12 of the Richest Musicians in the World
Written by
Karen Doyle
Edited by
Katie Wudel
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For some of the wealthiest musicians playing today, long gone are the days of singing for their supper as many of them have reached billionaire status. Beyond the glitzy lifestyles, world tours, and pomp and circumstance that come with being a music star, how much are these celeb performers actually worth?
While you probably expect some of the musicians on the Billboard Hot 100 to have more than just some spare change in their pocket, you might be surprised to find out that they’re all worth at least multiple hundreds of millions. Some of these music artists are so rich they even put the likes of Dolly Parton, Celine Dion and Elton John on the honorable mention list.
Here are the current chart toppers when it comes to net worth.
Jay-Z
- Net worth: $2.5 billion
Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, is a rapper, songwriter and entrepreneur as well as a record, film and television producer. He co-founded the Rocawear clothing line with Damon Dash, who later left the business. Eventually, the company rights were sold to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million in 2007.
He sold a significant majority share of Tidal, his music streaming service, to financial services provider Square for nearly $300 million in 2021. He also has multiple lucrative endorsement contracts. He is often quoted as saying that he’s not a “businessman, (he’s) a business, man.”
Taylor Swift
- Net worth: $1.6 billion
Taylor Swift has received nearly every award the music industry has to offer, including 14 Grammys. She also brings in big bucks from smart negotiations with her record label and streaming services. In 2018, she left her first label, Big Machine Records, to sign with Republic Records in a deal that included ownership of all her master recordings under the label.
In 2021, she began the re-release of her first six albums, starting with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” to put her music back under her control. Her “The Eras Tour,” was an ambitious stadium tour across the country, which grossed over $2 billion alone in ticket sales.
Rihanna
- Net worth: $1.4 billion
Rihanna is a singer, actor, songwriter and fashion designer. She partners with luxury group LVMH on a makeup line, Fenty Beauty, which Forbes reported doubled its revenue in 2022. She also owns 30% of the Savage x Fenty lingerie line.
She took several years off from releasing new music but in 2022, she worked on songs for the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Rihanna was the halftime entertainer at Super Bowl LVII, at which time she was pregnant with her second child.
Selena Gomez
- Net worth: $1.3 billion
Selena Gomez began her career on the Disney Channel, and she is a rare poster child for successfully navigating a lucrative career as an adult. In 2009, she ventured into music as the frontwoman of Selena Gomez & the Scene and then launched her solo career in 2013.
Gomez currently stars in the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” and continues to release new music. However, the bulk of her wealth comes from her business acumen as she founded the makeup company Rare Beauty, valued at an estimated $2 billion.
Sir Paul McCartney
- Net worth: $1.25 billion
It’s probably no surprise that Paul McCartney is high up on this list, but the size of his net worth is staggering. Long after his years with The Beatles, McCartney still earns royalties on the music he has written, as well as publishing copyrights he owns of the works of other artists. It’s only fitting that music royalty holds the wealth of a king.
Bruce Springsteen
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
Bruce Springsteen — aka The Boss — has released 20 studio albums and sold more than 120 million albums globally. He has 20 Grammys, four American Music Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award. He was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Although his first album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.,” was released 50 years ago in January 1973, Springsteen is as popular as ever, with his current tour continuing to add shows to meet demand. In 2021, he sold his music catalog to Sony for an incredible $500 million which helped boost him to billionaire status.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
Andrew Lloyd Webber might be the richest musician some of you have never heard of — but you’ve heard much of his work. Lloyd Webber, along with lyricist Tim Rice, collaborated on many Broadway musicals, including “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Lloyd Webber also composed the music for “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
He has achieved EGOT status by winning at least one of each — an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. According to his website, Lloyd Webber owns six theaters in London, including the famed Palladium.
Madonna
- Net worth: $850 million
The “Material Girl” singer has released 14 studio albums, and the first one, “Madonna,” was released in July 1983, marking its 40th anniversary just two years ago. Madonna’s concerts have grossed an estimated $1.2 billion worldwide, Forbes reported in 2022. She has a significant art collection that the Daily Mail reported could be worth $100 million.
Herb Alpert
- Net worth: $850 million
Odds are, Herb Alpert isn’t the most well-known name on this list. He and his jazz band, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, rose to fame in the 1960s, after which Alpert co-founded A&M Records with trumpeter Jerry Moss. In 1989, Alpert and Moss sold A&M to Polygram Records for $500 million. Now at 89, Alpert still performs in concert.
Dr. Dre
- Net worth: $800 million
Celebrity rapper, actor, producer and entrepreneur Dr. Dre started out as a DJ in South Central, Los Angeles, and was a member of N.W.A. in 1988 when they released “Straight Outta Compton.” Though he’s considered a musical legend, most of his net worth comes from his business ventures and the sale of his Beats by Dre premium headphone company to Apple for $3 billion. His 25% stake in the company alone netted him $750 million before taxes.
Beyoncé
- Net worth: $760 million
Beyoncé started her music career as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, who had several chart-topping records. She then went on to a successful solo music career and added actor, producer and entrepreneur to her resume. Her personal net worth is independent of that of her husband, rapper Jay-Z, whose own net worth is estimated to be four times that of her own.
Bono
- Net worth: $700 million
Bono, with his band U2, has been nominated for 46 Grammy Awards and won 22. Bono is a social activist and has performed at Live Aid, Band Aid and Live 8 concerts. He is also a savvy investor, with a large portfolio of real estate and previously was a managing director of Elevation Partners, a private equity firm.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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