The following is a list of music artists with the highest estimated 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. , seven music artists have reached the billionaire status on Forbes reports, among them: Jay-Z leading the list with $2.8 billion, Taylor SwiftâÂÂthe richest female musicianâÂÂand then Rihanna, the first female artist to become a billionaire.
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. When Forbes 400 Richest Americans debuted in 1982, Yoko Ono was the only musician listed, with a net worth of $155 million (equivalent to $ in ), largely due to the music royalties of her late husband John Lennon's band the Beatles. In 1991, Forbes estimated Michael Jackson's net worth at $230 million (equivalent to $ in ), making him the wealthiest musician and the second wealthiest entertainer, behind comedian Bill Cosby. According to some insiders, it is estimated that Jackson's estate is worth over $2 billion as of 2024.
Outside of Forbes, net worth estimations vary amid the same artists and different sources, as some media outlets have published estimations from various websites and lists such as CelebrityNetWorth and Bankrate, or other business-related publication. For instance, Bloomberg L.P. valued Selena Gomez at US$1.3 billion in 2024, while Forbes estimated her net worth at only $700 million by 2025. U2 singer Bono has been described as a billionaire, and Paul McCartney is listed as one by the Sunday Times Rich List, though neither have been accorded such status by Forbes.
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 and Ireland with a net worth of over ã300 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
In 2020, one Elvis Presley's state executive told Rolling Stone magazine that artist's estate was worth between US$400âÂÂ500 million. As of 2024, the estate of Michael Jackson has been valued over US$2 billion.