It seems to be the year of rappers, pop stars, and filmmakers, now that Forbes has published the highly anticipated list of “New Billionaires 2026”. This time, rubbing shoulders with renowned billionaires like Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, are Beyoncé, Dr. Dre, and James Cameron.
According to the outlet, these celebrities have built huge fortunes through years of work in entertainment, which finally helped them reach this milestone. Starting with Beyoncé, the 44-year-old singer reached the billion-dollar mark in December, joining her husband, Jay-Z, on the list.
The 56-year-old rapper previously became a billionaire in 2019 and is now said to be worth $2.8 billion. Hip-hop legend Dr. Dre has also been recognized as a billionaire by Forbes, with an estimated net worth of $1 billion. It seems that much of his wealth comes from the sale of his headphone brand Beats by Dre.
Dr. Dre is officially a billionaire, according to Forbes’ 2026 Billionaires list:
• Of the 22 billionaire entertainers Forbes has identified, nearly half were added in the last three years
• He becomes just the sixth musician, joining Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as Taylor… pic.twitter.com/m97e6sw1El
— Variety (@Variety) March 10, 2026
Apple bought the brand for about $3.2 billion in cash and stock in 2014. However, since then, people were unsure about how much of the company Dr. Dre owned, or how it impacted his wealth. But in 2026, the rapper’s fortune reached the billion-dollar mark.
Joining the list is the Hollywood director James Cameron, known for directing Titanic and the Avatar franchise. According to the outlet, the filmmaker is said to have an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion. Much of his success and fortune seems to come from his films, which have earned more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
Today, he is the second-highest-grossing director ever, behind Steven Spielberg, who holds an estimated $7 billion fortune, according to Forbes. Further adding that nearly two-thirds of the new billionaires on the list are self-made, the outlet also highlighted players like Roger Federer, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.
Federer, James, and Woods each crossed the $1 billion milestone in 2026, alongside singers, directors, and actors on the list. Another report from World Population Review highlighted how the U.S. created the most new billionaires in 2025, with approximately 902 people. China came second with 450 billionaires, followed by India and Germany.
Meanwhile, Forbes also crowned Amelie Voigt Trejes, a 20-year-old heir from Brazil, as the youngest new billionaire in the world. She inherited her wealth from her grandfather, Werner Ricardo Voigt, who co-founded the electrical equipment company WEG.
⭐️ Meet the World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaires, All 22!
Mercor’s founders Adarsh Hiremath, Surya Midha and Brendan Foody have become the world’s youngest self-made billionaires, overtaking Mark Zuckerberg’s 2008 record
The AI recruiting startup, based in San Francisco… pic.twitter.com/mlHmbYGjth
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) November 3, 2025
As for the world’s youngest self-made billionaires, there are Surya Midha, Brendan Foody, and Adarsh Hiremath, the 22-year-old trio behind AI recruiting startup Mercor. Each has a net worth of $2.2 billion.
