David and Victoria Beckham are suffering the effects of the recession

Even David and Victoria Beckham are suffering the effects of the recession. They have fallen to fifth place in the list of Hollywood's richest couples, earning a meagre £28 million between them last year (only £3,200 an hour). In 2008 they were third on the list with £35 million.


In at number one is Beyonce and Jay-Z

1. Beyonce and Jay-Z - £75million

The King and Queen of bling made £75million between them last year, with Beyonce out earning her husband by £32million. She brought home £53million, to Jay-Z's £21million. This was mainly thanks to her clothes line, ad deals, mega-hit Single ladies and her film Obsessed, which made $74million at the worldwide box office. She also performed at Obama's Neighbourhood inaugural ball. Jay-Z didn't do too badly, though, indorsing American Express and Budweiser as well as raking it in for hit Empire State of Mind.

2. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockheart - £43million

Ford and Flockheart kept it more traditional in 2009, with Ford the main breadwinner. He contributed about $65million (£40million) to the household finances last year, simply from playing Indiana Jones in the latest remake Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Ms Flockheart, most famous for her role as loopy lawyer Ally McBeal continues to earn a fair whack starring in American drama Brothers and Sisters.

3. Brangelina - £34million

Tinsletown's power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie raked it in last year. Pitt for his biggest box office film ever, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (it made $334 million) and Jolie for action film Wanted and the upcoming Salt, about a disgraced CIA agent.

4. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett - £30million

Will Smith's films have, in total, earned £5.7billion at the worldwide box office. He now commands a $20million paypacket per film. Unsurprisingly, most of the couple's wealth comes from Smith, but Jada Pinkett-Smith has a growing film career of her own- she most recently voiced Gloria the hippo in the Madagascar fillms.

Click below for Forbes's breakdown of the highest-earning celeb couples living in LA LA land

Hollywood's 10 highest-earning couples

http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2010/01/even-the-beckhams-are-suffering-in-the-recession-bless-they-have-fallen-to-fifth-place-in-the-list-of-hollywoods-richest-co.html