Taylor Swift Might've Joined Forbes' Billionaires Club, But She's Not The Richest Musician

July 2024 · 6 minute read

Highlights

It was only a matter of time before Taylor Swift was going to become a billionaire. When Forbes added the singer to their list of the richest stars in 2024, it wasn't a surprise at all. Swift's music is universally popular and every song has lyrics that are easy to quote. While Swift started her career as a young singer known for writing about her ex-boyfriends who have a lot of money, she has amazed everyone by continuing her rise to the top of the music industry.

However, even though Taylor Swift has an incredible amount of money, she isn't actually the musician with the highest net worth. In this article, we'll take a look at the recording artists who have more money than Taylor Swift, along with how she accumulated her billionaire status.

Jay-Z And Rihanna Have Higher Net Worths Than Billionaire Taylor Swift

When Forbes shared The World's Celebrity Billionaires List for 2024, they reported that Taylor Swift has a $1.1 billion net worth. Two musicians are ranked higher on the list: Jay-Z, who has a $2.5 billion net worth, and Rihanna, who has a $1.4 billion net worth.

However, even though Swift has less money than those two stars, she is in a unique financial position. She is the only musician who has become a billionaire thanks to income that mostly comes from her music.

While there was talk of how much money Swift earned from the Eras tour for a long time, it turns out that her tour earnings are what helped her achieve this status. Forbes reported that Swift made $190 from her Eras tour (after taxes were calculated), which is amazing to think about.

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Jay-Z and Rihanna have both made money from their music and their brands. Rihanna has earned millions from her tours and albums over the past decade or so. For example, her 2014 tour with Eminem grossed $36 million and the previous year, her 2013 "Diamonds World Tour" grossed $140 million globally. She also has a 30% stake in Savage X Fenty and 50% stake in Fenty Beauty.

According to Forbes, Jay-Z made so much money because he sold his stakes in two impressive brands. In 2023, Bacardi reportedly spent $750 million on Jay-Z's cognac brand D'Usse. Two years earlier, LVMH paid $300 million (at minimum) for the champagne label Armand de Briganc. Celebrity Net Worth reported that Jay-Z's music catalog is valued at at a minimum of $75 million and that he also made money in 2015 because he bought Tidal. Then, in 2021, Square paid $300 million to purchase Tidal.

Jay-Z was the first of the three artists to become a billionaire. In 2019, he reached this status. Then, in 2021, Forbes added Rihanna to their list.

Who Are The Richest Celebrities In The World In 2024, According To Forbes?

Net Worth

#1: George Lucas (director)

$5.5 billion net worth

#2: Steven Spielberg (director)

$4.8 billion net worth

#3: Michael Jordan (athlete)

$3.2 billion net worth

#4: Oprah Winfrey (lifestyle mogul)

$2.8 billion net worth

#5: Jay-Z (musician)

$2.5 billion net worth

#6: Kim Kardashian (reality star and businesswoman)

$1.7 billion net worth

#7: Peter Jackson (filmmaker)

$1.5 billion net worth

#8: Tyler Perry (actor and filmmaker)

$1.4 billion net worth

#9: Rihanna (musician)

$1.4 billion net worth

#10: Tiger Woods (athlete)

$1.3 billion net worth

#11: LeBron James (athlete)

$1.2 billion net worth

#12: Magic Johnson (athlete)

$1.2 billion net worth

#13: Dick Wolf (TV and movie producer)

$1.2 billion net worth

#14: Taylor Swift (musician)

$1.1 billion net worth

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While at the time of this writing, Taylor Swift hasn't yet commented on the fact that she is a billionaire, she did say once that women should be proud to make money. In 2019, she told Zane Lowe of Apple Music's Beats 1,"I don't think people understand how easy it is to infer that someone who's a female artist or a female in our industry is somehow doing something wrong by wanting love, wanting money, wanting success. Women are not allowed to want those things the way that men are allowed to want them."

Rihanna interview

However, Rihanna discussed being a billionaire in an interview with Extra TV in 2021. She said:

“It's scary. I do think about it all the time. I make it a point to think about it, because I… get scared when, you know, the pedestal comes into play and we'll put you up there and they keep wanting to put you up there… I’m like, ‘No, I want to be on the ground.’"

She added, "I want to feel my feet on the ground because I know it's not going to be a fall at all if anything, right?... I don't want to be this icon… I want to remember who I am.”

How Taylor Swift Makes Money And Reached Billionaire Status

Taylor Swift became a billionaire thanks to her income from a variety of sources, including the epic and memorable Eras tour, her most popular songs on Spotify, and Swift's impressive touring revenue. According to The Evening Standard, she had an incredible 2023 and sold more albums than other artists that year. Her Eras movie also made fans go to the movie theaters in droves, especially in Ireland and the UK.

Also according to The Evening Standard, Swift's Eras tour made the Guinness Book of Records for earning over $1 billion in revenue. No other musician had accomplished that.

How Taylor Swift Amassed Her Net Worth (According to Forbes)

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At the time of this writing, Taylor Swift's next album "The Tortured Poets Department" will be released on April 19th, 2024. The sales of the album are sure to be so impressive that her net worth will be even higher after.

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