On October 1 1990, Madonna was named the top-earning female entertainer of 1990 by Forbes magazine with an annual income of $39 million.

Here’s an excerpt from this issue:

By Matthew Schifrin with Peter Newcomb

October 1, 1990

SHE HAS JUST FINISHED a rigorous song and dance routine in Nice, France.  Madonna Ciccone, the 32-year-old bleached-blonde pop star, walks across the stage and pretends to rough up her background vocalists.  Clad in an ivory-colored bustier and trousers from a business suit, Madonna then looks out at the crowd of 35,000 fans, grabs her crotch, raises her fist and yells, “I’m the boss around here.” The crowd roars.

This routine was repeated at almost every Madonna performance this summer, but it’s more than play-acting.  She is the boss.  She is the president and sole owner of a multi-million-dollar corporate organization that in peak season has hundreds of employees and operates through nearly half a dozen entities, including Boy Toy Inc., Siren Films and Slutco.

Congratulations, Madonna.  The critics may attack you, but you are one heck of a moneymaker. The nation’s top-earning female entertainer for 1990, Madonna brought in an estimated $39 million in pretax earnings.  She has staying power, too.  While performers like Whitney Houston and Cyndi Lauper rise fast and fade fast, Madonna has stayed near the top for all five years FORBES has compiled its list of America’s highest-earning entertainers.  Since 1986 Madonna has earned at least $125 million.