Taylor Swift, worth $1.6 billion, overtakes Rihanna as world’s richest female musician
Taylor Swift got that Eras tour money, and it has launched her to the top of Forbes’ 2024 list of wealthiest female musicians.
The “Fortnight” and “Anti-Hero” singer this year surpassed Rihanna on the outlet’s list of the richest female musicians, racking up an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion.
Forbes reported that Swift — who became a billionaire in October 2023 — snared the top spot because of her earnings from her blockbuster Eras tour and the value of her catalog. Notably, the 34-year-old is the first musician to become a billionaire primarily based on her songs and performances, the financial publication said.
“Umbrella” hitmaker and Fenty Beauty founder Rihanna, who last year held the No. 1 spot on the list, is still shining bright like a diamond. The “Diamonds” singer has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, thanks in part to her successful cosmetics line — a joint venture with luxury giant LVMH — and her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand.
Cultural dominance. History-making album sales. Sold-out stadiums. Add them up, and Taylor Swift’s current moment has little precedent in pop-music history.
Swift has reportedly amassed $600 million from royalties and touring. The parts of her catalog that she owns are also worth an estimated $600 million, Forbes said. She also has about $125 million in real estate.
The 14-time Grammy winner now ranks No. 2 on the list of richest musicians, male or female, coming in one rung behind Jay-Z, who is reportedly worth an estimated $2.5 billion. She’s also No. 24 on America’s Self-Made Women list and No. 14 on the Celebrity Billionaires list (as of April).
The singer-songwriter and her legion of Swifties wield impressive power, and she’s well aware of her sway. The unprecedented demand for her Eras tour led jilted Swifties to file a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster and resulted in a congressional inquiry into the ticketing giant’s parent company, Live Nation. Not to mention that the “Shake it Off” singer’s Eras concerts have boosted local economies and literally led to seismic activity across the country .
More recently, Swift’s September endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race also elicited the wrath of Republican opponent, former President Trump.
Are uncommitted voters real, or do these unicorns only find themselves unsure around election time?
Although it is yet to be seen how much the singer’s two cents might affect the Nov. 5 election, more than 405,000 visitors clicked on a voter registration link in her Instagram endorsement in the 24 hours after she posted it..
Swift is currently on a break from her tour, which wrapped its international leg in August with five shows at Wembley Stadium in London. The tour returns to the U.S. this month for another leg, kicking off with an Oct. 18 show in Miami.
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