Jay-Z

   Earning: $37 million

 

Jay-Z and  Kanye West at the Staples Center during the 54th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 12, 2012. [Grammy.com]

A broad portfolio of business interests and revenues from the tail end of a world tour helped Jay-Z earn more than all but two Grammy winners. The "Empire State of Mind" rapper didn't show up to pick up his hardware, though, likely because he was busy taking care of newborn daughter Blue Ivy Carter.