The US country-turned-pop singer is the only musician to have earned more than $1bn from her songs and performances alone, Forbes says.
By Claire Gilbody Dickerson, news reporter
Tuesday 2 April 2024 18:38, UK
Taylor Swift has made it on to a list of the world’s billionaires, according to Forbes, as her Eras Tour spanning 152 shows and five continents generated more than $1bn (£800m) in revenue.
The 34-year-old superstar, who stole the show at this year’s Grammy Awards by winning album of the year for the fourth time, is now said to have accumulated a fortune of $1.1bn (£874m).
According to Forbes, the estimated figure is based on the value of Swift‘s music, earnings from her world tour and her real estate portfolio.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The US country-turned-pop singer is the only musician to have earned so much money from her songs and performances alone, Forbes adds.
Swift, whose relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce, 34, has gained her – and American football – even more publicity, is one of the 265 people to have joined the 2,781-strong list of billionaires over the past year.
1. Bernard Arnault and family: The 75-year-old is the richest person on Earth, with a net worth of $233bn. From France he oversees an empire of 75 fashion and cosmetic brands, including Louis Vuitton and Sephora, under the umbrella LVMH.
2. Elon Musk: Dropping from the top spot, the Tesla and SpaceX boss, 52, is worth $195bn.
3. Jeff Bezos: Close behind is the 60-year-old founder of Amazon, worth $194bn.
4. Mark Zuckerberg: Another familiar name in the top 10 is the founder of Facebook – now Meta – with a net worth of $177bn at the age of 39.
5. Larry Ellison: The founder of software giant Oracle, used by businesses to store and retrieve information, is worth £141bn.
6. Warren Buffett: The investor and chief executive of multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, 93, is worth $133bn.
7. Bill Gates: Co-founder of Microsoft, Gates, 68, has a net worth of $128bn.
8. Steve Ballmer: A former chief executive at Microsoft under Gates, Ballmer is worth $121bn.
9. Mukesh Ambani: His company, Reliance Industries, is the largest private sector corporation in India, with interests in retail, financial services, oil and gas, petrochemicals, telecommunications and financial services, making him worth $116bn.
10. Larry Page: Worth $114bn, the 51-year-old remains a controlling shareholder at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, where he stepped down as chief executive in 2019.
The list has never been longer than this year’s, Forbes reports, with the total wealth of those on it amounting to an eye-watering $14.2tn (£11.3tn).
The richest new person on the list is ION tycoon Andrea Pignataro, 53, from Italy, who is now worth $27.5bn (£21.8bn).
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Sofia Högberg Schörling and her sister Märta Schörling Andreen, the daughters of Swedish investing tycoon Melker Schörling, are the richest women to join the list with an estimated $5.6bn (£4.45bn) each.
Livia Voigt, 19, is the world’s youngest billionaire and the youngest among the newcomers after inheriting $1.1bn (£874m) based on her stakes in Brazilian turbine manufacturer WEG, co-founded by her grandfather.
Read more:
Swift related to 19th Century American poet
Swift donates to family of woman killed in Super Bowl celebrations
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
French fashion designer Christian Louboutin, whose iconic red soled-heels were also worn by Swift in her Eras Tour, also made the Forbes list with an estimated fortune of $1.2bn (£954m).
Swift will be releasing her 11th studio record, The Tortured Poets Department, on 19 April. It will include collaborations with UK-based band Florence + The Machine and US rapper and singer Post Malone.
