This year, passionate, persistent musician Katy Perry is on the cover of Forbes' Celebrity 100 issue, which lists the world's highest paid celebrities. Though boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao ranked first and second on the compilation, Perry came in third, making her the top earning female celebrity in the world. The only other lady in the top 10 was fellow singer Taylor Swift, who tied for eighth place with actor Robert Downey Jr.

Last month, Perry's song "Dark Horse" became the third video ever (and first by a woman) to gain more than one billion views.

Perry, who performed at the 2015 Super Bowl and earned $135 million from June 2014 to June 2015, shared on Instagram that she was disheartened to hear that many wealthy women have declined the opportunity to be on the cover of Forbes.

"I wondered if it was because they thought socially it would look like they were flaunting or bragging or it wasn't a humble decision," she wrote. "Ladies, there is a difference between being humble and working hard to see the fruits of your labor blossom, and your dreams realized."

Perry added that she hopes her decision to accept Forbes' offer would send the message to women that "it's okay to be proud of hard earned success and that there is no shame in being a boss."

The Santa Barbara native's path to fame and fortune was not easy. In 2008, Perry got her big break with the hit "I Kissed a Girl" after struggling to make it as a Christian rock singer.

Perry, who once said she "didn’t have a childhood" thanks to her evangelical minister parents' strict rules and religious views, started out singing Christian music under her real name Katy Hudson. Though she released her first album at 16, sales were underwhelming and her label folded by the end of the year.

Perry went on to move to Los Angeles for a clean slate and second shot at a musical career. Taking her mother's maiden name Perry, she began singing secular tunes, and even teamed up with Snoop Dogg. 

Share your opinion

Do you consider yourself a feminist?