Take That! Robbie's pay falls to £270k

POP superstar Robbie Williams has paid himself £269,566 this year – despite seeing his royalties and tour revenues drop by 75 per cent.

Latest accounts show Tunstall-born Robbie received the cash for his recording, performance and touring activities in 2008.

But that was down from £1 million a year earlier.

And its just a fraction of the £32 million he pocketed in 2006 from royalties and tour revenues on the back of his Rudebox album.

The details are included in the latest filed accounts of The In Good Company Co.

They do not list the turnover of the business, while sales in the accounts do not list other lucrative income Robbie has made from the sale of merchandise, image rights and sponsorship and property deals.

But the accounts do highlight the volatile nature of a pop star's earnings between albums.

The In Good Company Co was set up in March 2002 to handle Robbie's recording and tour revenues, and posted sales of £34.9 million in what was a bumper year for the chart-topping singer.

During the 12 months, Robbie signed a reported £80 million recording deal with EMI, released his album Escapology and sold out tickets for a European tour and three dates at Knebworth.

Robbie also enjoyed peaks in his earnings in 2004 and 2006 as he recorded, released and toured his Greatest Hits and Rudebox albums.

Signal One DJ Simon Morykin said the fluctuation in income was a trait of the music industry.

He said: "A steady trickle of royalties will head his way each year, but it's the big stadium concerts and top 10 singles and albums which will earn the money for Robbie. Robbie will see a huge increase in his money when he tours with the new album, sells his merchandise and maybe does a few sponsorship deals."

The Sunday Times Rich List currently values Robbie at £80 million.