Forbes’ 2024 edition of their celebrity billionaires list reveals the current net worths of JAY-Z and Rihanna, both of whom rank among the 10 wealthiest celebrities globally.
Rihanna holds the ninth position with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, attributed mainly to her billion-dollar brands Fenty Beauty and Savage X.
Meanwhile, JAY-Z, known as Hip Hop’s first billionaire, occupies the fifth spot with a fortune of $2.5 billion. He has accumulated this wealth through various business ventures, investments, and his renowned music catalog.
Notably, the list excludes Beyoncé’s net worth, which is estimated to be around $500 million.
Other prominent figures on the list include Magic Johnson ($1.2 billion), LeBron James ($1.2 billion), Kim Kardashian ($1.7 billion), and Oprah Winfrey ($2.8 billion).
The top three richest celebrities are Michael Jordan with $3.2 billion, Steven Spielberg with $4.8 billion, and George Lucas with $5.5 billion.
Interestingly, Diddy, who joined the billionaire club in October 2022, is notably absent from the list despite being the second wealthiest figure in Hip Hop behind JAY-Z.
In recent months, the Bad Boy boss has faced significant setbacks due to multiple sexual assault lawsuits and a federal sex trafficking investigation. This legal turmoil led to his separation from spirits giant Diageo, with whom he co-owned Cîroc and DeLeón and had sued for racial discrimination. Additionally, he was compelled to divest his shares in Revolt, the media network he established in 2013. These companies constituted a substantial portion of his net worth, which Forbes currently estimates at $90 million.
Similarly, Kanye West encountered a comparable downturn when adidas terminated their lucrative Yeezy partnership in late 2022 following a series of antisemitic remarks. As a result, the Chicago native, once the wealthiest rapper alive, saw his net worth decline from $2 billion to approximately $500 million. He later disclosed that the terminated deal had placed him “two months from going bankrupt.”