Rihanna is now officially the only (billionaire musician) girl in the world. Yep, she’s now the richest female singer on the planet—and for good reason. At just 33 years old, she’s already become the most successful artist in the history of the Billboard Songs Chart, per Insider.
Her music career spans a super impressive 18 years and counting, but Rihanna’s songs are just one small part of her empire. From fashion to lingerie to beauty, Rihanna’s many brands made her $46 million in 2020 alone, per Forbes. That’s petty cash compared to her total net worth, though.
So, just how much is Rihanna worth now? Here’s how she went from Barbadian teen to pop music queen raking in millions:
Rihanna’s been cashing in on her music career since 2003.
Rihanna started making music when she was a little girl living in Barbados. When she was 15, she met music producer Evan Rogers, who decided she had the potential to become a star, per Insider. Two years later, she was signed to rapper Jay-Z’s label, Def Jam.
Rihanna still remembers what her audition for Jay-Z was like: “I was like, ‘Oh God, he’s right there, I can’t look, I can’t look, I can’t look!'” she said. “I remember being extremely quiet. I was very shy. I was cold the entire time. I had butterflies. I’m sitting across from Jay-Z. Like, Jay-Z. I was star-struck.”
“The audition definitely went well,” she continued. “Jay-Z said, ‘There’s only two ways out. Out the door after you sign this deal. Or through this window.’ And we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering.”
Since then, Rihanna has released dozens of songs, including hits like “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” and “Desperado.” All of those singles and albums translate to some serious cash. Just in 2016, she made around $22.3 million from her music alone, per Insider. She also makes plenty of money from her world tours, like “Diamond,” which brought in a hefty $137 million in total revenue.
And even though it’s been five years since she released an album, she told Vogue she’s not finished yet: “I can’t say when I’m going to drop, but I am very aggressively working on music.”
But most of Rihanna’s money comes from Fenty Beauty.
While all that music moola certainly doesn’t hurt her bank account, it’s not Rihanna’s main source of income. Around $1.4 billion of her net worth comes from her beauty line, Fenty Beauty, per Forbes.
Rihanna owns 50% of the company, and she’s built it up with her massive social media presence. Fenty Beauty launched in 2017 with the help of partner company LVMH (a French company run by Bernard Arnault, the second-richest person in the world), and since then has become a platform for inclusivity in the beauty industry.
Shannon Coyne, cofounder of consumer products consultancy Bluestock Advisors, explained Rihanna’s impact on the beauty industry to Forbes: “A lot of women felt there were no lines out there that catered to their skin tone. It was light, medium, medium dark, dark,” she said. “We all know that’s not reality. She was one of the first brands that came out and said, ‘I want to speak to all of those different people.'”
With the recent launch of Fenty Skin, Fenty Beauty is now estimated to be worth around $2.8 billion, per Forbes—and Rihanna is determined to keep growing that number.
Rihanna also makes $$ with her lingerie line, Savage x Fenty.
After Fenty Beauty came Savage x Fenty, in 2018. The lingerie company is currently worth around $1 billion, per Forbes, and Rihanna owns a 30% stake. That means she’s already raked in $240 million from Savage x Fenty alone.
From social media press to diverse models to over the top fashion shows, Savage x Fenty is proving its a force to be reckoned with in fashion. Rihanna has made it her mission to offer inclusive sizes and designs that fit bodies of all shapes and sizes (and she’s just getting started).
She also had a fashion brand, but it shuttered in 2020.
To add to her collection of brands, Rihanna also started a fashion and accessory line called Fenty in 2019. But unfortunately, Fenty had the same struggles that a lot of other luxury fashion brands experienced during the pandemic. Its last collection was released in November 2020, per Forbes.
Still, seeing as its products were pretty pricey, you can pretty much assume it brought Rihanna plenty of moolah during its year-long lifespan.
Rihanna is an author, too.
ICYMI, Rihanna has also published her fair share of books. From Rihanna: The Last Girl On Earth in 2010 to The Rihanna Book in 2019, she’s branched out into the literary market, too.
The Rihanna Book is a massive, 500-page tome filled with over 1,000 photos from Rihanna’s journey as an artist and a designer. The book comes with plenty of extras, like a poster, and each hardcover copy costs a whopping $106.99. While it may not be a traditional memoir, it’s certainly another stream of revenue for the “Disturbia” artist.
And, she’s partnered with luxe brands over the years.
Throughout her career, Rihanna has partnered with some major brands. For example, she became the first Black spokeswoman for Dior back in 2015, per Refinery29. These deals have also brought the singer a pretty penny.
So, how much is Rihanna worth?
Rihanna’s total net worth is now $1.7 billion, making her the second-richest female entertainer behind Oprah Winfrey, according to Forbes. Based on her nine Grammy Awards and her billion-dollar businesses, it’s clear she’s not slowing down any time soon.
“She is creating a brand outside of herself. It’s not just about Rihanna,” Coyne said. “Even if you don’t like her music, she’s created a real style in the fashion and beauty space.” Turns out, Rihanna can have her “Birthday Cake” and eat it, too.
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