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 Rihanna (the first billionaire female artist), Taylor Swift—the first primarily billionaire artist on the basis of her music and performances, and Jimmy Buffett. Kanye West also reached the status before being dropped off.

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] After his death, 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]