athletes who became billionaires while still active in their sport.
• 11. LeBron James, pro basketball player. Age: 40. Net worth: $1.2 billion: James also has a stake in Fenway Sports Group, owner of the MLB’s Boston Red Sox; English soccer club Liverpool and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
• 12. Magic Johnson, NBA executive and former player. Age: 64. Net worth: $1.2 billion: Johnson has stockpiled most of his fortune threw some shrewd business deals. He played in the NBA long before salaries went through the roof.
• 13. Dick Wolf, film and TV producer. Age: 77. Net worth: $1.2 billion: We can thank him for such shows as “Law and Order” and “FBI”.
• 14. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, pro wrestler/actor. Age: 52. Net worth: $1.2 billion: Never, ever knock The Rock.
• 15. Taylor Swift, singer. Age: 34. Net worth: $1.1 billion: She reached billionaire status back in October.

2. Did you know (Part 237)

• That Alaska is the only U.S. state that can by typed by using one row on the keyboard.
• That the Caesar salad was invented in 1924.
• That Central Park in New York City is larger than the entire country of Monaco.
• That lemons float in water, but limes sink. (Most Eighingers also sink in water.)
• That the largest bowling alley in the world is in Japan and has 116 lanes.

3. There’s a moron in every crowd, right?

Well, here’s the latest member of that club. There has been a guy on e-Bay selling a new flavor (“Golden Sciracha”) of Doritos for $1,000 a bag. He apparently had managed to acquire a few bags of the new chips before their release this week.

The guy lives in Mason, Ohio (no name available) and was also charging for shipping. 

Steve Thought O’ The Day – The fear of long words is called “hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia”.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He’s excited for snow angels.