Celebrity 

is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of an individual or group,

or occasionally a character or animal, as a result of the attention given to them by mass
media. A person may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their
participation in sports or the entertainment industry, their position as a political figure, or
even from their connection to another celebrity. 'Celebrity' usually implies a favorable
public image, as opposed to the neutrals 'famous' or 'notable', or the negatives
'infamous' and 'notorious'.

History
Celebrity (noun): A unique persona made widely known to the public via media
coverage, and whose life is publicly consumed as dramatic entertainment, and whose
commercial brand is made profitable for those who exploit their popularity, and perhaps
also for themselves[
Although his book is subtitled "from Bronze Age to Silver Screen", and despite the fact
that "Until very recently, sociologists argued that celebrity was invented just over 100
years ago, in the flickering glimmer of early Hollywood" and the suggestion that some
medieval saints might qualify, Jenner asserts that the earliest celebrities lived in the
early 1700s, his first example being Henry Sacheverell.

Choregos and theater actors, from the House of the Tragic Poet, Pompeii, Italy. Naples

National Archeological Museum
Athletes in Ancient Greece were welcomed home as heroes, had songs and poems
written in their honor, and received free food and gifts from those seeking celebrity
endorsement.[5] Ancient Rome similarly lauded actors and notorious gladiators,
and Julius Caesar appeared on a coin in his own lifetime (a departure from the usual
depiction of battles and divine lineage).[
In the early 12th century, Thomas Becket became famous following his murder. He was
promoted by the Christian Church as a martyr and images of him and scenes from his
life became widespread in just a few years. In a pattern often repeated, what started as
an explosion of popularity (often referred to with the suffix 'mania') turned into long-
lasting fame: pilgrimages to Canterbury Cathedral where he was killed became instantly
fashionable and the fascination with his life and death have inspired plays and films.
The cult of personality (particularly in the west) can be traced back to the Romantics in
the 18th century,[7] whose livelihood as artists and poets depended on the currency of
their reputation. The establishment of cultural hot-spots became an important factor in
the process of generating fame: for example, London and Paris in the 18th and 19th
centuries. Newspapers started including gossip columns [8] and certain clubs and events
became places to be seen in order to receive publicity.
The movie industry spread around the globe in the first half of the 20th century and now,
the familiar concept of the instantly recognizable faces of its superstars. Yet, celebrity
was not always tied to actors in films, especially when cinema was starting as a
medium. As Paul McDonald states in The Star System: Hollywood's Production of
Popular Identities, "in the first decade of the twentieth century, American film production
companies withheld the names of film performers, despite requests from audiences,
fearing that public recognition would drive performers to demand higher
salaries."[9] Public fascination went well beyond the on-screen exploits of movie
stars and their private lives became headline news: for example, in Hollywood the
marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and in Bollywood the affairs of Raj Kapoor in the 1950s.
The second half of the century saw television and popular music bring new forms of
celebrity, such as the rock star and the pop group, epitomised by Elvis Presley and the
Beatles, respectively. John Lennon's highly controversial 1966 quote: "We're more
popular than Jesus now,"[10] which he later insisted was not a boast, and that he was not
in any way comparing himself with Christ,[11] gives an insight into both the adulation and
notoriety that fame can bring. Unlike movies, television created celebrities who were not
primarily actors; for example, presenters, talk show hosts, and newsreaders. However,
most of these are only famous within the regions reached by their particular
broadcaster, and only a few such as Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Springer, or David
Frost could be said to have broken through into wider stardom.
In the '60s and early '70s, the book publishing industry began to persuade major
celebrities to put their names on autobiographies and other titles in a genre called
celebrity publishing. In most cases, the book was not written by the celebrity but by a
ghost-writer, but the celebrity would then be available for a book tour and appearances
on talk shows.[

Becoming a celebrity

People may become celebrities in a wide range of ways; from their professions,
following appearances in the media, or by complete accident. The term "instant
celebrity" describes someone who becomes a celebrity in a very short time. Someone
who achieves a small amount of transient fame (through, say, hype or mass media)
may become labeled a "B-grade celebrity". Often, the generalization extends to
someone who falls short of mainstream or persistent fame but who seeks to extend or
exploit it.
Success
There are no guarantees of success for an individual to become a celebrity. Though
celebrities come from many different working fields, most celebrities are typically
associated with the fields of sports and entertainment, or a person may be a public
figure who is commonly recognizable in mass media with commercial and critical
acclaim.
Though glamour and wealth may certainly play a role for only famous celebrities, most
people in the sports and entertainments spheres, be it music, film, television, radio,
modelling, comedy, literature etc. live in obscurity and only a small percentage achieve
fame and fortune.[13][14][15][16]
Outside of the sports and entertainment sphere, the top inventors, professionals such
as doctors, lawyers, and scientists, etc. are unlikely to become celebrities even if they
are enormously successful in their field due to society's disinterest in
science, invention, medicine, and courtroom law which is not fictional. American
microbiologist Maurice Hilleman is credited with saving more lives than any other
medical scientist of the 20th century.[17] After Hilleman's death Ralph Nader wrote, "Yet
almost no one knew about him, saw him on television, or read about him in newspapers
or magazines. His anonymity, in comparison with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Jose
Canseco, or an assortment of grade B actors, tells something about our society's and
media's concepts of celebrity; much less of the heroic."[18]
Difficulty

David Letterman, comedian and former American late night talk show host

Many athletes who are unable to turn professional take a second job or even sometimes
abandon their athletic aspirations in order to make ends meet. A small percentage of
entertainers and athletes can make a decent living but a vast majority will spend their
careers toiling from hard work, determination, rejection, and frequent unemployment.
For minor league to amateur athletes, earnings are usually on the lower end of the pay-
scale. Many of them take second jobs on the side or even venture into other
occupations within the field of sports such as coaching, general
management, refereeing, or recruiting and scouting up-and-coming athletes.[19]
Becoming a celebrity in the U.S.
The Screen Actors Guild, a union representing actors and actresses
throughout Hollywood reports that the average television and film actor earns less than
US$50,000 annually; the median hourly wage for actors was $18.80 in May 2015.[20][21]
[22]
 Actors sometimes alternate between theater, television, and film or even branch into
other occupations within the entertainment industry such as becoming a singer,
comedian, producer, or a television host in order to be monetarily diversified, as doing
one gig pays comparatively very little. For instance, David Letterman is well known for
branching into late night television as a talk show host while honing his skills as a stand-
up comedian, Barbra Streisand ventured into acting while operating as a singer,
and Clint Eastwood achieved even greater fame in Hollywood as a film director and
producer than for his acting credentials.
According to American entertainment magnate Master P, entertainers and professional
athletes make up less than 1% of all millionaires in the entire world.[23] Less than 1% of
all runway models are known to make more than US$1000 for every fashion showcase.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for commercial and
print models was only $11.22 per hour in 2006 and was also listed one of the top ten
worst jobs in the United States.[24]

Wealth
Forbes Celebrity 100
Forbes Magazine releases an annual Forbes Celebrity 100 list of the highest-paid
celebrities in the world. The total earnings for all top celebrity 100 earners totaled $4.5
billion in 2010 alone.
For instance, Forbes ranked media mogul and talk show host, Oprah Winfrey as the top
earner "Forbes magazine’s annual ranking of the most powerful celebrities", with
earnings of $290 million in the past year. Forbes cites that Lady Gaga reportedly earned
over $90 million in 2010.[25] In 2011, golfer Tiger Woods was one of highest-earning
celebrity athletes, with an income of $74 million and is consistently ranked one of the
highest-paid athletes in the world.[25] In 2013, Madonna was ranked as the fifth most
powerful and the highest-earning celebrity of the year with earnings of $125 million. She
has consistently been among the most powerful and highest-earning celebrities in the
world, occupying the third place in Forbes Celebrity 100 2009 with $110 million of
earnings, and getting the tenth place in the 2011 edition of the list with annual earnings
equal to $58 million.[26] Beyoncé has also appeared in the top ten in 2008, 2009, 2010,
2013, 2017, and topped the list in 2014 with earnings of $115 million.
Entrepreneurship and endorsements

LeBron James has endorsement contracts

with Nike, Sprite, Glacéau, Bubblicious, Upper Deck, McDonald's and State Farm
Celebrity endorsements have proven very successful around the world where, due to
increasing consumerism, an individual is often considered to own a status symbol when
they purchase a celebrity-endorsed product.[30][31][32] Although it has become
commonplace for celebrities to place their name with endorsements onto products just
for quick money, some celebrities have gone beyond merely using their names and
have put their entrepreneurial spirit to work by becoming entrepreneurs by attaching
themselves in the business aspects of entertainment and building their own business
brand beyond their traditional salaried activities. Along with investing their salaried
wages into growing business endeavors, several celebrities have become innovative
business leaders in their respective industries, gaining the admiration of their peers and
contributing to the country's economy.