The following is a list of music artists with the highest recorded net worth (also known as wealthiest musicians or richest musicians), based on calculations by reputable publications such as Forbes and The Sunday Times Rich List . As of 2024, five music artists have reached the billionaire status on Forbes reports: Jay-Z leading the list with US$2.5 billion, and becoming the first billionaire music artist, followed by Taylor Swift, the first billionaire with music as the primary income, and Rihanna, the first female artist to become a billionaire.
When Forbes 400 Richest Americans debuted in 1982, Yoko Ono was the only musician listed, with a net worth of $150 million (equivalent to $474 million in 2023), largely due to the music royalties of her late husband's band the Beatles. [1] In 1991, Forbes estimated Michael Jackson's net worth at $230 million (equivalent to $515 million in 2023), making him the wealthiest musician and the second wealthiest entertainer, behind comedian Bill Cosby. [2] It is estimated that Jackson's estate is worth over $2 billion as of 2024. [3] [4]
Forbes lists are dominated by American artists, while musicians of other nationalities have built their wealth predominantly in the U.S., such as Celine Dion. Reports from others business-related publications such as Bloomberg L.P. could differ; for instance, they valued Kanye West at US$6.6 billion in 2021, while West himself measured at least US$3.3 billion in 2020. [5] [6] Outside of Forbes, net worth estimations could vastly vary amid same artists and different sources, as some media outlets have published estimations from various websites and lists such as CelebrityNetWorth, Bankrate and Sunday Times Rich List. Artists such as Bono and Paul McCartney have been claimed to achieve billionaire status, albeit denied by Forbes. [7] [8]
The following are music artists with a net worth of over $300 million (adjusted for inflation) according to Forbes . The artists are listed based on the nominal figure of their most recently available estimation.
Artists | Nationality | Lifetime | Net worth | Report year | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latest estimation | Peak estimation | Peak estimation adjusted in 2023 $ | Latest | Peak | ||||
Jay-Z | United States | 1969–present | $2.5 billion | $2.5 billion | 2024 | [9] | ||
Taylor Swift | United States | 1989–present | $1.6 billion | $1.6 billion | 2024 | [10] | ||
Rihanna | Barbados | 1988–present | $1.4 billion | $1.7 billion | $1.77 billion | 2024 | 2022 | [11] [12] |
Bruce Springsteen | United States | 1949–present | $1.1 billion | $1.1 billion | 2024 | [13] | ||
Jimmy Buffett | United States | 1946–2023 | $1 billion | $1 billion | 2023 | [14] | ||
Madonna | United States | 1958–present | $850 million | $850 million | 2024 | [15] | ||
Dr. Dre | United States | 1965–present | $800 million | $953 million | 2019 | [16] | ||
Beyoncé | United States | 1981–present | $760 million | $800 million | $800 million | 2024 | 2023 | [17] [18] |
Sean "Diddy" Combs | United States | 1969–present | $740 million [lower-alpha 1] | $820 million | $1.02 billion | 2019 | 2017 | [20] [21] |
Julio Iglesias | Spain | 1943–present | $600 million [lower-alpha 2] | $600 million | 2023 | [22] | ||
Celine Dion | Canada | 1968–present | $550 million | $550 million | 2024 | [23] | ||
Barbra Streisand | United States | 1942–present | $460 million | $460 million | 2024 | [24] | ||
Dolly Parton | United States | 1946–present | $450 million | $450 million | 2024 | [25] | ||
Jon Bon Jovi | United States | 1962–present | $410 million | $521 million | 2016 | [26] | ||
Kanye West | United States | 1977–present | $400 million | $2 billion | $2.08 billion | 2024 | 2022 | [27] [6] |
Michael Jackson | United States | 1958–2009 | $350 million | $580 million | 2003 | [2] | ||
Katy Perry | United States | 1984–present | $350 million | $350 million | 2024 | [28] | ||
Mariah Carey | United States | 1969–present | $225 million [lower-alpha 3] | $331 million | 2007 | [29] | ||
Yoko Ono | Japan | 1933–present | $150 million | $474 million | 1982 | [1] |
The following are music artists from the United Kingdom with a net worth of over £300 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List .
Artist(s) | Nationality | Lifetime | Net worth | Report year | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latest estimation | Peak estimation | Peak estimation adjusted in 2023 £ | Latest | Peak | ||||
Paul McCartney [lower-alpha 4] | United Kingdom | 1942–present | £1 billion | £1 billion | 2024 | [32] | ||
U2 | Ireland | 1976–present | £625 million | £665 million | 2022 | [33] | ||
Andrew Lloyd Webber | United Kingdom | 1948–present | £504 million | £820 million | £1.03 billion | 2023 | 2019 | [34] [35] |
Coldplay | United Kingdom | 1997–present | £471 million | £501 million | 2022 | [36] | ||
Elton John | United Kingdom | 1947–present | £470 million | £470 million | 2024 | [37] | ||
Sting | United Kingdom | 1951–present | £320 million | £341 million | 2022 | [38] | ||
Mick Jagger | United Kingdom | 1943–present | £318 million | £338 million | 2022 | [39] | ||
Keith Richards | United Kingdom | 1943–present | £303 million | £322 million | 2022 | [33] | ||
Ed Sheeran | United Kingdom | 1991–present | £300 million | £300 million | 2023 | [40] |
The following are music artists with a net worth of over $500 million according to other reputable business-related publications, such as Bloomberg.
Artists | Nationality | Lifetime | Net worth | Adjusted in 2023 $ | Report year | Source | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Selena Gomez | United States | 1992–present | $1.3 billion | — | 2024 | Bloomberg | [41] |
In 2020, one Elvis Presley's state executive told Rolling Stone magazine that artist's estate was worth between US$400-500 million. [42] As of 2024, the estate of Michael Jackson has been valued over US$2 billion. [3] [4]
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and has been published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989. The editorial decisions governing the compilation of the Rich List are published in the newspaper and online as its "Rules of engagement".
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