From Taylor Swift to Michael Jordan, these performers, athletes, and entertainment moguls are truly rich and famous.
by Devin Sean Martin,Contributor
inIn October 2023, Taylor Swift accomplished something no other musician has ever achieved. She became a millionaire mainly from her income from music and performances. Three months later, forbes Television mogul Dick Wolf is also listed as a billionaire, thanks to an estimated $1.9 billion (before taxes) in career earnings from producing shows such as: Law and order and F.B.I..
The two entertainers bring even more star power to the show. forbes The list of world billionaires has seen an explosive increase in celebrity billionaires in recent years. Of the 14 A-listers on the list, 10 of them have become millionaires in the past four years, thanks to entertainers who have leveraged their brands and fame.
Besides gaining fame, most of the people on this list have earned billions of dollars from their own entrepreneurship and ventures. Pop star Rihanna, for example, made her wealth primarily from stakes in $2 billion companies, makeup brand Fenty Beauty, a joint venture with luxury brand giant LVMH, and lingerie maker Savage X Fenty. Jay-Z became hip-hop's first billionaire thanks to two alcohol companies: Dusse Cognac and Armand de Brignac Champagne. He sold a 50% stake in the latter to LVMH and also holds stakes in Uber, Block and others. Michael Jordan earned less than $100 million as a basketball player, but he made a fortune from Nike. Jordan achieved his best performance in August when he sold a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for a sky-high valuation of $3 billion.
Here are 14 celebrities who have turned their fame into enough wealth to be listed in order of net worth, with a total value of $31 billion.
Net assets are as of March 8, 2024.
14. Taylor Swift
Net worth: $1.1 billion | Year: 34 | Citizenship: we
Miss Americana became a millionaire in October, capping one of the most culturally influential years in musical history. Her estimated after-tax earnings from her historic Elas Tour were $190 million, propelling the country-pop musician into the three-comma club. She was the first to do so based primarily on songwriting and performance.
13. Dick Wolf
Net worth: $1.2 billion | Year: 77 | Citizenship: we
The man behind TV's most-watched crime show Law and order and F.B.I.Wolf debuted on the billionaires list thanks to the roughly $2 billion in pre-tax income he earned from his 30-year career in television.
12. Magic Johnson
Net worth: $1.2 billion | Year: 64 | Citizenship: we
Johnson made a name for himself in the basketball world long before today's exorbitant salaries and even endorsement deals. Instead, he built his wealth through business, especially through shrewd partnerships with other billionaires. He owns pieces from the NFL's Washington Commanders (with Justin Harris), MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers (with Todd Boley), the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, and MLS' LAFC. Most of his wealth comes from shares in Equitrust, an Iowa-based life insurance company.
AFP (via Getty Images)
11. LeBron James
Net worth: $1.2 billion | Year: 39 | Citizenship: we
The basketball great has earned more than $1 billion on and off the court during his 20-year career. He invests that money in real estate, shares in companies like Blaze Pizza, his own production and entertainment company SpringHill, and, of course, sports. James owns a stake in Fenway Sports Group, owner of MLB's Boston Red Sox. Liverpool soccer club and Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL.
10. Tiger Woods
Net worth: $1.3 billion | Year: 48 | Citizenship: we
Tiger Woods belongs to an exclusive club, and along with LeBron James, are only two athletes to become millionaires during their playing days. But above all it was his celebrity that propelled him into his 10 digits. The five-time Masters winner has earned more than $1.7 billion during his career, the majority of which comes from sponsorships. His most notable brand deal, a nearly 30-year partnership with Nike, ended in January. Woods soon announced his own clothing line, “Sunday Red.”
9. Rihanna
Net worth: $1.4 billion | Year: 36 | Citizenship: barbados
The pop star has stakes in cosmetics company Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with luxury goods giant LVMH, and lingerie business Savage X Fenty, a $2 billion brand. Both are named after the Barbados-born singer, whose real name is Robin Fenty.
8. Tyler Perry
Net worth: $1.4 billion | Year: 54 | Citizenship: we
Perry has earned well over $1 billion before taxes over a 30-year career producing and acting in television shows, films, and theater. She famously rented out one of her Los Angeles homes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they stepped back as senior members of the British royal family.
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7. Peter Jackson
Net worth: 1.5 billion dollars | Year: 62 | Citizenship: new zealand
A visionary director who supported Lord of the Ring and hobbit Jackson made most of his wealth from the franchise through his visual effects company, Weta Digital, which sold some of its assets to game maker Unity Software in 2021. The deal netted Mr Jackson, a New Zealander, about $1 billion in cash and stock.
6. Kim Kardashian
Net worth: $1.7 billion | Year: 43 | Citizenship: we
No one has achieved more reality star fame than Kim Kardashian, who became a billionaire with her beauty and clothing brand. Her shapewear line Skims was valued at $4 billion in her 2023 funding round, and in 2020 she acquired a 20% stake in makeup company KKW Beauty for $200 million at Coty. Sold. She has since shut down KKW Beauty.
5. Jay-Z
Net worth: 2.5 billion dollars | Age: 5 years oldFour | Citizenship: we
Hip-hop's first billionaire sold a 50% stake in his champagne brand Armand de Brignac to luxury goods giant LVMH for at least $300 million in 2021, and will open his own cognac brand in 2023. It is reported that the company has sold a majority stake in Dusse for $750 million. To Bacardi. He also owns shares in Uber and Block. His net worth does not include his wife Beyoncé's own $500 million fortune.
NBCU Photo Bank (via Getty Images)
4. Oprah Winfrey
Net worth: $2.8 billion | Year: 70 | Citizenship: we
The daytime talk show host became the first black female billionaire in 2003. Since then, she has built her own brand into a media and business empire, including investments in her real estate and her own production company. Shortly after Winfrey revealed that she had started taking weight-loss drugs, the longtime Weight Watchers board member and major shareholder announced plans to step down.
3. Michael Jordan
Net worth: $3.2 billion | Year: 61 | Citizenship: we
Jordan became the first billionaire athlete in 2015, but it wasn't because of his legendary basketball career or gambling winnings. In return, Jordan has amassed more than $1.8 billion from brand partnerships, most notably Nike's Jordan Brand. He also made a very smart investment in 2010, buying Charlotte his NBA team the Hornets for his $175 million. He sold the team in August 2023 for $3 billion.
2. Steven Spielberg
Net worth: $4.8 billion | Year: 77 | Citizenship: we
Spielberg became the first director to join the list in 1994 after a string of hits such as: Jaws, Jurassic Park and schindler's list. “I'm a gambler,” he said forbes That year. “I haven't been paid in almost 10 years.” Instead, he negotiated to get a cut of the gross sales of his films and still receives a cut of every ticket sold at Universal's theme parks. has won the division. indiana jones series
AFI Getty Images
1. George Lucas
Net worth: 5.5 billion dollars | Year: 79 | Citizenship: we
of Star Wars The director, who debuted as a billionaire in 1997, became the richest celebrity thanks to his production company Lucasfilm, which he sold to Disney for more than $4 billion in cash and stock in 2012.
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