Forbes magazine has published the top 10 list of the world’s highest paid model.

Just like last year, the Brazilian bombshell Bündchen leads the pack with a stunning $45 million in earnings (all estimates from May 1st, 2011 to May 1st, 2012), says the magazine. Even in her early thirties, Bündchen is said to remain an unparalleled force within the fashion world.


Coming up a distant second in the rankings is British supermodel Kate Moss, with earnings of $9.2 million. Moss is known for her party-hard ways, but she remains one of fashion’s biggest icons, with big endorsement deals with Longchamp, Mango, Rimmel, and Vogue Eyewear. She also has a lucrative design deal with TopShop going back to 2007.


Natalia Vodianova, a Russian model whose name may be less familiar, was third with $8.6 million. Fragrance campaigns with Guerlain and Calvin Klein Euphoria have boosted Vodianova’s earnings into the highest echelons of modeling. The 30-year-old, who now lives in the UK, also designs lingerie collections for Etam and shoes for Centro.


“There was a time where the odd beauty was in style, and that created a backlash for a time when advertisers couldn’t use those girls,” said David Bonnouvrier, chairman of DNA Models, which represents Vodianova, along with fellow top models Doutzen Kroes (#5) and Alessandra Ambrosio (#6). “The top girls now represent a return to a true representation of beauty, not the odd beauty or a fashion-diverted version of beauty.”


Adriana Lima, who’s primarily known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, registered $7.3 million in an exciting year. In addition to announcing that she’s expecting her second child, Lima made a big splash in early 2012 when she appeared in two attention-grabbing Super Bowl commercials, one for Kia and another,more seductive spot for Teleflora. Crossing over from the fashion world to a more mainstream audience, she now has more Facebook followers than any other model, and grabbed the final spot on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list.
 

German supermodel Heidi Klum, who ranked number two last year, would have placed in the same spot this year with her $20 million in earnings, but the magazine determined that like Tyra Banks before her, Klum has graduated from model to mogul. Since ending her 13-year run as a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2010, Klum has reportedly become more of a businesswoman and multi-media personality.


Candice Swanepoel, while only ranked 10th, is the youngest supermodel on the list. The 23-year-old South African has become a staple in Victoria’s Secret advertising.