Entertainment
Top Ten (10) Richest Musicians In The World And Their Net Worth
Music has always been an integral part of human civilization, and it continues to influence our lives in numerous ways.
It is not just a form of art but also a lucrative business that has made many musicians incredibly wealthy.
In this article, we will be looking at the top 10 richest musicians in the world and their net worth. These musicians have not only produced some of the most iconic songs of our time, but they have also built empires through their music, branding, and business ventures.
From pop icons to rap legends, these musicians have amassed fortunes that are hard to fathom.
So, let’s take a closer look at the top 10 richest musicians and see just how much money they have made.
1) Jay-Z
Net Worth: $2.5 Billion
Born December 4, 1969, Shawn Corey Carter known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Often regarded as the greatest rapper of all time.
Jay-Z has established himself as a successful entrepreneur with a business empire spanning a variety of industries from clothing lines, beverages, real estate, sport teams, and record labels. In an interview, he stated that “my brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.”
Jay-Z has scored 19 Grammy’s, sold over 100 million records, and launched a successful clothing company Rocawear and record label Roc-A-Fella Records.
The most recent jump in net worth is thanks to yet another unbelievable business success as he pocketed $750 million following the partial sale of his D’USSÉ cognac to Bacardi. Crowned billionaire in 2019, Jay-Z almost tripled his net worth in 4 years.
Jay-Z was once the president of Def Jam Recordings. He’s also a licensed sports agent, working with his company Roc Nation Sports.
He is married to the most-awarded and most nominated artist in Grammy history, Beyonce who has won a total of 32 awards and 88 nominations from the Grammy Awards for her music (including her work in Destiny’s Child and The Carters).
2) Rihanna
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Barbados born singer, actress and businesswoman, Rihanna made a huge portion of her wealth ($1.4B) from her business ventures. She launched, in 2017, a beauty line called Fenty Beauty along with the French luxury group LVMH. She also owns a lingerie company called Savage x Fenty. She capitalizes heavily on her huge social media presence to promote her brands.
She has been a pop music powerhouse since her first success in 2005 and remains one of the most streamed artists despite not having released an album in years.
She has also received numerous awards throughout her career, including 9 Grammy Awards, 5 American Music Awards, and 22 Billboard Music Awards.
Born and raised in Barbados, Rihanna is still celebrated in her country of origin. In 2008, the Prime Minister of Barbados declared 22 February “Rihanna Day”. While it is not an official bank holiday, locals celebrate it every year, listening to her music.
3) Paul McCartney
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon.
Paul McCartney is undoubtedly one of the most prominent member of The Beatles.
McCartney and John Lennon shared writing credits throughout the band’s entire career, ensuring that both would enjoy financial success for years to come.
Additionally, McCartney’s impressive solo career, his work with Wings, collaborations with Michael Jackson, and more recently with Kanye West, have solidified his status as a relevant pop icon since the early 1960s.
The multi-instrumentalist has written or co-written 32 songs to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Paul’s song Yesterday is the most covered song of all time, having been remade by over 2,200 artists and bands. Talk about some royalties! He’s also been knighted and honored every which way possible, musically or otherwise. It’s reported that he holds over 25,000 copyrights.
The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Paul McCartney twice, as the most honored composer and performer in music as well as the most successful songwriter ever.
4) Andrew Lloyd Webber
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway.
He has composed 21 musicals, a song cycle, a set of variations, two film scores, and a Latin Requiem Mass.
These shows are still happening nightly all across the world (some have been running for over a decade straight), providing him profit from everything related to his products, including soundtracks, merchandise, film adaptations, and ticket sales. He even collects royalties from two songs he wrote for none other than Elvis Presley (the true King!)
Andrew Lloyd Webber has been granted knighthood and a title of nobility for his contributions to music, in addition to his 6 Tony’s, 3 Grammy’s, an Academy Award, and far too many more to list here. The proper way to address him today is “The Right Honorable The Lord Lloyd-Webber, Kt.”
5 – Sean “Puffy” Combs
Net Worth: $1.0 Billion
Sean Love Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive.
Born in New York City, he worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records in 1993. Combs has produced and cultivated artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher.
Other successes include his Sean John clothing line, perfume line, and hit television show Making the Band on MTV.
Like many of the richest people in the world (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Kanye West, etc.), Puff Daddy is also a college dropout, leaving a business major program. Ironically, Forbes listed Diddy as a top 40 entrepreneur under the age of 40 in 2002.
6) Madonna
Net Worth: $850 Million
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Dubbed the “Queen of Pop”, Madonna has been widely recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation.
Madonna has been active in the music industry for an extended period, producing popular songs since the 1980s and beyond.
Alongside being a musician, she’s a Golden Globe-winning actress, author of several children’s books, fashion designer, owner of Maverick Records, and owner of a series of health clubs.
The real wealth comes from her tireless touring, having played more live shows than any other female musician ever, making her the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time! She’s possibly the hardest working woman in show business.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists Madonna as the best-selling female recording artist of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as the second highest-certified female artist in the United States, behind Barbara Streisand.
7) Herb Alpert
Net Worth: $840 Million
Hubert Alpert (and the Tijuana Brass band) have released five #1 albums and 28 total albums on the Billboard charts. His other notable awards are 9 Grammy’s, 14 certified Platinum albums, and 15 more Gold albums.
His total sales are over 72 million worldwide! Alpert is the “A” in A&M Records, which undoubtedly contributes to his unbelievable riches (he sold it in 1987 for a reported $500 million along side his partner Jerry Moss). They later sued for a breach of contract, receiving an additional $200 million. His other ventures have included professional sculpting and a line of perfume, which he likens to music with its “high notes and low notes.”
Herb Alpert is the only musician to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as both a vocalist in 1968 and an instrumentalist (trumpet) in 1979.
8) Celine Dion
Net Worth: $800 Million
Ms. Dion is the top wealthiest music artist in Canada of all time after selling over 200 million records! After her smash hit on the Titanic soundtrack, she took advantage, launched the popularity of auto-tune (for better or worse), and rode that wave straight to the top 10 list!
She has released albums in French and English, won countless contests and awards, and has the record for the highest concert residency of all time, where in Las Vegas she can command $500,000 per show. Take that info and do this math: she performed her 1000th show in Las Vegas in 2016. Between 2011 and 2019, her Las Vegas residency has been seen by 1.74 million people, grossing almost $300 million!
Celine is the youngest of 14 siblings. She’s also been honored Canadian and French titles for her civilian merits and contributions. She is to be addressed as Celine Dion.
9) Bono
Net Worth: $750 Million
Paul David Hewson known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Beyond his work as a singer-songwriter and musician, he is also a venture capitalist, philanthropist, and general businessman.
For being a huge philanthropist and social activist, it was a surprise when his name appeared in the Paradise Papers, which provided proof and exposed globally many wealthy people engaging in tax evasion.
10) Dolly Parton
Net Worth: $670 Million
Dolly Parton is the shining star of American country music, She began as a songwriter before debuting as a singer in 1967, and has written and composed over 3,000 songs, like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” (yes, the Whitney song!). Her record sales total to more than 100 million worldwide.
Dolly has also been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She’s won 11 Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy, and an Academy Award!
More than that, she is a business woman and celebrated philanthropist. She co-owns The Dollywood Company, which manages entertainment venues like the Dollywood Theme Park, among others. She also founded the Dollywood Foundation, which handles projects involving poverty relief and education in her hometown, East Tennessee.
In 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was established with the objective of distributing free books to children. Its coverage area has since grown to include the entire United States, as well as the UK, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. Currently, there are roughly two million registered children, and the program has distributed over 190 million books.
Entertainment
BBNaija’s Eloswag Responds To Leaked Sextape
Eloswag, a former contestant on Big Brother Naija Season 7, has broken his silence following the release of his private video online.
The reality star reportedly uploaded a clip featuring himself and an unidentified woman on his Snapchat account at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Though Eloswag swiftly deleted the video, it had already caught the attention of the internet.
The explicit content quickly gained traction after being reposted by the controversial gossip blog, Gistlover, sparking widespread conversations across social media platforms.
In response to the incident, Eloswag took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration and consider possible legal action.
In a now-deleted post, he wrote, “I mistakenly posted a video on my Snapchat by 3am and deleted it immediately, guess who has the video? GISTLOVER? How? Please, can I sue? Because it doesn’t make sense.”
READ MORE: N1.3trn Fraud: EFCC Arrests Ex-Delta Gov, Ifeanyi Okowa
The reality star’s reaction highlights the challenges celebrities face when intimate content finds its way online.
While some supporters have shown empathy, others have engaged in heated debates about the responsibility of public figures in handling their digital content.
Eloswag’s predicament places him alongside other Nigerian celebrities who have dealt with similar scandals, such as Moyo Lawal, Tiwa Savage, Oxlade, and James Brown, whose private videos have previously surfaced online.
Legal experts have weighed in on Eloswag’s potential case, noting that while pursuing legal action against individuals or platforms that share such content can be complex, it is not impossible.
The development has reignited discussions on digital privacy and the ethical responsibilities of content-sharing platforms.
As Eloswag’s fans and critics await further updates, the incident underscores the precarious nature of online privacy and the far-reaching consequences of a single momentary lapse.
Entertainment
Nigerian Contender, Chidimma Adetshina Makes Top 2 On Miss Universe Hot Picks List
Nigeria’s Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina has claimed the No. 2 spot on the Miss Universe Pre-Arrival Hot Picks, solidifying her position as a top contender in the upcoming November 16, 2024, pageant.
As excitement builds for Miss Universe 2024, Adetshina’s ranking has sparked national pride and optimism in Nigeria, with many hopeful she could secure the title.
READ ALSO: Court Orders Arrest Of Dana Air CEO In N1.3bn Fraud Case
Adetshina arrived in Mexico last month to prepare for the competition and has since captured widespread attention.
However, her path to Miss Universe has been marked by challenges.
Initially competing as Miss Taraba in Miss Universe Nigeria, she withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant following online backlash regarding her nationality and accusations of fraud by the South African Home Office.
This setback, however, did not deter her ambitions.
Her current standing as a top pick underscores her growing international recognition and support, positioning her as a formidable contender ahead of the competition.
Many have taken to social media to voice their support, with some declaring her Nigeria’s best chance yet to secure the Miss Universe crown.
Entertainment
FULL LIST: Nigeria Ranks 5th Worldwide For Daily Social Media Usage
Nigerians have been ranked among the top social media users globally, with 2024 data positioning the country fifth in the world for average daily time spent online.
According to figures from Cable.co.uk and We Are Social, shared by World of Statistics on X, Nigerians spend an average of 3 hours and 23 minutes per day on social media.
Leading the global list is Kenya, where users spend the most time on social media at 3 hours and 43 minutes daily. South Africa follows closely with 3 hours and 37 minutes, Brazil with 3 hours and 34 minutes, and the Philippines at 3 hours and 33 minutes.
READ MORE: Prayers Won’t Build Roads, Fund Children’s Education – Jesse Jagz To Nigerians
With an average of 3 hours and 23 minutes, Nigeria ranks just behind these top four countries in social media engagement.
Other nations with notable social media usage include Colombia at 3 hours and 22 minutes, Chile and Indonesia both at 3 hours and 11 minutes. Completing the top ten are Saudi Arabia and Argentina, with daily averages of 3 hours and 10 minutes and 3 hours and 8 minutes, respectively.
By comparison, some countries report lower social media usage. Ghana averages 2 hours and 43 minutes, Egypt 2 hours and 41 minutes, and Thailand 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Among European countries, social media engagement is generally lower, with Portugal averaging 2 hours and 23 minutes, Romania 2 hours and 20 minutes, and Italy 2 hours and 17 minutes, highlighting significant regional variations in social media usage.
Full list:
Kenya – 03:43
South Africa – 03:37
Brazil – 03:34
Philippines – 03:33
Nigeria – 03:23
Colombia – 03:22
Chile – 03:11
Indonesia – 03:11
Saudi Arabia – 03:10
Argentina – 03:08
Mexico – 03:04
Malaysia – 02:48
Ghana – 02:43
Egypt – 02:41
Thailand – 02:30
Bulgaria – 02:26
Vietnam – 02:23
Portugal – 02:23
Romania – 02:20
Italy – 02:17