They're the genius wordsmiths whose work millions of us devour before going to sleep, on holiday or on the daily commute.
From romance and mystery to crime and horror, they are the authors that dominate the bestseller charts week after week over decades.
Add in lucrative television and film adaptations and authors can become exceedingly wealthy.
We've taken a look at those who have banked the most bucks out of the publishing industry.
For the purposes of this list we've chosen people who are predominantly known for being authors, rather than those who happen to write books alongside other successful careers - meaning the likes of entrepreneurs Grant Cardone and Tony Robbins ($600 million each) do not appear.
With that being said, here are the top 12 richest living authors in the world in 2026, according to CelebrityNetWorth.
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1. J.K. Rowling - $1 billion
Edinburgh author J.K. Rowling is believed to be the world's wealthiest author, with a fortune of around $1 billion. It's all a long way from the struggling and skint single mum who started her world-conquering Harry Potter series of novels in a cafe in Scotland's capital. Her Cormoran Strike crime fiction novels have added further to her wealth. | Getty Images
2. James Patterson - $800 million
One of the most prolific writers in the world, as well as one of the wealthiest, James Patterson has written in excess of 200 novels spanning thriller, romance, crime and non-fiction genres. With over 425 million books sold, he's earned in the region of $800 million. | Getty Images for CBS Films
3. Danielle Steel - $600 million
American romance novelist Danielle Steel is the world's bestselling writer - having sold over 800 million copies of her 190 books. Famously she is able to write up to five books at the same time - a skill that has helped her earn around $600 million. | Getty Images
4. Paolo Coelho - $500 million
Brazilian author Paulo Coelho's best-known novel, The Alchemist, has sold over 65 million copies and he holds the record for being translated into more languages than any other living author. It has helped him amass a fortune of around $500 million. | Getty Images