Why Taylor Swift Is <i>Forbes</i>’ Second Richest Woman in Music
Taylor Swift is in the midst of one of her biggest years in music with her Eras tour, the release of Midnights, and her upcoming releases of her re-recorded albums Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), out July 7, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which is heavily teased to be coming after. Make no mistake: Swift has brought in a lot of money from this, but she is not the richest female musician on Forbes‘ 2023 list, released yesterday.
That honor goes to Rihanna, who despite having not released a new album since 2016, has reached billionaire status with her businesses Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty. Swift’s net worth is estimated to be $740 million, with Swift adding $170 million to her net worth from her tour so far and Midnights. Rihanna’s, meanwhile, is worth $1.4 billion, with the outlet noting the bulk of that fortune comes from Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with LVMH.
Swift’s fortune will continue to grow as she does more tour dates, so her net worth will likely be higher on 2024’s list.
But it’s Oprah, who has a staggering net worth of $2.5 billion, who leads Forbes’ list of the richest “self-made” women. Kim Kardashian is ranked third, right after Rihanna and before Swift, with a $1.2 billion estimated net worth thanks to the success of her shapewear line, Skims.
Swift hasn’t acknowledged Forbes’ report. Her social media has instead been focused on her fans and tour. Her last post reflected on her Memorial Day weekend shows in New Jersey.
She wrote, “Yeahhhh so the last three nights were a dreamscape and totally overwhelming. I love every single one of you who came to those 3 shows in Jersey, all 217,625 of you.😆 @phoebebridgers, I’ll miss you out here my dude, thanks for the duets and the dressing room heart to hearts 💕. I was so excited to welcome @owennmusic to the Eras Tour! And @icespice i love youuuu and I’m still buzzing from getting to sing with you all three nights! This tour has become my entire personality. See you soon Chicago!”
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
