Ben Townley,
Gay.com UK
Thursday 27 January, 2005 12:48
He may have come close to broke whilst battling with drink and drug addiction, but Sir Elton John has managed to climb to the top of the celebrity world's rich list this year.
The singer knocked off ageing rockers Rolling Stones in the list of rich Britons, published by OK Magazine, following a string of lucrative deals.
He has recently conducted a sell out tour of the world, in support of his Peachtree Road album, and has also signed a deal to front his own show in Las Vegas for three years, netting what some believe may be as much as £28 million.
The Red Piano shows have seen him become a semi-permanent fixture in the city of sin's Caesar's Palace and have been praised by both critics and fans alike.
Second in the list were potty-mouthed rockers The Osbournes, who are thought to have earned £20 million in 2004 through a combination of their reality show, forays into acting and presenting and Ozzy's music.
Sharon Osbourne's X Factor nemesis Simon Cowell came in third place.
The results top a high profile year for Sir Elton, who has managed to grab the headlines repeatedly with tirades and controversial comments.
As well as bashing Taiwan's "vile pigs" and Madonna's miming, he claimed George Michael had some "problems".
Michael hit back at Elton and the "gay grapevine", claiming the star was surrounded by too much gossip to make any sense of reality.
The pair are thought to have since made friends.
