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Whether you were aware of it or not, every person on this list has probably had a song of theirs stuck in your head at one point or another. These are the people who have mastered the business of music, and after years of churning out consistent hits, they’ve accumulated enough wealth to be considered some of the most successful musicians alive today. Most didn’t become so wealthy through music alone though but rather used their major success as an avenue into other business ventures. It is by acting as both musicians and making savvy business decisions that these people are able to find themselves with a spot on this list
10. Mariah Carey Net Worth: $535 million

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You know the song…every Christmas it is there, waiting to be played constantly until the words “all I want for Christmas” cause you to go running in a blind panic! But seriously, the royalties from that song alone could probably sustain a small nation, and there’s plenty more where that came from when you consider the long string of successes Carey has had in her career. As one of the top-selling musicians ever with 200 million records sold over the course of her career the numbers really speak for themselves. While most other musicians had some other source of revenue to find them a spot on this list Carey did it purely through her music.
9. Jimmy Buffet Net Worth: 550 million

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Like me, most might find it a little surprising to see Buffets name of this list, especially considering I only know two of his songs, Margaritaville, and another one that also involves beaches I think. That being said, Jimmy Buffet is incredibly intelligent when it comes to merchandising and developing his brand, and it is through this that he has been able to accumulate such significant wealth. Buffet owns two restaurant chains, one titled Margaritaville after his song of the same name, and another called Cheeseburgers in Paradise. On top of that, he also owns a brewing company that produces LandShark Lager which is exclusively sold at all his concerts. basically, he has effectively monetized the idea of getting drunk on a beach, and his overall net worth is certainly a reflection of that.
8. Celine Dion Net Worth: $630 million

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While not as much in the spotlight as she once was, Celine Dion has constantly remained in the public eye and has created an incredible amount of revenue because of it. Recently you might remember her hilarious contribution to the Deadpool soundtrack, but this wasn’t her first successful feature on a film soundtrack, as I’m sure you remember her song My Heart Will Go On From the Titanic. Her movie contributions, as well as her own incredibly successful solo career, are what has resulted in the huge sums of wealth she has today.
7. Bono Net Worth: $700 million

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While I’m not really sure if he has a last name or not, what I do know is that Bono is one of the wealthiest working musicians on earth right now. His band U2 has won an incredible twenty-two Grammy awards, as well as releasing twelve acclaimed albums that have resulted in them selling out stadiums all over the world. If ticket sales weren’t enough though, Bono is also a very accomplished businessman, having bought early shares in Facebook, as well as having a vast real-estate portfolio.
6. Madonna Net Worth: $800 million

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Considered to be the most successful female musician of all time, Madonna’s current worth is certainly a reflection of that. While no longer selling albums at the incredible rate she used to, Madonna is still very much beloved by the public and any tour she goes on is practically guaranteed to sell out. Over the course of her career, she is said to have sold over 64 million albums, which alone would probably get her a spot on this list, but that combined with her touring schedule as well as an active role in the production of many well-known films is what explains her current fortune.
5. Dr. Dre Net Worth: $810 million

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One of the most recognizable names in Hip-Hop, it is astounding just how much influence Dr. Dre has had on the evolution of rap throughout the past thirty years. Starting out as a DJ before beginning his long career as a producer with NWA, he went on to produce The Chronic, Doggystyle, The Slim Shady LP and much more as well. It wasn’t just through producing that he left his mark though, as he also created an iconic brand with Beats by Dre which he sold to Apple in 2014 for a grand total of $3.2 billion. While he didn’t personally receive all that money, it was still this incredibly lucrative deal that landed him such a high spot on this list.
4. P. Diddy Net Worth: $825 million

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P. Diddy is said to have had an interest in making money from a young age, going into college as a business major before dropping out his sophomore year. Apparently, he had already learned everything that he needed, as after that he went on to found Bad Boy Records which he as well as The Notorious B.I.G were prominent artists on. The label still continues to sign high profile musicians today, but even this isn’t P. Diddy’s main source of revenue. No, that comes from his various investments and business ventures, the most prominent of which is his role as the brand ambassador of Cîroc. While the exact numbers are unconfirmed, Diddy is said to have recently made a $100 million branding deal with the prominent vodka company.
3. Herb Alpert Net Worth: $850 million
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This is a strange one to see on this list because odds are unless you were born before 1970 (which I don’t imagine anyone reading this was, but if you were hello older person!) you have never heard of Herb, and if you have it was probably from the sample Biggie used on his song Hypnotize. Don’t discount him just yet though, because the guy spent years cranking out constant hits before going on to start one of the most successful independent record labels of all time. from 1960 on Alpert has released an incredible 28 albums with fourteen going platinum and 15 going gold. On top of this, he also founded A&M Records which he sold for $500 million, as well as getting an additional $200 million payout from the label due to a successful lawsuit later on.
2. Jay-Z Net Worth: $900 million

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One of the most iconic rappers to ever live, Jay-Z is still consistently putting out hits even today. Just recently he released a collaborative album with Beyonce, and even though it’s already making waves it’s nothing compared to the past highlights of his career. Obviously, it’s known he’s released plenty of hits with multiple records being on the top of the Billboard charts, but it was when he founded Roc-A-Fella records in 1994 that he started to gain significant wealth. It was here that Jay-Z, as well as other iconic rappers like Kanye, launched their careers which allowed him to sell the label for million in 2004. He started another label shortly after that called Roc Nation which signs musicians as well as athletes like Kevin Durant.
1. Paul McCartney Net Worth: $1.2 billion

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It’s only fitting that a Beatle would be at the top of this list. The Beatles, of course, are arguably (i’m not even sure who would argue against this) the most iconic band of all time, and the lump sum of wealth they have accumulated because of that is clearly reflected here. McCartney has accumulated an astounding 1.2 billion over the course of his career and unlike most on this list, that fortune comes almost exclusively from his music and touring. Still receiving massive amounts of royalties from The Beatles, McCartney had an incredibly successful solo career as well with his band The Wings and just by touring under his own name. He still remains very prominent in the public eye and has stayed relevant by doing collaborations with Kanye, as well as recently appearing on a heartwarming episode of Carpool Karaoke.