They’re two of the biggest female names in music and have been so for many years, but who is richer: Beyoncé or Taylor Swift?
Beyoncé is the richest artist out of the two. As of 2020, Beyoncé boasted a net worth of $500 million, while Taylor Swift ranked some distance behind with a net worth of around $360 million.
Read on to learn more about two of the richest figures in music history.
Dynamic Duo
Beyoncé entered the musical scene in the nineties. She burst into the industry as lead singer of the popular R&B girl group, Destiny’s Child. This is where she immediately found success, and where she would begin paving the way for solo stardom.
This is where Beyoncé starts to set herself apart from Taylor Swift. When Beyoncé was releasing tracks with Destiny’s Child, Taylor Swift was only six or seven years of age. The aptly named ‘Queen’ Beyoncé had many more years to amass wealth than Swift.
In 2003, Beyoncé released her first solo album, to massive success. She saw a long string of triumphs with multiple tracks, music videos and even films. She became a massively inspirational figure, owing to her strong sense of independence and self-worth. As of 2020, her $500 million fortune cemented her as one of America’s richest self-made women.
However, this isn’t the sole place in which Beyoncé shines financially. She is part of one of the richest power couples in the United States. Her husband, Jay-Z, has a net worth of over $1 billion dollars, ranking the couple high among the super-rich celebrity roster.
Throughout mid-2018, Beyoncé and her musical husband embarked on a joint tour across the world. This tour was named ‘On The Run II’ and was incredibly successful. In ticket sales alone, the tour grossed over $250 million for the couple. That’s before you consider sponsorships, affiliations and merchandise sales.
Aside from the music business, Beyoncé also has a range of side ventures that generate massive income. First and foremost is her partnership with Adidas, who produce and sell an exclusive Beyoncé-backed fitness clothing line, Ivy Park.
Conversely, Jay-Z has opted to invest his money elsewhere, in endeavours such as art and liquor. He’s a 100% owner of a popular champagne brand, and a part-owner of a cognac brand. Collectively, these ventures generate an impressive $400 million in net worth.
Swift Riches
While Taylor Swift doesn’t have an insanely rich partner to back her up, she is by all accounts doing very well by herself. As of 2020, Swift boasted a net worth of around $360 million, mostly as a result of her incredibly performing career.
In 2019, Swift’s monetary gains had become so staggering that she was labelled as the highest-paid celebrity in the world. However, the country-turned-pop star likes to remain grounded, despite being enormously successful and wealthy.
She’s known for spending a wide portion of her wealth on her fans, hosting private parties and showering them with gifts and donations. There’s a post on Instagram that shows this, detailing how Taylor threw a party to celebrate with fans and those who had made her recent music videos.
Taylor’s success is tangible – she has a long list of chart-topping titles and awards, and is recognized worldwide. As a result of this recognition, she has amassed a huge list of endorsement and sponsorship deals. As of 2020, Swift had worked with Diet Coke, Apple, Capitol One and Cover Girl. These deals undoubtedly helped bring in the money.
There was a popular ad that was circulated in 2016, featuring Swift. This clip was created as an advertisement for Apple Music, and became iconic. You can see the clip on YouTube.
While Taylor Swift might be lagging behind Beyoncé in the monetary charts, it’s expected that she’ll be a billionaire by age forty. Judging from her exponential growth in recent years, that certainly seems possible.