NEW YORK, NY — The Daily Beast has released a ranking of the 10 top-earning reality-television stars. The estimates of earnings were calculated from dozens of discussions with industry professionals, agents, managers, and publicists, as well as published reports and public financial disclosures.

The study examined stars who derived their fame from reality television—talent from "American Idol" didn't qualify in our strict definition—and who had a show that aired or was in production in 2010. The data revealed that all three Kardashian sisters made it to the top 10, with Kim coming out on top as the highest-earning reality star. Lauren Conrad of "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills" fame came in second, and her co-star Audrina Patridge ranked fourth.



Top 10 highest-paid reality stars:

Kim Kardashian
Lauren Conrad
Bethenny Frankel
Audrina Patridge
Kate Gosselin
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Khloe Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian
Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio
Kendra Wilkinson

Kim Kardashian's estimated 2010 earnings were $6 million, accumulated from endorsement deals, party-hosting gigs, and sponsored tweets, in addition to licensed perfumes and a share of a clothing line with her sisters.

All earnings figures were designed to be conservative, meaning that some of these characters may have earned a bit more.