Dakota Fanning

Widely regarded as the most talented and precocious star of her generation, Fanning seems to have spent a lifetime in movies already, even though she's just 17. Having made her breakthrough at age 7 by holding her own opposite Sean Penn in 2001's 'I Am Sam,' Fanning was an A-list actress who was earning $4 million a year by the time she was 12 (in 2006, the year she starred in 'Charlotte's Web'. It's not clear how much she's earning now, since she tends to alternate low-budget indie films with higher-profile hits like the 'Twilight' movies, but she's had major roles in 17 films that have earned $1.4 billion at the box office. Her net worth is a reported $16 million. Now that she's out of high school and has as many as six movies coming out in 2012, watch for her earnings to skyrocket. Oh, and watch out also for her sister, 13-year-old 'Super 8' star Elle Fanning, who may yet match her sister in star quality and earning power.