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I got sucked into this link about who are the top richest musicians of
all time and number one will surprise you thing. As punishment to the
silly site for making me click on 22 screens of ads I just cut and paste
the content for s&g's. Some are surprising to me, others not so much,
and certainly who knows how accurate these things are.
20. STING
Sting was lead singer of The Police, a band that recorded 5 platinum albums. He also had a solid solo career. In 2007-2008 The Police went on tour and had the 7th highest grossing tours of all-time at $377 million. This has all added to his net worth of $300 million.
19. RINGO STARR
Ringo was a creative drummer in a band you may have heard of, The Beatles. When you make up 25% of the greatest rock band of all time, you probably won’t hurt for money. Ringo’s estimated net worth is $300 million.
18. GENE SIMMONS
Gene Simmons has been part of the band Kiss for over 3 decades. Kiss has a huge following and makes most of their money on a combination of tours, merchandise and licensing. The net worth of Gene Simmons is an estimated $300 million.
17. MICK JAGGER
Lead singer of The Rolling Stones for 50+ years, Mick Jagger has been in entertainment for along time. The Rolling Stones make most of their money touring. They have 3 of the top 10 highest grossing tours of all-time. Jagger’s net worth is estimated at $305 million.
16. GENE AUTRY
Gene Autry was around at the beginning of American pop music. He signed his first deal with Columbia in 1929. Most people these days will recognize him singing “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. He also at one time owned the Los Angeles Angels. Before his death in 1998, his net worth was $320 million.
15. MICHAEL JACKSON
Michael Jackson in his prime from the mid 80’s and through the 90’s, earned about $50 million per year touring. He also recorded one of the best selling albums ever, Thriller. At one point his net worth added up to $350 million.
14. JIMMY BUFFETT
Jimmy Buffett has been playing sold out amphitheaters every summer since 1976. That is almost 40 years. He also has a chain of restaurants which add to his total net worth estimated at $400 million.
13. BEYONCE
Beyonce started with Destiny’s Child, but then exploded when she had several hits as a solo artist. She has sold over 75 million solo albums and her tours make between $80-$100 million. Her estimated net worth is $450 million.
12. ELTON JOHN
Elton John is considered by many to be the most successful solo male artist of all-time. His single “Candle in the Wind” is the best selling single ever. He has created 37 gold and 27 multi-platinum albums. This has given him an estimated net worth of $475 million.
11. DOLLY PARTON
Dolly Parton released 41 Top Ten Albums in her career as well as 25 number 1 hits. She also has written some of the most famous songs in pop music. Her estimated wealth is $500 million.
10. MADONNA
Madonna has had several hits starting in the 80’s to current day. In 2013 her MDNA tour grossed over $300 million. She also brings in revenue from her Material Girl clothing line and Truth or Dare fragrance. Her net worth is estimated at $520 million, though some people believe it could be more.
9. MARIAH CAREY
Mariah Carey is the top selling artist of all time on the billboard charts. She has the second most #1 hits, just behind The Beatles. Her nail polish and perfume line add to her net worth of $540 million.
8. BING CROSBY
Bing Crosby became incredibly wealthy during his lifetime. He was ranked among the top 10 richest Americans in the 1930’s…and that was BEFORE he sang “White Christmas”. He became a massive movie star in the 1940’s and also founded Crosby Enterprises. Together this got his net worth up to $550 million, before he passed away in 1977.
7. JAY-Z
Jay-Z used the proceeds from his platinum selling albums to invest in a record label, a clothing line, restaurants, and a talent agency. His estimated net worth is at $560 million. If you combine that with Beyonce, the couple is worth more than a $1 billion!
6. CELINE DION
Celine Dion has sold over 200 million albums world-wide. Her biggest hit, “My Heart Will Go On”, was what really launched her career into the stratosphere. Her shows in Las Vegas brought in $350 million between 2000-2010. Her estimated net worth is at $630 million.
5. BONO
Being the lead singer of U2, one of the most successful bands of all-time, Bono has toured for over 30 years. The band’s success has added to his net worth of over $650 million. He also has private investments that could add much more to this amount.
4. SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS
Diddy was one of the top selling artists in hip hop in the 1990’s. He invested the proceeds from his career into a brand of vodka, a clothing line, and a TV station (Revolt TV). He is worth an estimated $700 million, but could eventually become the first hip hop billionaire if Revolt TV takes off.
3. DR. DRE
Dr Dre isn’t quite a billionaire yet, but made $600 million from selling Beats to Apple. He also made $200 million as an artist and producer. It is estimated that he is worth around $800 million dollars.
2. PAUL MCCARTNEY
Paul McCartney obviously made a huge sum of money with The Beatles, but also pulled in large figures from his band Wings as well as a solo career. Although he is not quite a billionaire, it is estimated that his net worth is around $850 million.
1. ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Andrew Lloyd Webber is the only musician so far to crack 1 billion dollars. Although in a few years several others will most likely join the billionaire club with him. He has written some of the most recognizable music on Broadway. His most famous being Phantom of the Opera. His net worth is $1.2 billion.
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