Oprah Rich in More Ways Than One

If you measure riches in cold hard cash, Oprah Winfrey's got it going on. And for those of you who measure riches in love and warm, fuzzy feelings...well, Winfrey's got plenty of that going for her, as well. 

The multimedia maven topped two snazzy lists this week, landing at number one on Forbes' first-ever compilation of the 20 richest women in entertainment and placing first in the annual Harris Poll that determines America's favorite TV personalities. 

It was the $1.5 billion that Winfrey has earned over the course of her career—$40 million of which went toward opening a school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa this year—that won her the top slot with Forbes. According to the magazine, which compiled its list based on career earnings, the self-made 52-year-old Mississippi native stands to pocket $225 million a year now from her various ventures—syndicated talk show, satellite radio station, O magazine, etc.—combined. 

But while Winfrey has been working in TV for 30 years (she worked the local circuits before her top-rated chatfest kicked off in 1986), Forbes' number two, J.K. Rowling, has amassed nearly as much (in billionaire talk) in a fraction of the time.   

The author of the megaselling Harry Potter series completed her first manuscript, written mostly in an Edinburgh café so the single mom could escape her unheated flat, in 1995. Rowling has gone on to sell more than 650 million books worldwide and sold the rights to film adaptations that have grossed $3.5 billion-plus to date, on her way to earning $1 billion for herself. 

Martha Stewart, who lost a spot on the Forbes 400 last year due to her various legal troubles and the toll they took on her net worth, is still doing pretty well as far as reality is concerned, with her $638 million in career earnings good enough for third place on Forbes' new list. 

A-list celebs round out the rest of the top 20—except for Judge Judy(!), coming in at number 13 with $95 million. 

Madonna ($325 million) and Celine Dion ($250 million) round out the top five, while Renée Zellweger is one of the luckier ladies to land at the bottom of a list, with the tidy sum of $45 million scoring her 20th place. 

A one-hour special, The 20 Richest Women in Entertainment, airs Saturday on E! (E! Online is also owned by E! Networks.) 

Meanwhile, aside from all her good literal fortune, Winfrey is also cashing in with the American people. 

Ranked number one on the Harris Poll for the fifth year in a row, Winfrey bested fellow talk-show hosts Jon Stewart, Bill O'Reilly, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres (also really rich, with $65 million) and Conan O'Brien, and she's the only celebrity on the 2006 list who has laid claim to a spot (never out of the top three, no less) since 1993. 

New to the rankings, determined by a survey of 1,162 U.S. adults conducted from Dec. 12-18, are Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie, who debuts in fourth place, and Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland, whose dramatic world-saving efforts on 24 were good enough for eighth. 

Making a return to the list after a one-year absence is Ray Romano who, despite not having a hit sitcom anymore, clocked back in at number seven. 

In terms of niche voting, O'Reilly was tops with conservatives (shocking!) and male voters; Stewart was It for liberals (will the surprises never end!); moderates, Baby Boomers (ages 42-60) and women dug Winfrey; Echo Boomers (18-49) stay up for O'Brien; and Gen-Xers (30-41) always tune in when Laurie is in the House. 

Dropping off the top 10 this year are funnymen Jerry Seinfeld, George Lopez and Tim Allen. 

Here's a rundown of Forbes' 20 Richest Women in Entertainment:

1. Oprah Winfrey, $1.5 billion

2. J.K. Rowling, $1 billion

3. Martha Stewart, $638 million

4. Madonna, $325 million

5. Celine Dion, $250 million

6. Mariah Carey, $225 million

7. Janet Jackson, $150 million

8. Julia Roberts, $140 million

9. Jennifer Lopez, $110 million

10. Jennifer Aniston, $110 million

11. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, $100 million

12. Britney Spears, $100 million

13. Judge Judy Sheindlin, $95 million

14. Sandra Bullock, $85 million

15. Cameron Diaz, $75 million

16. Gisele Bündchen, $70 million

17. Ellen DeGeneres, $65 million

18. Nicole Kidman, $60 million

19. Christina Aguilera, $60 million

20. Renée Zellweger, $45 million

And here's a rundown of America's favorite television personalities of 2006:

1. Oprah Winfrey

2. Jon Stewart

3. Bill O'Reilly

4. Hugh Laurie

5. David Letterman

6. Jay Leno

7. Ray Romano

8. Kiefer Sutherland

9. Ellen DeGeneres

10. Conan O'Brien