Rihanna was the “wealthiest female musician in the world” before Taylor Swift surpassed her record a few years ago. In 2021, the Diamonds singer officially joined the billionaire’s club, as announced by Forbes. Her estimated net worth at the time stood at a staggering $1.7 billion.
Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados. Strained by her father’s substance abuse, she endured a challenging childhood, watching her mother being abused by her father.
She led a modest life before being scouted for her musical talent, and it took her years to establish herself as one of the world’s finest singers. So, how did she acquire such colossal wealth?
One of the contributing factors behind her fortune is her remunerative record deals. Rihanna had luck on her side when she was discovered by a talent rep as a teenager.
This led her to a major opportunity to sign a record deal with Jay-Z and Def Jam. Between 2005 and 2012, the renowned singer released seven albums under her contract.
We love to see it! According to Forbes, @rihanna is officially a billionaire. Her net worth is an estimated $1.7 billion making her the wealthiest female musician in the world and second to Oprah as the richest female entertainer 🤍 pic.twitter.com/Opj1DxZCKG
— MEFeater Magazine (@mefeater) August 4, 2021
Her early albums sold quite immediately, and she made around $15 million from Good Girl Gone Bad alone. She never had to look back. The agency profited off of her albums, with Rated R bringing in $5.5 million, Loud making $12 million, Talk That Talk making her another $10.5 million, and Unapologetic earning $6.3 million.
According to Nicki Swift, Rihanna later established Westbury Road Entertainment under Roc Nation, which granted her more creative freedom and enabled her to purchase her own hit numbers. According to Billboard, Rihanna made millions without releasing any album, just from streaming, record sales, and royalties.
Rihanna has toured around the world and has headlined major events. The bursting stadiums speak for her global popularity. Rihanna’s 2016 Anti World Tour yielded a profit of $110 million, and her performance at Singapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix Race Night generated a whopping $137 million.
Rihanna’s transition from music to serial-entrepreneur has officially made her a billionaire 💰🥂
She is now the wealthiest female musician of all time. pic.twitter.com/0Y8R9yN2ay
— Blk Girl Culture (@blkgirlculture) August 4, 2021
Her popular makeup line, Fenty Beauty, launched in 2017 and is loved for its inclusivity. According to Forbes, the makeup brand was valued at $2.8 billion in 2021. Rihanna owns over 50% of the company and earned around $1.4 billion from her beauty investment.
Following the massive success of the beauty company, Rihanna collaborated with TechStyle Fashion Group and convinced big-name investors like Jay-Z’s Marcy Ventures Partners to invest in Savage x Fenty, a lingerie line. The company made $1 billion, with Rihanna’s 30% ownership stake generating $375 million.
As one of the early stakeholders in Jay-Z’s streaming service Tidal, which also included investors like Beyoncé, the singer received 3% equity in the company. Although the company failed to rival top streaming services, Rihanna took home an additional $8.91 million.
