He might be about to lose a chunk of his fortune to wife-soon-not-to-be Katie Holmes, but Tom Cruise's finances are at least in better shape than his marriage.
The annual Forbes list of the 100 highest paid actors in the world has put Cruise at No.1, with earnings at $75million - almost double that that of second place Leonardo DiCaprio, who was in the top spot last year.
The figures represent a massive career comeback for Cruise who in the last five years has struggled to secure box office hits.
His latest film Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol has put him back on the high earning scale after its release in November last year, taking nearly £446million ($700million) at the box office worldwide.
But 50-year-old Cruise is set to hand over £10million of his £160million fortune to Holmes, who filed for divorce last week.
The star has come under close scrutiny after Holmes also sought sole custody of their young daughter, Suri - which has raised questions about his affiliation with the Church of Scientology, recently likened by media mogul Rupert Murdoch to a cult.
The couple signed a 100 page pre-nuptial agreement when they married which stipulates that Holmes would get nearly £2million ($3million) for every year of the marriage, according to reports in the US media.
Happier times: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes pictured in 2010.DiCaprio, 37, tied for second place on the list with funnyman Adam Sandler, 45, both with $37million.
DiCaprio's earnings dropped after his 2010 film Inception had grossed $825million at the global box office while his last film, J. Edgar, disappointed. Sandler's income included his paycheck from 2011 film Jack and Jill.
Former professional wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 40, came in fourth, earning $36million after his film 'Fast Five' took in $626million worldwide, and at No.5 was comedian Ben Stiller with $33million, whose next film The Watch about a group of Neighborhood Watch dads, is due for release in July.
TOP 10 HIGHEST-EARNING HOLLYWOOD ACTORS1. Tom Cruise ($75m) 2. Leonardo DiCaprio ($37m) 2=. Adam Sandler ($37m) 4. Dwayne Johnson ($36m) 5. Ben Stiller ($33m) 6. Sacha Baron Cohen ($30m) 6=. Johnny Depp ($30m) 6=. Will Smith ($30m) 8. Mark Wahlberg ($27m) 9. Taylor Lautner ($26.5m) 9=.Robert Pattinson ($26.5m)
In compiling the list, Forbes considers factors including upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.
Cruise came in for some flack several years ago after some ill-advised pronouncements on Scientology and a couch-jumping episode on Oprah Winfrey's talk show when he declared his undying love for Holmes.
If their marriage had lasted more than 11 years, Holmes would have received half of Cruise’s estimated £160million ($250million) fortune.
After filing for divorce less than six years later, according to the agreement, Katie should only be entitled to £10million ($15million) as well as the couple's £22.3million ($35million) Beverly Hills Mansion.
Since they were not married for 11 years, the pre-nup explicitly states that community property laws won't apply to the divorce, according to MSNBC.
That means when the couple parts ways each will keep their respective earnings from the projects they've worked on since November 2006.
That's in addition to the £1.9million ($3million) per year Cruise, who turns 50 tomorrow, will give to Holmes.
Second place: Leonardo DiCaprio as Hoover in 'J.Edgar'The divorce will be Cruise’s third after Nicole Kidman in 2001 and actress Mimi Rogers in 1989 – both of whom were also 33 years old when they split from the Scientologist. However, this is the first time that Top Gun star isn’t the one filing the divorce papers.
Katie Holmes filed for divorce in New York on Thursday last week citing 'irreconcilable differences' and her main concern is said to be the custody of their six-year-old daughter, Suri.
Allan Mayefsky, one of the high-profile lawyers said to be representing Holmes has the nickname of 'Mr 50 Per Cent' following previous cases where he has represented clients who have divorced Wall Street millionaires.
The partner at Aronson, Mayefsky and Sloan, has been involved in a number of famous divorce cases, including the model Christie Brinkley, the television anchorwoman Joan Lunden and a Manhattan financier who was ordered to pay his former wife £28million ($44 million).
The 33-year-old actress, who found fame in the TV series of Dawson’s Creek, is said to have sought advice from her lawyer father regarding the separation from Cruise.
However, her legal team are now working hard to lock down a final figure on Cruise’s wealth. It has been reported that Holmes has already employed specialist forensic accountants to untangle the complex web of businesses and trusts that manage Tom Cruise’s fortune.
Sources have revealed to the Mail that the 33-year-old is asking for a 'suitable amount' of child support, as well as a division of property, though no mention was made of the pre-nuptial agreement in divorce papers.
Cruise was ranked the ninth most powerful person in the Forbes Celebrity 100 list earlier this year.
