Taylor Swift officially joined Forbes’ billionaires list on Tuesday, April 2, distinguishing herself from other wealthy artists with the unique way she built her billion-dollar fortune.
At 34 years old, Swift ranked No. 2,545 on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List. The report noted a record-breaking number of billionaires this year, with their combined wealth reaching $14.2 trillion. Swift’s inclusion follows Forbes’ October 2023 announcement that her net worth had reached $1.1 billion.
In a rare feat, Swift became the first musician to achieve billionaire status solely through songwriting and performing. Unlike many entertainers who leverage side businesses like beauty brands or alcohol ventures, Swift’s wealth stems directly from her music career, placing her alongside artists like Bruce Springsteen, who also earned his fortune from extensive touring.
More than $500 million of Swift’s wealth comes from music royalties and touring. She reportedly earned about $190 million after taxes from the first leg of the Eras Tour, along with $35 million from just two weeks of screenings for The Eras Tour concert film, now the highest-grossing concert movie ever.
An additional $500 million of her fortune comes from the increasing value of her music catalog. In 2019, Scooter Braun acquired the masters of her first six albums, later selling them to Shamrock Capital for $300 million.
Reflecting on the situation in a 2019 Tumblr post, Swift wrote, “This is my worst-case scenario. When you sign a deal at 15 with someone who views loyalty as just a contractual term, it can lead to losing control of your life’s work. Now Scooter owns my legacy, preventing me from purchasing it myself.”
Swift later left Big Machine Label Group to sign with Republic Records under Universal Music Group, a deal that granted her full ownership of her future recordings and songwriting. Announcing the switch on Instagram, she expressed her excitement: “I’m thrilled to join Republic Records and Universal Music Group as my new musical home. I’ll now own every master recording I create moving forward.”
Since then, Swift has released four new albums—Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights—and re-recorded Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Over 25% of her top Billboard hits are solely written by her, though she often shares credits with collaborators like Jack Antonoff and Max Martin.
On April 19, Swift will release her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, announced during her Album of the Year acceptance speech at the 2024 Grammys.
Beyond her music career, Swift has had a notable impact on the NFL. According to Apex Marketing Group, her influence generated $331.5 million in brand value for the Kansas City Chiefs and the league, based on media coverage from her first game appearance on September 24 to January 22.
One of Swift’s many achievements last year was being named Time Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year. In an interview with journalist Sam Lansky, she reflected, “I’ve never felt prouder, happier, or more creatively free and fulfilled than I do right now.”