Young, gifted - and rich! Adele and Daniel Radcliffe lead British moneymakers

Daniel Radcliffe is laughing all the way to Gringotts after his starring role in the Harry Potter films earned him £54 million and a lead role in the Young Rich List of British millionaires.

Radcliffe’s farewell appearance as the boy wizard in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and the success of his latest film, The Woman In Black, helped add £6 million to the £48 million career earnings previously amassed by the 22 year-old actor.

Radcliffe heads the list of young actors aged 30 and under in the Sunday Times Rich List, which places Adele at the top of the young musicians rankings, following an all-conquering year in which her wealth has soared from £6 million to £20 million.

The London singer’s 21 album sold 10 million copies last year, taking career sales of her two albums and hit singles to 20 million. Despite trebling her wealth, Adele, 23, could have earned millions more but turned down the chance to headline at major festivals and play arena shows in favour of performing in smaller venues.

The list, compiled by Philip Beresford, the leading authority on British wealth, and published in full on Sunday, shows that outside of sport, more than half the wealthiest young people in Britain are entertainers.

Film stars remain the biggest earners, particularly those who can secure returning roles in a hit franchise. Robert Pattinson, 25, added £8 million to his fortune and is now worth £40 million, after the release of Breaking Dawn – Part 1, the penultimate instalment in the gothic romance Twilight Saga.

However Kiera Knightley, 27, registered no increase in her £30 million wealth. The second-highest paid actress in Hollywood, who earned $32 million in 2007, focused on the West End last year, starring in the play The Children’s Hour.

Jessie J, an unknown before 2011, is a newcomer to the Young Music Millionaires Top 20 after earning an estimated £5 million. The coach on BBC talent show The Voice sold one million copies of her debut album Who You Are and earns extra money from an endorsement deal for Pretty Polly tights as well as personal appearances.

Modelling is a fast-track to millionaire status for young British women. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 24, joins the Rich List with £5 million in the bank. The Victoria’s Secret lingerie model, who grew up on a Devon farm, is based in Los Angeles, where she is now branching out into films, securing a part in Transformers: Dark of the Moon last year.

Yet she has some way to go to match the £28 million wealth enjoyed by Kiera Chaplin, the Belfast-born granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin. A model since the age of 16, the New York-based Kiera, 29, has appeared in a number of low-budget films and owns a 30% stake in a Hollywood production company.

The assumption that Simon Cowell makes all the money out of X Factor contestants is challenged by the arrival in the music top 20 of all four members of boyband JLS. The singers are estimated to have earned £5 million each after selling more than 3 million records since they appeared on the talent show in 2008.

The Sunday Times Rich List 2012 - The richest young musicians aged 30 and under

1. Adele - £20m (£6m- 2011)

2=. Cheryl Cole (Girls Aloud) - £12m (£12m- 2011)

2=. Leona Lewis - £12m (£12m- 2011)

2=. Katie Melua - £12m (£12m- 2011)

5. Joss Stone - £10m (£9m- 2011)

6=. Charlotte Church - £8m (£8m- 2011)

6=. Craig David - £8m (£8m- 2011)

6=. Paolo Nutini - £8m (£7m- 2011)

9. Florence Welch- £7m (£5m- 2011)

10=. Lily Allen - £6m (£6m- 2011)

10=. Natasha Bedingfield - £6m (£6m- 2011)

10=. Duffy - £6m (£6m- 2011)

10=. James Morrison - £6m (£5m- 2011)

14=. Nadine Coyle - (Girls Aloud) £5m (£5m- 2011)

14=. Taio Cruz - £5m (£5m- 2011)

14=. Jonathan Gill (JLS) £5m (New)

14=. Sarah Harding (Girls Aloud) £5m (£5m- 2011)

14=. Marvin Humes (JLS) £5m (New)

14=. Jessie J £5m (New)

14=. Aston Merrygold (JLS) £5m (New)

14=. Nicola Roberts (Girls Aloud) £5m (£5m- 2011)

14=. Kimberley Walsh (Girls Aloud) £5m (£5m - 2011)

14=. Oritsé Williams (JLS) £5m (New)

The Sunday Times Rich List 2012 - The richest young actors aged 30 and under

1. Daniel Radcliffe - £54m (£48m - 2011)

2. Robert Pattinson - £40m (£32m - 2011)

3. Keira Knightley - £30m (£30m - 2011)

4. Kiera Chaplin - £28m (£28m - 2011)

5. Emma Watson - £26m (£24m - 2011)

6. Rupert Grint - £24m (£24m - 2011)

7. Lily Cole - £8m (£5m - 2011)

8=. Sarah Harding - £6m (£5m - 2011)

8=. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley - £5m (New)

8=. Kimberley Walsh - £5m (£5m - 2011)