Rihanna named richest woman in music by Forbes

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Rihanna/Apple Music

Taylor Swift, Madonna, Beyonce and Celine Dion make up the top five.

Top: Taylor Swift, Madonna. Bottom: Beyonce, Celine Dion

Forbes magazine has released a list they’re calling America’s richest self-made women focusing on entrepreneurs, executives and entertainers.

In the entertainment section, musicians Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Madonna and Beyonce make the top four musicians included on the list.

Rihanna leads the pack, landing at No. 20 with a “self-made score” of 10. Forbes estimates the “Umbrella” singer’s net worth to be $1.4 billion, which they attribute to her success in music and cosmetics. Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, doubled its revenue in 2022, according to the publication. Fenty ventured into several African markets including Kenya.

Swift comes in at No. 34 with a “self-made score” of 8. According to Forbes‘ estimates, the “All Too Well” singer boasts a net worth of $740 million. Her record-breaking music sales and tour ticket demand make up the bulk of that figure. Last year, Swift became the first artist in Billboard history to simultaneously hold the top 10 spots of the Billboard Hot 100. 

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Madonna comes in at No. 45 with a self-made score of 9. She is worth an estimated $540M made from music sales, and tours. Madonna is also considered one of the top pop divas of all time. Her Celebration tour was announced in January 2023 and kicks off in July. It’s her first since 2020.

Beyoncé, who is currently in the midst of the European leg of her acclaimed Renaissance World Tour, lands at No. 48 with a “self-made score” of 8. Forbes attributes Queen Bey’s estimated $540 million net worth to her roughly three decades’ worth of success in music. This year, the “Single Ladies” singer announced a collaboration with fashion house Balmain themed after her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance album.

Celine Dion comes in fifth for the women of music with an estimated $480M made from her decades-long career in music and her Las Vegas residencies. Forbes ranks her at No. 56 with a self-made score of 8. At the end of May, Dion announced that she would be cancelling her tour due to an ongoing medical condition. She was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in 2022.

Oprah Winfrey/Getty

Beyond music, Oprah Winfrey leads the women of entertainment landing at No.13 with a self-made score of 10. Forbes estimates Winfrey is worth $2.5B the bulk of which comes from her decade’s worth of TV appearances, films and shows according to the magazine. She is also ranked at number 1217 in the Billionaires list.

Other notable names on the list include Kim Kardashian (No. 21), Kylie Jenner (No. 38), Madonna (No. 45), Dolly Parton (No. 59), Reese Witherspoon (No. 59), Barbra Streisand (No. 61), Serena Williams (No. 89) and Shonda Rhimes (No. 96).

Sources: Forbes Magazine, Billboard Magazine
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