Taylor Swift has officially joined the Forbes billionaires club as of Tuesday, April 2, 2024. She now sits at No. 2,545 on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List.
According to Forbes, there are more billionaires than ever before, with 141 new members added this year, surpassing the 2021 record by 26. Combined, these billionaires have a staggering net worth of $14.2 trillion.
Swift’s inclusion on this list isn’t surprising. Forbes declared her a billionaire in October 2023, estimating her net worth at $1.1 billion. However, she truly hit the billion-dollar mark in April 2024, during her European “Eras” tour.
How She Made Her Fortune
Taylor Swift is a household name worldwide and one of the most powerful celebrities today. She has sold over 200 million albums globally. Her world tours are always a massive success. The “Eras” tour is on track to bring in $2 billion, potentially making it the most successful music tour ever.
In October 2023, Swift released a film version of her tour in AMC theaters, grossing $260 million. With a 50% cut from the first-dollar gross, she pocketed $130 million. Selling streaming rights to Disney added another $75 million, totaling $205 million from the movie alone.
From concert ticket sales, merchandise, and the movie, Swift’s earnings from the “Eras” tour are estimated to be between $500 and $600 million. Before the tour began, her net worth was $600 million. By February 2024, it had increased to $900 million, thanks to the Disney deal and the North American tour.
Swift’s influence extends beyond music. She made a significant impact on the NFL, creating a brand value of $331.5 million for the Chiefs and the league, according to Apex Marketing Group.
Endorsements And Earnings
Swift’s earnings are impressive. Between June 2016 and June 2017, she made about $50 million. In some years, her earnings have exceeded $150 million from album sales, tours, merchandise, and endorsements.
Her 1989 world tour earned her $170 million between June 2015 and June 2016. The Reputation stadium tour grossed $266 million, contributing to her $185 million earnings between June 2018 and June 2019.
From June 2019 to June 2020, she brought in $64 million.
Beyond her music career, Swift owns over $150 million worth of real estate in the U.S. and makes tens of millions annually from endorsements with brands like Capital One, Diet Coke, AT&T, and CoverGirl.
Eras Movie Earnings
In October 2023, Swift released a film version of her North American “Eras” tour, earning 50% of the first-dollar gross from ticket sales. The concert film grossed $96 million in its opening weekend and about $260 million overall, with Swift’s cut being $130 million. In February 2024, she sold the streaming rights to Disney for $75 million, making her total earnings from the concert movie over $205 million.
Republic Records Deal And Departure from Big Machine
Swift produced six albums with Big Machine Records from 2006 to 2017. In 2018, she wanted control of her first six albums. When Big Machine’s founder, Scott Borchetta, offered an unsatisfactory deal, she left and signed a long-term deal with Republic Records. This new deal ensured she owned all her future master recordings and received a larger share of her music sales profits. Additionally, if Universal Music sells its $1 billion stake in Spotify, Swift will receive a significant portion.
Career Highlights
A year after signing with Big Machine Records, Swift released her first single, “Tim McGraw,” followed by her debut album. The album reached number five on the U.S. Billboard 200 and topped the U.S. Country Music chart, featuring hits like “Our Song” and “Should’ve Said No.” It is now certified platinum over four times.
Her second album, “Fearless,” was a massive success, reaching number one on several charts and going platinum in multiple countries. It included hits like “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.”
Swift has performed with big names like John Mayer, Justin Bieber, and Faith Hill, and has won numerous awards, including many American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, and 23 Billboard Music Awards.
Besides music, Swift has appeared on TV shows like “Saturday Night Live” and movies like “Valentine’s Day.” She has been featured in magazines such as Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and Rolling Stone.
In 2020, she released two albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore,” both highly praised. “Folklore” was the best-selling album of 2020 in the U.S. and won Album of the Year at the Grammys. Her 10th album, “Midnights,” released in 2022, was celebrated as her best work yet, with the single “Anti-Hero” breaking Spotify records.
In March 2023, Swift began “The Eras Tour,” which has become the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, earning over $2 billion so far.
Biggest Career Achievements
Grammy Awards: 14 wins, including Album of the Year four times for “Fearless” (2009), “1989” (2015), “Folklore” (2020), and
“Midnights” (2022).
American Music Awards: Record-holder with 40 wins.
Billboard Music Awards: Record-holder with 40 wins.
MTV Video Music Awards: 14 VMAs, including Video of the Year for “Bad Blood,” “You Need To Calm Down,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” and “Anti-Hero.”
Country Music Association Awards: 12 wins, including Entertainer of the Year in 2011 and 2020.
Academy of Country Music Awards: 8 wins.
Brit Awards: 2 wins.
Primetime Emmy Award: Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for “Beautiful Ghosts” from the film “Cats.”
Guinness World Records: 98 records, including most albums sold by a female artist in the 21st century and most certified albums by a female artist in the US.
Time Magazine: 2023 Person of the Year.
Her Childhood
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, named after musician James Taylor. She grew up on a Christmas tree farm with her parents, Scott and Andrea, and her brother, Austin. She attended a Montessori school for preschool and kindergarten before moving to The Wyndcroft School for first grade.
At nine years old, Swift discovered her passion for musical theatre and began taking vocal and acting lessons in New York City. She fell in love with country music, especially Shania Twain, and started performing at local events and festivals.
Determined to make it big, Swift and her mother went to Nashville to submit demo tapes of her covering Dolly Parton and The Chicks. However, record labels didn’t find her original enough, and she returned home without a deal.
At 12, Swift learned to play the guitar and wrote her first song, “Lucky You.” Two years later, her family moved to Nashville to support her music career. In 2003, she began working with music manager Dan Dymtrow, who helped her land a modeling gig with Abercrombie & Fitch’s “Rising Stars” campaign and got her song on a Maybelline compilation CD. After performing her original songs at a showcase for RCA Records, Swift was signed to an artist development deal.
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