Lady Gaga Poised to Topple U2 as World's Top Act

She's the queen of social media. Now, Lady Gaga is on track to pass U2 as the world's top-earning performer. 

Forbes estimates that the 24-year-old artist, who earned an estimated $64 million last year, will rise from #7 on its list of the world's highest-earning musicians to #1 this year, with assumed 2011 earnings in the $100-$130 million range.

The wealth-tracker bases its projection on a number of factors: her continuing world tour, her sophomore album due in May, and savvy endorsement deals such as her Grey Label collection for Polaroid that was unveiled last week at CES: "Gaga also shills a range of products: video sunglasses for Polaroid, headphones for Beats by Dre, phones for (tour sponsor) Virgin Mobile, and a host of items and services via product placement in her videos (a Russian billionaire reportedly paid $1 million to place himself in one of her videos). All these commercial ventures should add at least another $5-$10 million to her coffers."

Her current "Monster's Ball" tour, which reportedly grosses $2 million per show, should earn the singer another $33 million within the first half of 2011, while her upcoming album, Born This Way, is projected to pull in another $20-$30 million, primarily from publishing and performance royalties, while merchandising could add another $10 million.