"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling is the world's highest-paid writer, raking in $95 million in the past 12 months, according to Forbes annual list of the highest-paid authors.

Rowling made the top spot on the list for the first time in nearly a decade, knocking thriller author James Patterson into second with earnings of $87 million.

Rowling's huge earnings  were mostly the result of the success of the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," which she wrote and co-produced, and the hit play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Far below in earnings in the third spot, was children's book writer Jeff Kinney, of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" success, with $21 million in earnings and Dan Brown of "The Da Vinci Code" fame in fourth with $20 million. Horror master Stephen King rounded out the top five.

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Workers, clean up damaged house near Paulding County High School after a storm passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Dallas. National Weather Service teams will be conducting a damage survey in the Paulding County/Dallas area, which sustained “pretty significant” damage from the storms, NWS Senior Meteorologist Dylan Lusk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday morning. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

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