Jay-Z, who became the world’s first billionaire rapper in 2019, has more than doubled his net worth to $2.5 billion as his sprawling business empire and investments continue to push his income higher, according to the latest data from the Forbes Real Time Billionaires index.
Despite a year without a tour or album release, the 24-time Grammy award winner, who is married to Beyonce, “mints millions” from his Armand de Brignac and D'Usse beverage brands, Forbes said.
Top 10 richest celebrity billionaires in 2022 — in pictures
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Although Steven Spielberg lost $850 million in 2022, he ends the year as the richest person in entertainment, with a net worth of $7.25 billion, according to Bloomberg’s real-time Billionaires Index. AFP -
George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, saw his net worth decline by nearly a quarter to $6.47 billion at the end of 2022, Bloomberg data shows. Getty -
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey ends the year with a net worth of $2.5 billion, according to Forbes. Reuters -
With a net worth of $1.7 billion, Michael Jordan is the richest athlete in 2022. Getty -
The net worth of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson was estimated at $1.5 billion by Forbes magazine. AFP -
Rihanna ends the year as the richest musician, with a fortune of $1.4 billion, according to Forbes. AFP -
American rapper Jay-Z's net worth remained largely steady at $1.3 billion over the past year. Reuters -
With a net worth of $1.1 billion, Tiger Woods is one of a handful of athletes in the exclusive billionaires club. Reuters -
With a net worth estimated at $1.24 billion, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s richest footballer who is still playing. Reuters -
American actor, director and writer Tyler Perry is estimated to have a net worth of $1 billion, according to Forbes. Reuters
Jay-Z — real name Shawn Carter — is the 1,210th-wealthiest person on the planet, it added.
“Music is like stocks, there’s the hot thing of the moment” Jay-Z told Forbes in 2010.
“People tend to make emotional decisions based on that. They don’t stick with what they know.”
An active investor, the 53-year-old's assets include entertainment company Roc Nation, which he founded in 2008.
He also co-founded US clothing brand Rocawear with Damon Dash in 1999, which they sold to Iconix Brand Group in 2007 for a reported $204 million.
“He maintains a small stake in [Rocawear] today and is involved in the brand's marketing, development and licensing,” wealth tracker Celebrity Net Worth said.
Through his Marcy Venture Partners company, he was also an early investor in ride-sharing app Uber and has stakes in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Swedish oat milk brand Oatly and non-fungible token marketplace Bitski.
In 2021, Jay-Z sold a 50 per cent stake of Armand de Brignac to luxury retailer LVMH at a $640 million valuation, Celebrity Net Worth said.
Also in 2021, he sold music streaming service Tidal — which he bought for $56 million in 2015 — to Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s Square for $300 million.
Along with Beyonce, they co-own a fine art collection worth about $150 million and a multimillion-dollar property portfolio, which includes a $26 million home in East Hampton, New York, an $88 million estate in Bel Air, California, and a $6.8 million penthouse in New York.
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A significant portion of Jay-Z’s wealth stems from his music career, responsible for an estimated 1 billion streams annually on the back of more than 41 million album sales that include Reasonable Doubt, The Black Album and American Gangster.
Jay-Z and Beyonce were named pop music’s first billionaire couple in 2017, with Forbes estimating their combined net worth at $1.8 billion at the time. The pair perform together and have three children.
World's top 10 richest celebrities in 2022
- Steven Spielberg - $7.25 billion
- George Lucas - $6.47 billion
- Oprah Winfrey - $2.5 billion
- Michael Jordan - $1.7 billion
- Peter Jackson- $1.5 billion
- Rihanna - $1.4 billion
- Jay-Z - $1.3 billion
- Cristiano Ronaldo - $1.24 billion
- Tiger Woods - $1.1 billion
- Tyler Perry - $1 billion
