18 Most Expensive Celeb Photographs Ever

Celebrity photos are big money. Paparazzi can earn themselves a payday from anywhere between $1,000 - $100,000 for a single shot. Now celebrities are beating the paparazzi at their own game, by hiring private photographers and starting a bidding war between publications for the rights. Over the years, there have been some staggering figures thrown around during negotiations between magazine publishers as it seems everyone is out to get their hands on the next big exclusive.

So what pictures pay the most? Executive editor of In Touch Weekly, Dan Wakeford, told Forbes magazine there has to be an element of surprise, it has to be newsworthy and an emotion involved. The amount these magazines have paid for the rights to these following images proves that the right news is big money. For these stars, their photos bought home the biggest pay day of all and they either pocketed the large sums or donated to charity. Here are eighteen images all worth upwards of half a million.

18 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Together - $500,000 

Back in 2005, the romance between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt was nothing more than tabloid rumor and online gossip. Then on April 19th, 2005, Us Weekly published an exclusive photo of the loved up pair on vacation in Kenya with Jolie's then 3-year-old son, Maddox. The $500,000 fee the magazine paid for the pictures certainly made their money back as everyone was grabbing at copies just to believe it was true.

The actors first fell for each other when they co-starred in 2004's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Pitt, who was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time, denied any romance for months - until they were eventually rumbled by this photo. Even after the photos were published, he still continued to deny the claims. 12 years on, the couple are now happily married and have six children together.

17 Angelina Jolie Visibly Pregnant - $500,000 

Angelina Jolie kept everyone guessing she was pregnant back in 2005. Then she was photographed at a charity event with a visible pregnancy bump and that one snap was sold to People magazine for half a million. The media was in such a frenzy, that when it came to giving birth, she had to escape to Namibia, southern Africa. On May 27th, 2006, Shiloh Nouvel was born. 

In 2008, she told W magazine that she never planned on having biological children until she fell in love with Pitt. She said, "I think one of the life changing things that he did, one of many, is that I was absolutely never going to get pregnant. I never felt that it was the right thing to do. I'm with a man who's evolved enough to look at my body and see it as more beautiful, because of the journey it has taken and what it has created. So I genuinely feel even sexier."

16 Sean Preston Federline First Photos - $500,000 

The relationship between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline was never without it's drama. In 2004, the pair ran away to Europe together, and Kevin told his then-pregnant girlfriend Shar Jackson, that he was "shooting a commercial." Shar revealed to People magazine that the betrayal was not only breaking up their relationship but also "it was like breaking up a family." The same year, Britney and Kevin were married.

On September 14th, 2005, Britney gave birth to her first - and Kevin's third - child, Sean Preston Federline. Sean landed his first magazine cover when he just a few weeks old and was paid $500,000 by People magazine. Then the problems really started for Britney - she was photographed driving with Sean Preston on her lap and questioned by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services. The same year the couple split and in 2007 they were finally able to reach a custody agreement where they would split parental duties 50/50. The half a million was probably spent on legal fees during the bitter battle.

15 Kingston James McGregor Rossdale First Photos  - $575,000 

In 1995, Gwen Stefani and her band No Doubt were the opening act for Gavin Rossdale's band, Bush. Seven years later, they were married - twice. They had their first ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral in Covent Garden, London, and two weeks later they held a second ceremony in Los Angeles. Stefani has always claimed she had two weddings just so she could wear her custom-made John Galliano gown twice.

In 2006, they had their first son together, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale. He appeared on the front cover of OK! magazine for his first shoot which landed his parents a pay day to the tune of $575,000. They later had two more sons, Zuma and Apollo. Last August, Stefani filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences" and she is now dating her The Voice co-star, country music artist Blake Shelton.

14 The Last Photos of Daniel Smith - $675,000 

Daniel Smith was the only son of actress and model Anna Nicole Smith. He regularly appeared on his mother's E! Network reality TV show - The Anna Nicole Show. When he was just 20-years-old, he died on September 10th, 2006, in a maternity room at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas. At the time, he was visiting his mother who had just given birth to his half-sister, Dannielynn Hope Marshall. His cause of death was registered as an overdose of methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro. It was reported that he was found sitting upright in a chair and that the methadone in his system had been stolen from his mother's medicine cabinet.

The last images before his death, pictured with his mother at her hospital bedside, were sold by Getty Images to In Touch Weekly, Entertainment Tonight, and The Insider. The estimated total for the images stands at $650,000.  Executive editor of In Touch Weekly, Dan Wakeford, told Forbes why he paid so much, revealing, "The death of Anna Nicole's son was the massive news story of the moment-it consumed the whole nation, and these pictures were so newsy and so emotive. This was every mother's worst nightmare, and through these pictures, America could empathize with what Anna Nicole was going through."

13 Harlow Madden's First Photos - $1,000,000 

Nicole Ritchie, alongside her ex-BFF Paris Hilton, was the wild child of Beverly Hills and loved to party. Then in 2005, she had a big fall out with Hilton and decided to take on - well, a simpler life. She was engaged to the late DJ Adam Goldstein for nine months, then briefly dated Brody Jenner before she finally settled down Good Charlotte lead singer Joel Madden in 2006.

In 2008, their daughter Harlow Winter Kate Madden and her first photos were sold to People magazine for $1 million. The following year, their son Sparrow James Midnight Madden was born. The family have all moved to Sydney, Australia so Madden can be close to the set of The Voice Australia. 

12 Maddie Aldridge First Photos - $1,000,000 

16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears caused a lot of controversy when in 2007 she announced in an interview with OK! magazine that she was pregnant with her boyfriend, 18-year-old Casey Aldridge. On June 19th, 2008, she gave birth to Maddie Briann Aldridge at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb. The first photos of baby Maddie were also sold to OK! magazine for $1 million.

But the controversy was not over just yet. Many raised the matter of the age difference between the two parents and considered Jamie Lynn to be below the age of consent. As it was later confirmed that Casey was just under two years older than Jamie Lynn, there was no crime committed as it would only be a felony if they were three years apart in age. Fast forward to 2014, Jamie Lynn has since split from Aldridge and married Jamie Watson, owner of Advanced Media Partners, in New Orleans.

11  Anna Nicole Smith and Howard Stern Wedding - $1,000,000 

In 2006, Anna Nicole Smith and Howard K. Stern were married during an informal commitment ceremony on the 41-foot (12 m) yacht off the coast of the Bahamas. Even though they said their vows before a Baptist minister, there was no marriage certificate so the marriage was not legally binding. After the ceremony, they partied on the island of Sandy Cay, where guests celebrated by drinking lots of champagne and apple cider. The photos of their ceremony were sold to People magazine for $1,000,000. 

Tragically on February 8th, 2007, Smith was found dead in her room at 607 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. After a seven week investigation, her cause of death was "combined drug intoxication" with the sleeping drug chloral hydrate as the "major component." There were no illegal drugs in her system. Smith was buried on March 2nd, 2007. 

10 Honor Marie Warren First Photos - $1,500,000 

Jessica Alba met her husband Cash Warren in 2004 when they were both filming Fantastic Four and they were married four years later. In 2008, the first photos of their daughter Honor Marie appeared in the July issue of OK! magazine after they were paid $1.5 million. 

Then in 2011, they had a second daughter named Haven Garner Warner. As a mother, Jessica revealed she parents them both very different. She told Good Housekeeping magazine, "I have two very different girls. The way that I parent one is different than the way that I parent the other. There's no cookie-cutter way of going about it. I think we as women - and as moms - need to show younger girls that we support each other no matter what and to try and not be so judgmental."

9 Max Bratman First Photos - $1,500,000 

Christina Aguilera took home a pay check for $1.5 million after the first photos of her and newborn son Max Bratman were published in People magazine in 2008. She also posted on her official website: "In honor of our love for each other and our growing family, I have put together a special video for the song "Save Me From Myself" off my Back to Basics album. This video is very dear to me as it includes actual footage from our personal wedding video!" Proving childbirth is not a time to stop plugging an album.

The Voice judge opened up about the pressures of motherhood last month to Women's Health. She said, "Mothers are constantly expected to be the nurturers, the givers, the providers of a comfortable home. We're expected to be pregnant, have the kids, breast-feed once we have the babies. And we're expected to look amazing after baby, right? Keep our husbands and boyfriends interested - because we're supposed to get back to sexy and keep things exciting in the bedroom. There's such a long list. Having children is the ultimate joy, and I love my kids, but women have to find time to nurture themselves."

8 Eva Longoria and Tony Parker Wedding - $2,000,000 

The whole cast of Desperate Housewives were out in force for the wedding of Eva Longoria and Spurs point guard Tony Parker on July 6th, 2007. The couple had a Catholic wedding ceremony at the Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois Church in Paris. The photos of the blushing bride and handsome groom were sold to OK! magazine for $2 million.

Parker claimed the divorce was due to the pressures of Hollywood. He revealed to ContactMusic.com, "The exposure, I could not control. This is the world we live in today  everything is on the Internet and social network sites. Hollywood is another world, on another level." Their divorce was finalized in 2011, Longoria requested that her maiden name be restored and she also sought spousal support from Parker. Last December, she confirmed her engagement to businessman Jose Antonio Basto.

7 Larry and Dannielynn Birkhead Post-Paternity Suit - $2,000,000 

Dannielynn was only 8-months-old when her mother, Anna Nicole Smith, passed away. When Smith first announced her pregnancy, her longtime personal attorney Howard K. Stern claimed he was confident he was the father and the birth certificate showed his name. Then in 2007, a judge ruled Larry Birkhead as the father after DNA tests proved his paternity with 99.99% certainty. Birkhead said at the time, "I hate to be the one to tell you this but, I told you so. I'm the father… My baby's going to be coming home pretty soon." The birth certificate was then amended. 

Birkhead told E! Online, "I look at her and she's my everything. When I see how big she's become, I'm just so proud of her. She reminds me so much of her mom and as she gets older, and her features are changing, it's just like having a little miniature Anna Nicole running around in so many ways." Photos of the two reunited were sold to OK! magazine for $2 million.

6 Pax Thien Adoption Cover - $2,000,000 

Angelina Jolie landed another People magazine cover after she adopted her son Pax Thien from an orphanage in Tam Binh, Vietnam. When Pax was just one month old he was abandoned by his birth mother at a hospital in the city. Director of the orphanage, Nguyen Van Trung, said that Jolie had applied for a healthy boy, with no relatives, aged between 3 and 5. Trung told Time magazine, "There were 31 other boys the same age, but all of them had relatives or were not 'healthy.' She was lucky at the time she applied that there was this boy who met the request and criteria."

If Pax was not adopted by Jolie, then he would be living with another family as the overseas demand for adopting children from Vietnam is high. Trung revealed, "There are more (foreign) requests for adoptions than there are eligible children for adoptions. There is more demand than supply." Vietnam is the 14th most popular adoption place with China at number 1 with more than 6,000 U.S. adoptions a year.

5 Levi Alves McConaughey First Photos - $3,000,000 

Matthew McConaughey met his wife, Brazilian model and television performer Camila Alves in 2006 and they married six years later during a private Catholic ceremony in Austin, Texas. Levi was their first son together born in 2008, then came their daughter Vida in 2010 and their third child Livingston was born in 2012.

The first photos of Levi were sold to OK! magazine for a staggering $3 million. Years later he told GQ magazine, "It's the one thing I've always wanted to be. Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn. You know what's important. I definitely got more selfish. And at the same time, I think I got more compassionate."

4 Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher Wedding - $3,000,000 

In 2003, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher became the hottest celebs to gossip about when they started a romance of their own, despite the 15-year age gap. Moore had three daughters, Rumer, Tallulah and Scout, with her second husband Bruce Willis. Though Kutcher was closer in age to her teenage daughters - this partnership looked like a match made in Hollywood heaven.

They married in 2005, with 150 close friends and family attending - even Bruce Willis showed up. The photos of the occasion were sold to OK! magazine for $3 million, which would have paid for quite the honeymoon for the pair. Then Instagram was born and the couple could not resist sharing their smoochy selfies with the world. But it was not meant to be - in 2011, after months of speculation, Moore announced they would be ending their marriage citing irreconcilable differences. Just months after the divorce was finalised, Kutcher was engaged to his That '70s Show co-star, Mila Kunis, and they now have a two-year-old daughter together.

3 Shiloh Jolie-Pitt First Photos - $4,100,000 

When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie welcomed their first biological daughter into the world on May 27th, 2006, they knew the paparazzi had a price set for the first photos, so they took matters into their own hands. People magazine paid for the exclusive first photos of the parents and Shiloh, landing them a $4.1 million pay day - which they donated in full to UNICEF. At the time, these were the most expensive photos ever paid for by the media.

In 2010, Jolie announced in an interview with Vogue that Shiloh prefers to be named "John". She revealed, "She likes to dress like a boy, wants to be a boy and even thinks she's one of the brothers." The couple have been very supportive with Shiloh's decision to choose her own gender identity.

2 Max and Emme First Photos - $6,000,000 

When everyone's favourite celebrity couple Bennifer - Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez - finally split in 2004, Lopez mended her heart by dating her close friend, Marc Anthony. Only six months later, they married during a private ceremony in Brookville, New York. There was quite the drama when their private wedding video was stolen and held ransom for $1,000,000, although the robbers were soon arrested and charged at Manhattan Criminal Court.

Then in 2007, on the final night of their co-headlining tour, the couple announced they were expecting their first child - although what they were actually expecting was twins. On February 28th, 2008, Lopez gave birth to Maximilian David and Emme Maribel. When People magazine paid a reported $6 million for exclusive photos this became the most expensive celebrity picture ever taken at the time.  Lopez told Today, "I think they just change your perspective on the whole entire world, you know, and how you look at life. That was a big epiphany for me having children… They just made everything better. They helped me grow as a human being." Three years later, the couple announced their split and the divorce was finalized in 2014.

1 Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt First Photos - $15,000,000 

The youngest of the Jolie-Pitt brood are twins, Knox and Vivienne. Knox's name is the middle name of Pitt's grandfather, Hal Knox Hillhouse, and Vivienne's middle name is Marcheline - the first name of Jolie's mother. Born in Nice, France, People magazine paid an unbeatable fee of $15,000,000 for the first exclusive photos.

All proceeds from their first photo shoot were donated to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation. The charity was first established in 2006, originally named the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation. The money would help assist with humanitarian crises around the world. To launch the foundation, the couple made donations of $1 million to Doctors Without Borders andGlobal Action for Children.