Born in Barbados, Rihanna has certainly come a long way in a very short time. With a whopping wealth of $400 million, the gorgeous singer/songwriter has become one of the most successful artists in the entertainment world. Although, nowadays, a big part of her earnings come from her Fenty Beauty Line. Her music career started in 2004, after rapper Jay-Z heard a demo, and soon after Rihanna was asked to audition. Right there and then, Rihanna signed a six-album record deal.
Rihanna’s second album, ‘A Girl Like Me’, was certified platinum, and the one released a year after, ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’, which included the popular song, “Umbrella”, sold more than 8 million copies around the world and won a Grammy. She went on to release several other albums, and collaborated with many artists, including Calvin Harris, Eminem, Coldplay, Drake, Kanye West and Jay-Z. Rihanna has won several awards, including 13 AMAs, 8 People’s Choice Awards, 9 Grammys, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and more.
$400 million
Everybody knows George Harrison as a member of the legendary Beatles. But actually, Harrison had an incredibly successful career as a solo artist once the band broke up, amassing up to $400 million by the end of his career. Of course, this didn't come easy; after Lennon died, Harrison became a hermit, a very paranoid one, and it took him a while to bounce back to life. Harrison wrote many of the Beatles popular songs, such as 'Taxman', 'Here Comes the Sun' and 'Within You Without You', and then, as a solo artist, he released 12 studio albums.
One of Harrison's most famous albums was 'All Things Must Pass', which he won a Grammy for. During his career, Harrison won several awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, several Grammys, a Billboard Century Award, and many more. Sadly, George Harrison lost a long battle with cancer on November 2001, but his legacy will live on forever.
$81 Million
Otis Blackwell began his career as an entertainer in 1953. He was recognized as a talented singer but was more appreciated as a songwriter, and quickly realized that it made a better living for himself as well, which was how made his fortune.
Blackwell "Don't Be Cruel," for Elvis Presley in 1956, which was #1 both on the pop, R&B and country charts. He later gave Elvis "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender," and would continue to write a cluster of hits for him and other artists, including the song "Great Balls of Fire" for Jerry Lee Lewis. Fun (odd) fact, Blackwell and Presley had got to meet.
$243 million
With a multitude of awards under his belt and an impressive 16 Grammys, Sting has had quite the amazing career.
He was the main songwriter and lead singer for the rock band the Police, from 1977 to 1984. He also launched a solo career in 1985. With his band the Police, Sting became one of the world's best-selling music artists. Both on his own and with the Police, he has sold over 100 million records. In 2006, he was ranked number 62 out of the 100 best living songwriters. He was also named number 63 on VH1's 100 greatest artists of rock. Q magazine has also named him in their list of 100 greatest musical stars of the 20th century.
$410 million
Jon Bon Jovi gained his fame in 1983 as the face of the band Bon Jovi. He has also released two solo albums, along with 12 Studio albums with Bon Jovi. The albums have sold over a hundred and thirty million copies. This makes them one of the world's best-selling artists.
As if his musical fame wasn't enough, he started an acting career in the 1990s. He got several starring movie roles, including: Moonlight and Valentino and U-571. He has also made several TV appearances in various TV shows, including: Sex and the City and Ally McBeal. Despite his acting success, he still shines as a musician - and in 2009, Bon Jovi was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.