Beyonce Named a Billionaire by Forbes, Becomes the Fifth Billionaire Musician

Global music superstar Beyoncé has officially joined the ranks of the world’s billionaires, with Forbes declaring her the fifth musician to attain the milestone and placing her among the richest entertainers globally.

According to the business magazine, Beyoncé now stands alongside Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen on its exclusive list of billionaire musicians. Her husband, Jay-Z, remains the wealthiest of the group, with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion.

Earlier this month, Forbes had valued Beyoncé’s fortune at $800 million, projecting that she would cross the billion dollar threshold following a string of commercially successful ventures across music, touring, film, and brand partnerships. That projection has now been realised.

A major contributor to her wealth surge was the 2023 Renaissance World Tour, which grossed nearly $600 million, making it one of the highest-earning tours in music history. The tour, her first solo outing in seven years, was followed by a concert film that Beyoncé produced herself and distributed directly through a partnership with AMC Theatres. The film earned $44 million worldwide, with Forbes reporting that she retained close to half of the revenue.

Her commercial momentum continued in 2024 with the release of Cowboy Carter, a critically acclaimed album that explored the Black roots of country music. The project earned Beyoncé her first Grammy Award for Album of the Year after four previous nominations, marking a major career milestone.

Forbes estimates that the Cowboy Carter tour generated more than $400 million in ticket sales, with an additional $50 million from merchandise. The tour featured appearances by Jay-Z, two of the couple’s children, and Beyoncé’s former Destiny’s Child bandmates. While some markets saw ticket price reductions to boost attendance, the tour still set records, including the highest top-priced concert ticket of any artist visiting the UK in 2025, with premium seats selling for up to £950.

Beyond touring, Beyoncé’s earnings were strengthened by high-profile commercial deals. Forbes estimates that her special halftime performance during Netflix’s first Christmas Day NFL game generated about $50 million, while a series of Levi’s advertising campaigns brought in an additional $10 million.

The billionaire status of musicians has remained a subject of debate in recent months. Bloomberg recently listed Selena Gomez as a billionaire with a reported net worth of $1.3 billion, a figure Forbes has disputed, instead valuing Gomez’s wealth at around $700 million.

Beyoncé’s ascent to billionaire status underscores her evolution from a chart-topping artist into a global business powerhouse, driven by strategic ownership, creative control, and a diversified entertainment empire.