Paul McCartney is a billionaire. He joins these musicians in the elite club.

Paul McCartney is a billionaire. He joins these musicians in the elite club. Paul McCartney and Rihanna, two billionaires. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Even though he famously once sang that money can't buy him love, Paul McCartney can pretty much buy anything else — Forbes officially estimates his net worth is now at $1.4 billion.He joins a small group of musicians whom Bloomberg or Forbes have estimated to be billionaires, including Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z. Before Jimmy Buffett's death in September 2023, he was also part of this club thanks to his Margaritaville empire.Here's how the wealthiest living musicians made their fortunes. Paul McCartney is not only a knight, but a billionaire. Paul McCartney in 2026. Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images In the first issue of Forbes' newsletter, "The Billie," in November, the outlet said that McCartney, 84, is worth $1.4 billion.The former Beatle has been very open about how the band's first contract was akin to a "slave contract" and "no matter how successful we made the company, we didn't get a raise."Since he knew more money was in music publishing, he formed the music licensing company MPL Communications in 1969. McCartney holds the licensing rights to thousands of songs, not just his own.You can search the company's mammoth database to see where the music it owns has ended up — in everything from "The Kardashians" to "Fellow Travelers" to Ford commercials. Forbes estimates the business is worth about $250 million.Of course, The Beatles' catalog is also a money maker, which he has spent years getting back under his control. He splits that money evenly with Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison.Those two huge components, plus the millions he's made from decades of touring, a substantial art collection, and property throughout the UK, have made this kid from Liverpool the third-richest musician in the world, only behind Jay-Z and Taylor Swift. Dr. Dre is equal parts musician and businessman. Dr. Dre in 2025. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET Forbes reported that musician Dr. Dre became hip-hop's second billionaire in April 2026, with a reported net worth of $1 billion.In addition to his decades of rapping and producing under his label Aftermath Entertainment, Dr. Dre is also known for cofounding the consumer-electronics brand Beats by Dre, which makes headphones and earbuds. He sold Beats to Apple in 2014 for $3 billion in cash and stock.The former N.W.A member has also dabbled in acting, had a production company called Crucial Films, and has an alcohol brand with collaborator Snoop Dogg, called Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop. Beyoncé is the latest female musician to reach billionaire status. Beyoncé accepted the award for best country album at the 2025 Grammys. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Less than 10 years after Beyoncé famously sang, "I just might be a Black Bill Gates in the making," she was named a billionaire.Beyoncé's already-formidable net worth surged after a pair of successful tours: The 2023 Renaissance World Tour, which grossed nearly $600 million, and the 2025 Cowboy Carter Tour, which Forbes described as "the most successful concert tour" in the history of country music.In addition to live performances and lucrative merchandise sales, Beyoncé has spent decades building her business empire. She founded Parkwood Entertainment in 2010, followed by a clothing line, Ivy Park, a hair-care brand, Cécred, and a whiskey label, SirDavis.Nevertheless, as Forbes reports, the bulk of Beyoncé's fortune remains rooted in her music. Beyoncé controls the rights to her valuable album catalog, from 2003's "Dangerously In Love" to 2025's "Cowboy Carter" and beyond. All production costs for her music, documentaries, and concerts are handled in-house through Parkwood."When I decided to manage myself, it was important that I didn't go to some big management company," Beyoncé said while promoting her 2013 self-titled album. "I felt like I wanted to follow the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire and show other women when you get to this point in your career, you don't have to go sign with someone else and share your money and your success — you do it yourself." Beyoncé's husband, Jay-Z, accumulated wealth through a variety of ventures. Jay-Z at the 2024 premiere of "The Book of Clarence." Monica Schipper/WireImage Jay-Z has been pursuing mogul status for over three decades. As of November 2026, Forbes estimates Jay-Z's net worth to be $2.8 billion, making him the richest musician on this list.The East Coast rapper founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995. Since then, Jay-Z has started his own sports agency, Roc Nation Sports. He bought and sold the music streaming platform Tidal, netting himself $149 million, according to a 2021 Forbes report.He owns stakes in the Champagne brand Armand de Brignac and the Cognac brand D'Ussé. His umbrella company, Roc Nation, has inked a multimillion-dollar partnership with the NFL. The list goes on.All that, in addition to his extremely popular discography, has contributed to his vast wealth. Swift's longtime best friend, Selena Gomez, was named a billionaire by Bloomberg. Selena Gomez at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images In September 2024, Bloomberg estimated Selena Gomez's net worth to be $1.3 billion, largely thanks to her makeup brand, Rare Beauty.However, Forbes has estimated Gomez's net worth at roughly $700 million, citing reported cash-flow issues with Wondermind, the startup Gomez cofounded in 2021 with her mother, Mandy Teefey, and entrepreneur Daniella Pierson.Still, Forbes reports, "Gomez's biggest asset is her estimated 51% stake in Rare Beauty." The vegan and cruelty-free brand is widely recognized as one of Sephora's biggest money-makers and most popular celebrity beauty lines; the cult-favorite blush alone generated $70 million in 2022.In addition to her success as a businesswoman, Gomez is a celebrated actor. She has been nominated for several Golden Globes for the hit Hulu comedy series, "Only Murders in the Building." She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her supporting role in the 2024 film "Emilia Pérez."Gomez executive produces many of her own projects, including "Only Murders," HBO Max's "Selena + Chef," and Disney Channel's "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place," a sequel to the show that made Gomez famous as a teenager.Gomez began releasing albums while starring on "Wizards of Waverly Place" via Disney's Hollywood Records. Since signing a new contract with Interscope in 2014, Gomez has released several solo albums and a handful of top-10 hits. Her latest album, "I Said I Love You First," is a collaboration with her husband, Benny Blanco. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was the first concert tour in history to gross $2 billion. Taylor Swift during the Eras Tour in Liverpool. Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images Bloomberg reported that Taylor Swift became a billionaire in October 2023. Forbes corroborated this report in April 2024, about halfway through her record-smashing Eras Tour. By the end of its two-year run, the Eras Tour became the first in history to gross $2 billion.Swift redistributed a significant portion of her touring profits to her crew, reportedly handing out $197 million in bonuses alone. She continued to donate millions to charitable organizations through 2025, including Feeding America, the American Heart Association, MusiCares, ACM Lifting Lives, and the CMA Foundation.Unlike many of her peers, Swift's wealth comes solely from her — she doesn't have any lucrative side hustles. Swift's sizable net worth estimates are largely based on the value of her musical catalog, which she owns outright. Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," sold over 4 million copies in its debut week, smashing the single-week album sales record and finishing the year as the top-performing album on the Billboard 200 chart.As of November 2026, Forbes estimated Swift's net worth to be $2 billion. Bruce Springsteen earned $500 million from the sale of his music catalog to Sony in 2021. Bruce Springsteen with The E Street Band in 2023. Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images Over 50 years after The Boss released his first album, "Greetings from Asbury Park," the New Jersey legend was named a billionaire by Forbes. As of November 2026, Forbes estimates Bruce Springsteen's net worth to be $1.2 billion.As Variety reported, much of Springsteen's wealth comes from the 2021 sale of his music catalog to Sony for $500 million.In addition to that mega-sale, Springsteen is constantly on the road, earning money from his packed touring schedule with the E Street Band. Rihanna has made most of her fortune with Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty. Rihanna in 2022. Rich Fury/Getty Images Forbes estimates Rihanna's net worth to be $1 billion.Despite Rihanna's decadelong reign as a hitmaker, she hasn't released an album since 2016's "Anti," which means that most of her wealth is from her two eponymously named brands: Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with the French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, and Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand.Since its initial launch in 2017, Rihanna's Fenty portfolio has expanded to include Fenty Skin, Fenty Hair, and Fenty Fragrance. Rihanna was also named Puma's creative director in 2014. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Gabbi Shaw is a reporter on Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She has covered entertainment, travel, food, and lifestyle for Business Insider and Insider Inc.'s partners, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo since 2018, and her work has taken her to iconic mansions of the Gilded Age, the Westminster Dog Show, Disney World, the Hamptons, and more fast-food restaurants than she cares to remember.She graduated from Tulane University in 2017 with a degree in public health and now lives in New York City. Callie Ahlgrim is a senior reporter at Business Insider who writes about pop culture, with a special focus on the music industry.As a cofounding member of BI's music vertical, Callie has covered a range of hot topics at the intersection of art, celebrity culture, and show business: the political implications of Bad Bunny's success; the fan feedback loop in Taylor Swift's creative process; the symbolism of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show; the commercial impact of Beyoncé's country album; the brand identities of stars like Harry Styles, Morgan Wallen, Addison Rae, Katy Perry, and Frank Ocean; the modern challenges of making money as a musician; and more.She also covers celebrity PR strategies, blockbuster movies, prestige TV shows, and internet trends.Callie graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, a Bachelor of Arts in English, and a minor in Spanish. She previously wrote columns for Man Repeller and ELLE. Music Billionaires Celebrities More Taylor Swift Beyonce Selena Gomez Rihanna