J. K. Rowling

Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE, (born 31 July 1965), who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, is an English writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 325 million books. The last book in the series became the fastest-selling book of all time.

The 2007 Sunday Times Rich List estimated her fortune at £545 million (about $1 billion US), making her the first person to become a US-dollar billionaire by writing books. She is ranked as the 136th richest person and the 13th richest woman in Britain. In 2006, Forbes named Rowling the second richest female entertainer in the world and ranked her as 48th on the 100 most powerful celebrities list of 2007.