The following is a list of music artists with the highest estimated 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 March 2026[update], seven music artists have reached the billionaire status on Forbes reports, among them: Jay-Z leading the list with $2.8 billion, Taylor Swift—the richest female musician—and then Rihanna, the first female artist to become a billionaire.
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. When Forbes 400 Richest Americans debuted in 1982, Yoko Ono was the only musician listed, with a net worth of $155 million (equivalent to $500 million in 2025), largely due to the music royalties of her late husband John Lennon's band the Beatles.[1] In 1991, Forbes estimated Michael Jackson's net worth at $230 million (equivalent to $544 million in 2025), making him the wealthiest musician and the second-wealthiest entertainer, behind comedian Bill Cosby.[2] According to some insiders, it is estimated that Jackson's estate is worth over $2 billion as of 2024.[3][4]
Outside of Forbes, net worth estimations vary amid the same artists and different sources, as some media outlets have published estimations from various websites and lists such as CelebrityNetWorth and Bankrate, or other business-related publication. For instance, Bloomberg L.P. valued Selena Gomez at US$1.3 billion in 2024, while Forbes estimated her net worth at only $700 million by 2025. U2 singer Bono has been described as a billionaire, and Paul McCartney is listed as one by the Sunday Times Rich List, though neither have been accorded such status by Forbes.[5][6]
Forbes
edit
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 2025 $ |
Latest | Peak | ||||
| Jay-Z | United States | 1969–present | $2.8 billion | $2.8 billion | $2.87 billion | 2026 | [7] | |
| Taylor Swift | United States | 1989–present | $2 billion[a] | $2 billion | 2026 | [9] | ||
| Bruce Springsteen | United States | 1949–present | $1.2 billion | $1.2 billion | 2025 | [10] | ||
| Beyoncé | United States | 1981–present | $1 billion | $1 billion | 2025 | [11] | ||
| Rihanna | Barbados | 1988–present | $1 billion | $1.7 billion | $2.02 billion | 2025 | 2021 | [12][13] |
| Dr. Dre | United States | 1965–present | $1 billion | $1 billion | 2026 | [14] | ||
| Jimmy Buffett | United States | 1946–2023 | $1 billion | $1.06 billion | 2023 | [15] | ||
| Madonna | United States | 1958–present | $850 million | $850 million | 2025 | [16] | ||
| Selena Gomez[b] | United States | 1992–present | $700 million | $700 million | 2025 | [18] | ||
| Julio Iglesias | Spain | 1943–present | $600 million[c] | $634 million | 2023 | [19] | ||
| Celine Dion | Canada | 1968–present | $570 million | $570 million | 2025 | [20] | ||
| Barbra Streisand | United States | 1942–present | $510 million | $510 million | 2025 | [21] | ||
| Dolly Parton | United States | 1946–present | $450 million | $450 million | 2025 | [22] | ||
| Jon Bon Jovi | United States | 1962–present | $410 million | $550 million | 2016 | [23] | ||
| Ye (Kanye West) | United States | 1977–present | $400 million | $2.77 billion[d] | $2.77 billion | 2025 | 2022 | [26][25]
|
| Katy Perry | United States | 1984–present | $360 million | $360 million | 2025 | [18] | ||
| Michael Jackson | United States | 1958–2009 | $350 million | $613 million | 2003 | [2] | ||
| Mariah Carey | United States | 1969–present | $225 million | $349 million | 2007 | [27] | ||
| Yoko Ono | Japan | 1933–present | $150 million | $500 million | 1982 | [1] | ||
Sunday Times Rich List
edit
The following are music artists from the United Kingdom and Ireland 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 2025 £ |
Latest | Peak | ||||
| Paul McCartney[e] | United Kingdom | 1942–present | £1.025 billion | £1.03 billion | 2025 | [30] | ||
| U2 | Ireland | 1976–present | £625 million | £709 million | 2022 | [31] | ||
| Andrew Lloyd Webber | United Kingdom | 1948–present | £500 million | £820 million | £1.05 billion | 2025 | 2019 | [30][32] |
| Elton John | United Kingdom | 1947–present | £475 million | £475 million | 2025 | [30] | ||
| Coldplay[f] | United Kingdom | 1997–present | £471 million | £535 million | 2022 | [33] | ||
| Mick Jagger | United Kingdom | 1943–present | £440 million | £440 million | 2025 | [30] | ||
| Keith Richards | United Kingdom | 1943–present | £440 million | £440 million | 2025 | [30] | ||
| Ed Sheeran | United Kingdom | 1991–present | £370 million | £370 million | 2025 | [30] | ||
| Sting | United Kingdom | 1951–present | £320 million | £363 million | 2022 | [34] | ||
Artists' estates
editIn 2020, one Elvis Presley's state executive told Rolling Stone magazine that artist's estate was worth between US$400–500 million.[35] As of 2024, the estate of Michael Jackson has been valued over US$2 billion.[3][4]
See also
edit- Hollywood accounting
- Forbes Top 40 (1987–1998)
- Forbes Celebrity 100 (1999–2020)
- Forbes list of the world's highest-paid musicians
- Forbes list of the world's highest-paid dead celebrities
- List of celebrities by net worth
Notes
edit- ^ Bloomberg L.P. estimated Swift's net worth at $1.8 billion as of October 2025.[8]
- ^ Selena Gomez is a billionaire according to Bloomberg L.P., which estimated her net worth at $1.3 billion as of 2024.[17]
- ^ Julio Iglesias' net worth according to Forbes Spain.
- ^ Outside of Forbes, estimates of Kanye West's net worth have been dynamic. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index valued him at $6.6 billion in 2021, while West himself measured at least US$3.3 billion in 2020.[24][25]
- ^ Paul McCartney's estimation includes his wife Nancy Shevell's wealth, hence Forbes disputed McCartney's status as a billionaire. Shevell's family owns a trucking company which generates over $300 million per year in revenue. In 2008, McCartney disclosed personal net assets of £387,012,000 (about $600 million) as part of divorce proceedings with ex-wife Heather Mills. In 2013, Forbes estimates his net worth roughly at $650 million.[28] As of 2025, McCartney has yet to appear on Forbes's world's billionaires list.[29]
- ^ Although The Sunday Times reported the combined net worth of Coldplay, they were not listed collectively as a group on Sunday Times Rich List 2022
References
edit- ^ a b Dellatto, Marisa. "Forbes' Hollywood Walk Of Fame: The Richest Celebrities Of All Time". Forbes.
- ^ a b "In Pictures: A Forbes History Of Michael Jackson's Earnings". Forbes. October 27, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Bacher, Danielle (March 25, 2024). "Inside the Fight over Michael Jackson's $100 Billion Estate — and His Mom's Battle with Her Grandson Bigi". People. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Dillon, Nancy (March 9, 2024). "Michael Jackson Estate, Katherine Jackson Clash in Court Over $600 Million Catalog Deal". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Robehmed, Natalie (September 1, 2015). "Why U2's Bono Isn't A Billionaire". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Olson, Parmy (September 1, 2015). "Sorry, Heather. Paul Ain't No Billionaire". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Profile: Jay-Z". Forbes. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ Pendleton, Devon (October 2, 2025). "Taylor Swift's Wealth Tops $200 Billion Before Life of a Showgirl Album Release". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ "Profile: Taylor Swift". Forbes. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Profile: Bruce Springsteen". Forbes. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Profile: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter". Forbes. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Profile: Rihanna". Forbes. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Berg, Madeline (August 4, 2021). "Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially A Billionaire". Forbes. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "The World's Celebrity Billionaires". Forbes. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Forbes Profile: Jimmy Buffett". Forbes. April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023.
- ^ "Profile: Madonna". Forbes. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Dailey, Hannah (July 9, 2024). "Selena Gomez is now a Billionaire, according to Bloomberg". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- Sherman, Natalie (September 6, 2024). "Selena Gomez joins billionaire celebrity rich list". BBC. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Craig, Matt (June 3, 2025). "America's Richest Women Celebrities 2025". Forbes. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
"Profile: Selena Gomez". Forbes. Retrieved June 5, 2025. - ^ "¿De cuánto es el patrimonio de Julio Iglesias? Este es el puesto que ocupa en el top 10 de los artistas más ricos del mundo el cantante que cumplirá 80 años". El Universo (in Spanish). September 15, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Profile: Celine Dion". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Profile: Barbra Streisand". Forbes. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Profile: Dolly Parton". Forbes. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Jon Bon Jovi's Net Worth: $410 Million In 2016". Forbes. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Goldman, Lea (September 18, 2007). "Forbes And 50 Cent 'Get Money'". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Voytko, Lisette (April 5, 2023). "Here's Why Kanye West Dropped Off The Forbes Billionaires List". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Profile: Kanye West". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women In Entertainment". Forbes. January 17, 2007. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
- ^ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (April 12, 2013). "Why Paul McCartney Isn't on the FORBES Billionaires List". Forbes.
- ^ "Forbes Billionaires 2025". Forbes.
- ^ a b c d e f Muir, Ellie (May 16, 2025). "Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran and Elton John among musicians named on Sunday Times Rich List for 2025". The Independent. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ Dean, Jonathan (June 9, 2024). "The 40 richest musicians in the UK and Ireland". The Sunday Times.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran tops Adele as Stormzy joins Sunday Times Rich List". BBC News. 2019-05-09. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Coldplay's Chris Martin Net Worth". The Sunday Times. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Sting net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2022". The Sunday Times. June 9, 2024.
- ^ Contreras, Brian; Sakoui, Anousha (January 14, 2023). "Lisa Marie Presley leaves behind a lucrative Graceland — and a complicated financial legacy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
