Oprah Winfrey highest-paid celebrity

This Aug. 4, 2012 image released by Harpo Productions shows singer Rihanna, left, with Oprah Winfrey during an interview for 'Oprahs Next Chapter' in Barbados. (AP Photo/Harpo Productions, George Burns) Source: Supplied

Oprah tops the list of highest paid stars but you'll be surprised to see which celebrities round out the top earners.

Her talk show may have wrapped, but Oprah is still raking in the big bucks thanks to her production company, Harpo, which has stakes in shows such as Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray and The Dr. Oz Show.

Theres also her magazine, O, her satellite radio station and TV channel OWN to keep the bank balance ticking over.

Forbes magazine has estimate that Winfrey earned $165 million between May 2011 and May 2012 which puts her at the top of the Highest-Paid Celebrities list for the fourth year in a row. But for how much longer?

"This is the last year well count any of her syndication money", says a spokesperson on the Forbes website.

"To determine who the highest-paid celebrities are, we considered upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work. We talked to manager, agents, lawyers and other in-the-know folks to come up with our estimates. We did not deduct for things like agent fees or the expenses related to being a celebrity."

Oprah beat director Michael Bay, who had a nice pay w! indfall thanks to Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Top five highest paid celebrities:

1. Oprah Winfrey: $165 million

Thanks to her production company Harpo, Oprah is still top of the rich list.2. Michael Bay: $160 million

Due to the success of the Transformers franchise, the director is reaping the rewards from billion dollar spin-offs such as toys, theme park rides and more.

3. Steven Spielberg: $130 million

Forbes believe that Spielberg's move into TV with shows like Smash and Terra Nova has helped catapult him to third place along with the cash he earns from his cut of ticket sales at Universal Studios.

4. Jerry Bruckheimer: $115 million

If you haven't seen a Bruckheimer film, you've been living under a rock for the last ten years. Think Johnny Depp in pirate clothes and most other Disney classics.

5. Dr. Dre: $110 million

This one might surprise you but the rapper's wealth is actually thanks to a line of headphones. He sold 51% of his stake in the company which produced Dr. Dre Beats to HTC for $300 million.

Also on the list:

Shock jock Howard Stern, writer James Patterson, director George Lucas, producer Simon Cowell, singer Elton John, actor Tom Cruise, businessman Donald Trump, producer and host Ryan Seacrest and singer Britney Spears.

Producer and director Steven Spielberg attends the premiere of film 'The Adventures of Tintin' at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York.

See the gallery of highest paid celebrities

"The X Factor" judges, from left, L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and Britney Spears. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)