The aptly-nicknamed 'king of horror' is one of the most successful authors of all time, having sold over 350 million books worldwide. Carrie, his debut novel, was released in 1973 and launched King's lucrative career. Widely acknowledged as a book that defined the horror genre, it was later adapted into a 1976 film, and was the first of his works to be adapted for the silver screen. In fact, it's worth noting that King has had more novels and short stories adapted for film or TV than any other author.

To date, King has penned 63 novels and around 200 short stories, as well as winning a stream of accolades and awards for his writing. He reportedly has an impressive $500 million (£363m) net worth.