Taylor Swift overtakes Rihanna as world’s richest female musician with a $1.6B fortune

American singer Taylor Swift has now become the wealthiest female musician globally, with a total net worth of $1.6 billion, largely earned through her music and live performances.

On Oct. 7, Forbes reported that Swift had overtaken the former titleholder, Rihanna, who has a net worth of $1.4 billion.

Swift is currently second only to rapper Jay-Z, with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, in the ranking of the world’s richest musicians.

Billionaire singer Taylor Swift. Photo from Instagram

Swift ranks 2,117th on Forbes’ global billionaires list, while Rihanna is positioned at 2,336th. Swift’s income is mainly derived from her music royalties and concert revenue.

In contrast, Rihanna has accumulated her wealth primarily through her ventures in the beauty and fashion industries, including Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty, as reported by Billboard.

Swift’s ascent to billionaire status began in October 2023, with an initial net worth of $1.1 billion, significantly boosted by The Eras Tour and her extensive catalog of music.

Her fortune includes approximately $600 million from music royalties and concert earnings, another $600 million from her initiative to re-record earlier albums, dubbed Taylor’s Version (2021), and $125 million from her real estate investments.

Following Swift in the financial rankings of female music icons are Madonna with $850 million, Beyoncé with $760 million, Celine Dion with $550 million, Barbra Streisand with $460 million, and Dolly Parton with $450 million.

Swift, 34, first gained prominence in 2006 with her country music albums and has since released a total of 11 albums. Throughout her career, she has garnered 14 Grammy Awards, 29 Billboard Music Awards, and 30 MTV VMAs. In 2023, she was named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine.

Rihanna, 36, a Barbadian singer and entrepreneur, has earned nine Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, and 12 Billboard Music Awards throughout her career, in addition to holding six Guinness World Records. Among her most famous songs are “Umbrella,” “Diamonds,” and “Only Girl.”

In July 2022, Forbes acknowledged Rihanna as the youngest self-made female billionaire in the U.S.