List of music artists by net worth

The following is a list of music artists with the highest recorded 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 2024, five music artists have reached the billionaire status on Forbes reports: Jay-Z leading the list with US$2.5 billion, and becoming the first billionaire music artist, followed by Taylor Swift, the first billionaire with music as the primary income, and Rihanna, the first female artist to become a billionaire.

When Forbes 400 Richest Americans debuted in 1982, Yoko Ono was the only musician listed, with a net worth of $150 million (equivalent to $474 million in 2023), largely due to the music royalties of her late husband's band the Beatles.^[1] In 1991, Forbes estimated Michael Jackson's net worth at $230 million (equivalent to $515 million in 2023), making him the wealthiest musician and the second wealthiest entertainer, behind comedian Bill Cosby.^[2] It is estimated that Jackson's estate is worth over $2 billion as of 2024.^[3][4]

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. Reports from others business-related publications such as Bloomberg L.P. could differ; for instance, they valued Kanye West at US$6.6 billion in 2021, while West himself measured at least US$3.3 billion in 2020.^[5][6] Outside of Forbes, net worth estimations could vastly vary amid same artists and different sources, as some media outlets have published estimations from various websites and lists such as CelebrityNetWorth, Bankrate and Sunday Times Rich List. Artists such as Bono and Paul McCartney have been claimed to achieve billionaire status, albeit denied by Forbes.^[7][8]

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.

The following are music artists from the United Kingdom with a net worth of over £300 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

The following are music artists with a net worth of over $500 million according to other reputable business-related publications, such as Bloomberg.

In 2020, one Elvis Presley's state executive told Rolling Stone magazine that artist's estate was worth between US$400-500 million.^[42] As of 2024, the estate of Michael Jackson has been valued over US$2 billion.^[3][4]

• 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