Rihanna has officially joined the ranks among the world’s billionaires, appearing on the Forbes annual list for the first time.
The Barbadian star’s estimated $1.7 billion net worth puts her at number 1,729 on the list, which rounds up the richest people across the globe.
Her wealth is largely down to her fashion and beauty ventures. Rihanna’s wildly successful Fenty Beauty line, which she co-owns with luxury French retailer LVMH, generated more than $550 million in revenue in 2020, according to Forbes.
Her Savage X Fenty lingerie line, in which Rihanna owns a 30 per cent stake, was valued at $1bn in February 2021.
Rihanna’s inclusion in the list officially makes her Barbados’ first billionaire.
The star, who is expecting her first child with rapper boyfriend ASAP Rocky, was officially declared the richest woman in music last year.
In an interview with The New York Times, she said she was not yet used to her new financial status.
“It’s tricky because it’s hard to even accept that’s where you’re at because I know where I’ve come from,” she said.
“At the same time, it feels good to be able to inspire young women and boys, who like me, come from humble beginnings, who come from parents who are immigrants or who are immigrants themselves, to be able to do this.”
Rihanna was not the only addition to the list from the entertainment world. The Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson, made his debut, after officially being declared a billionaire in November when he sold part of his Weta FX digital film effects shop to Unity Software for $1.6bn in cash and stock.
He ranks 1,929 on the list, with an estimated net worth of $1.5bn.
Elsewhere on the list, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Jay-Z all returned, holding their places as the wealthiest names in show business.
Kardashian was officially declared a billionaire last year, thanks to her Skims shapewear line and beauty ventures. She is ranked at number 1,645, with an estimated net worth of $1.8bn.
Her estranged husband, Kanye West, who now officially goes by the name Ye, is ranked at 1,513, with an estimated wealth of $2bn, gained from his Yeezy fashion line and music ventures.
Jay-Z is ranked at 2,076, with an estimated net worth of $1.4bn.
Elon Musk was officially declared the world’s richest man. The Tesla and SpaceX founder, who just bought a major stake in Twitter, has an estimated net worth of $219bn.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, formerly the world’s richest man, slid to second place, now worth $171bn.
However, 2021 was a down year for billionaires overall, with 87 fewer than the previous year. In total, 236 new billionaires joined the list, following a record year in 2021, when 493 new billionaires were announced.
Forbes says their collective wealth is worth $400bn less than it was a year ago.
