It's no secret that K-pop is one of the most lucrative industries in the world and has even been hailed as "South Korea's Greatest Export" by TIME magazine.

With billions of music views racked up on YouTube, the Big Four entertainment companies raking in almost US$1 billion in combined earnings, and K-pop acts such as BTS being valued at more than US$3.6 billion to the country's economy every year, it only shows the power and money-making ability of the industry. If you want a more thorough understanding of the K-pop industry, read here.

"We're at a really exciting turning point. A lot more American record labels and American brands and companies are looking to see how they can tap into these artists," music journalist and K-pop commentator Jeff Benjamin told Money magazine in an interview.

But every industry has its top earners, and K-pop definitely has its fair share. Money magazine recently compiled a list of the top earning groups in the K-pop industry and the results are surprising, to say the least.

Read on to find out the richest K-pop bands now.