Taylor Swift has overtaken Rihanna to become the richest female musician in the world, with a net worth of $1.6 billion, as reported by Forbes. The success of her “Eras” tour and the value of her music catalog contributed to her billionaire status in October 2023.
Swift is the first musician to reach billionaire status mainly through her songs and performances, which include nearly $600 million earned from royalties and touring, an estimated $600 million music catalog, and approximately $125 million in real estate holdings.
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According to Bloomberg, Swift’s 53 concerts in the U.S. in 2023 contributed around $4.3 billion to the country’s GDP, factoring in income tax, tour production, travel expenses, and commissions paid to managers and agents.
Rihanna previously ranked as the wealthiest female musician with a net worth of $1.4 billion. Forbes attributes her wealth primarily to her successful ventures outside of music, especially her cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty, which saw its revenue double in 2022. She also owns a 28% share in the Savage x Fenty lingerie line, which raised $125 million in a funding round in January 2022.
The annual Forbes list of celebrity billionaires for April 2024 featured several notable figures, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, JAY-Z, Tiger Woods, and LeBron James.
George Lucas, the director of Star Wars, remains the world’s richest celebrity, holding this title since 1997, with a reported net worth of $5.5 billion.
