It is one thing to enter the music industry and make a living within its confines and it is also another to become rich off it. With hard work and determination combined with immense talent and the right attitude, a lot of musicians have amassed finances that sometimes even go beyond the coveted seven-figure mark. Some of them even became billionaires. Take a look at the top wealthiest musicians in the world:    

Andrew Lloyd Webber - $1.2 Billion

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber may not be very popular outside Great Britain and the theater world but the playwright/musician is behind a few of the most popular musicals including but not limited to “The Phantom in the Opera,” “Cats,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita” and “Sunset Boulevard.” Sure, there are a lot of musical theater writers that have as many great works out there but what really made Webber rich is his company Really Useful Group, which ensures profit from merchandising, publishing and production. And at over 1 billion in net worth, he is easily one of the wealthiest musicians alive today.  

Paul McCartney - $1.2 Billion

One of the two remaining living members of The Beatles has become one of the most successful musicians of all time. But a huge bulk of his earnings come from his songwriting and record catalog, especially as one of the songs he wrote “Yesterday” has continued to be the most covered song in music history. It also helps that he is the only artist to have reached the top of the British charts as a solo artist and as a part of a duo, trio, quartet, and quintet.  

Madonna - $800 Million

The Material Girl has a lot of cash to blow apparently. The Queen of Pop is the most successful solo concert performer and a huge portion of her net worth she got from her concert grosses. She has a total of 12 US Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers and is consistently cited as having revolutionized the music industry, paving the way for younger pop singers like Beyonce, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera. While she might not be in the billionaires club just yet, she takes the reigns as the only female to make it into the top five wealthiest musicians list.  

Dr. Dre - $780 Million

These days, Dr. Dre is more known as an entrepreneur due to Beats by Dr. Dre line of earphones and headphones but once upon a time, he was one of the most popular rap artists worldwide. Plus, he also discovered and signed two unknown artists you might not have heard of, Eminem and 50 Cent.  

Bono - $600 Million

The lead vocalist of U2 is a great rock star but he is also a rich venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist. He co-owns the Clarence Hotel in Dublin and is a managing director/partner of private equity firm Elevation Partners. But, beyond that, he is noted for his activism and was proclaimed as one of Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year in the year 2005. He has also organized a lot of benefit concerts to help a lot of poor communities all over the globe.   There are also younger artists who are gunning to be included in the richest list soon. The three big names that immediately come to mind are Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Adele due to their massive success with their different projects. As for us, even just being listed in the 20,000 richest musicians would already be a big deal.    

Your Turn to Sound Off!

Of all of the wealthiest musicians on this list, which was the most surprising?

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