Taylor Swift Surpasses Rihanna As The Richest Female Musician

Taylor Swift continues to break records, this time stealing Rihanna’s crown as the richest female singer just a year after becoming a billionaire!

The “Fortnight” musician is no stranger to making waves for her music, with several awards in her name. However, her songs are far more successful than people think, earning her a 10-figure net worth.

Taylor Swift recently surpassed Rihanna as the youngest self-made female billionaire. Unlike the latter, the leading figure in music earned her impressive record solely based on her music and performances instead of other business ventures.

According to new reports, Swift has put significant distance between herself and other female singers like Rihanna, thanks to her new net worth. She became the world’s wealthiest female musician with an estimated $1.6 billion fortune.

The singer is also the youngest female billionaire in the self-made category, but on a global scale, her net worth placed her at #2118 among the world’s wealthiest men and women. However, this does not overshadow her incredible feat as a musician.

Swift is reportedly the first singer to make the billionaire ranking primarily based on her songs and performances. She joined the 10-figure list in October 2023, thanks to the profits from her Eras tour and music catalog.

According to Forbes, the 34-year-old’s fortune includes nearly $600 million earned from royalties and touring. Swift’s music catalog is reportedly worth an additional $600 million, while she amassed $125 million in real estate.

Following Swift’s viral announcement as a billionaire in 2023, The Blast noted the outpour of love and support she received from fans. Many were over the moon with joy and celebrated her achievement with their goals to be better.

“YES! My fave artist, Taylor Swift, is now a BILLIONAIRE. I’m inspired to work harder,” a Swiftie shared, with another writing, “Taylor Swift might be the only ‘ethical billionaire’ in the world ’cause she solely made her billions off of selling music.”

“Taylor Swift is the first-ever artist to attain billionaire status primarily from her music venture. Riri got her billionaire status from her beauty and clothing lines, while Jay Z’s was due to a foundation of diverse investments and businesses outside the music industry,” a third pointed out.

Swift’s 2023 Eras tour significantly impacted the US economy, with reports noting that it contributed $4.3 billion to the United States gross domestic product across its 53 shows. 

The average ticket price for the tour was $254, while many sold for even higher prices on secondary ticketing platforms. Thanks to her fantastic songwriting skills and relationship with Swifties, she was able to amass various fans globally to attend her concerts.

Additionally, her astute approach to streaming and decision to re-record her first six albums contributed to her financial success. Swift’s new status as the wealthiest female musician comes two years after Rihanna obtained the crown through her business empire.

In 2022, The Blast reported that Rihanna had become the youngest self-made female billionaire in America. Thanks to her successful beauty brands, she obtained an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.

The list included Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Savage X Fenty, while the rest of Rihanna’s fortune was accumulated during her music career. Before her new status dropped, sources shared that the entertainer’s lingerie brand had a big business deal.

Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty was reportedly collaborating with advisors on an IPO that could reach a value of $3 billion. That meant more money for the “Rude Boy” singer as she owned 30% of the company.

During a 2019 interview, Rihanna revealed that she never thought her business ventures would attain the revenue they had yielded since their foundation. However, it was not a sign for her to stop pursuing greater heights.

Rihanna stressed that these milestones would not stop her from working even harder but claimed the wealth wasn’t for herself.According to the entertainer, she worked to give back to the less fortunate.

One of the many ways Rihanna helped others was through the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), a philanthropy fund she started in 2012 to support education and climate resilience projects.

A year after the organization’s debut, Rihanna generated $60 million to support women and children affected by HIV/Aids by selling her lipstick line with MAC Cosmetics.

Given their impressive achievements on and off the stage, Taylor Swift and Rihanna remain role models regardless of their billionaire net worth.