How Taylor Swift Became The World's Richest Female Musician

Today on Forbes, Taylor Swift becomes world's richest female musician. Here's who's right behind her. Taylor Swift has leapfrogged singer and beauty mogul Rihanna to become the world's richest female musician. This follows the blockbuster success of Swift's Eras tour. Other major female artists, including Madonna and Beyonce, rank just outside the billion-dollar Swift is now worth $1.6 billion, Forbes estimates, up $500 million from last October, when Forbes reported Swift had become a billionaire with a then-estimated net worth of $1.1 billion. Swift, who is 34 years old, became the first musician to become a billionaire solely based on the value of songs and performances in 2023. Forbes estimates her music catalog is worth $600 million, and her tours and royalties have pocketed her another $600 million. She also owns an estimated $125 million in real estate. Her jump to billionaire status was driven largely by her ongoing Eras tour, which began in March 2023 and is set to conclude in December. Last year, Forbes estimated the first leg of the Eras tour alone earned her $190 million. The Eras tour became the first-ever concert tour to surpass $1 billion in total gross, according to what Polestar reported in December. Forbes ranked Swift the fifth-most powerful woman in the world in 2023, making her the highest-ranked entertainer and putting her in the company of the world's most influential political and business leaders. On our Forbes' World's Most Powerful Women list, we cited the impact her Eras tour has had on local economies and the dedication of her fanbase, known as Swifties. Swift was also named the 2023 Time Person of the Year, and she has been considered an influential figure in politics. Her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris last month was credited with a spike in visits to Vote.gov, a voter registration website. Right behind Swift is Rihanna at $1.4 billion, whose wealth largely comes from her stakes in her cosmetics and lingerie companies rather than her music catalog. Rihanna, who is 36 years old, became a billionaire in 2021, Forbes estimated, largely because of the value of her stake in Fenty Beauty, the cosmetics company she launched in 2017. She owns a 50 percent stake in the company, as well as an estimated 28 percent stake in lingerie brand Savage Fenty. Both companies are named after the singer, whose real name is Robin Fenty. She launched her latest beauty line, Fenty Hair, in June. Forbes ranked Rihanna as the 74th most powerful woman in the world in 2023. The rest of her wealth comes from her music catalog. She has 14 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, the third most of any artist, only behind the Beatles and Mariah Carey. She performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023, a brief break from her years-long hiatus from her music career. She hasn't released an album since her 2016 album, Anti. After Swift and Rihanna is Madonna, who is one of the world's top touring artists with more than $1.6 billion in total gross across all her concert tours. However, Madonna is just behind billionaire status, with an estimated net worth of $850 million in May. Beyonce was worth an estimated $760 million as of May, which increased last year after she pocketed about $100 million from her Renaissance World Tour. In August, we reported that she could approach billionaire status depending on the performance of her new whiskey brand called Sir Davis, which is under the LVMH empire. Canadian star Celine Dion is worth an estimated $550 million, much of which comes from her successful Las Vegas concert residencies. EGOT-winning singer-actress Barbara Streisand, who published a nearly 1,000-page memoir last year, is worth an estimated $460 million. Country superstar Dolly Parton is worth $450 million, Forbes estimated in May, much of which comes from her stake in the Tennessee family theme park, Dollywood, and the estimated $150 million value of her music catalog. Katy Perry is worth an estimated $350 million, following the reported $225 million sale of her music catalog in 2023, and a stint as a judge on American Idol that reportedly earned her $25 million per season. For full coverage, check out Conor Murray's piece on Forbes.com. This is Kieran Meadows from Forbes. Thanks for tuning in.