Taylor Swift, the richest musician in the world

Taylor Swift, the world’s biggest popstar and the most famous “childless cat lady” (childless cat lady), is now also the richest musician on the planet, according to Forbes. The title was previously held by singer and cosmetics mogul Rihanna.

Forbes estimates Swift is worth $1.6 billion. Among musicians, only hip-hop mogul Jay-Z is worth more than Swift, at $2.5 billion.

But what makes Swift special is the origin of her fortune. While most musicians have gotten rich through lucrative brands and corporate partnerships, Swift has amassed her fortune primarily through her music.

According to Forbeswhich tracks the net worth of the world’s richest people, she is the first musician to become a billionaire primarily through her musical success, including proceeds from her record-breaking Eras tour, and to the value of its catalog.

This should come as no surprise to the legions of Swifties who have been trying to get tickets to the Eras tour, which began in March 2023 and was the first in U.S. history to gross more than $1 billion . The tour spanned five continents and boosted the U.S. economy by $5.7 billion in 2023, according to an analysis by Washington Post.

The success of the tour helped Swift achieve billionaire status for the first time in October last year. Forbes estimates that Swift made $600 million from touring and royalties alone.

Forbes values ​​Swift’s music catalog at an additional $600 million. That’s more than Bruce Springsteen’s catalog, which he sold to Sony Music for $550 million in 2021, but less than Queen’s, which Sony Music acquired for $1.2 billion earlier this year. ‘year.

Meanwhile, Swift’s wealthier musical peers have largely owed their fortunes to lucrative side projects and partnerships.

Despite the insistent requests of her fans, Rihanna has not released a studio album since Anti in 2016. But her Fenty Beauty cosmetics line, launched in 2017, catapulted her into this category. Forbes estimates the Bajan singer’s net worth at around $1.4 billion (Rihanna has a 49.9% stake in the brand, which is valued at $2.8 billion).

Increasingly, the money of singing stars comes not from the music itself, but from the monetization of their notoriety and their brands. This is the case for Jay-Z, hip-hop’s first billionaire — and currently the richest musician in the world. His last studio album was a collaboration with his wife Beyoncé, Everything is Lovein 2018. It was only ranked as the 70th most popular album of the year, according to Billboard.

While Swift is taking a break from her Eras tour (which resumes October 18 in Miami), the singer has brought her political influence to bear. In September, she supported Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, who defend the right to abortion, in vitro fertilization and the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

“She fights for rights and causes that I think need a warrior to fight for,” Ms. Swift said of Ms. Harris.