Dr. Dre Made More Money This Year Than Any Musician Ever
Dr. Dre topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid hip-hop acts a few months back, and now the financial mag has named Dre the world’s richest musician overall, a conclusion that should surprise no one after Dre and Jimmy Iovine sold their Beats empire to Apple for $3 billion this year. Thanks largely to that Apple payout, Dre earned $620 million in 2014, which Forbes calls “the biggest single-year payday of any musician in history.” That’s almost as much as the combined income of the rest of the top 10. Beyoncé is at #2 with $115 million, which is the most she’s ever earned in a year. She’s followed by a trio of classic rockers: the Eagles ($100 million), Bon Jovi ($82 million), and Bruce Springsteen ($81 million). Surprisingly, Taylor Swift just missed the top 10, though she’ll probably have no trouble breaking into that tier next year when she tours behind the world-conquering 1989. Check out the full list below, and read more details at Forbes.
1. Dr. Dre ($620 million)
2. Beyoncé ($115 million)
3. The Eagles ($100 million)
4. Bon Jovi ($82 million)
5. Bruce Springsteen ($81 million)
6. Justin Bieber ($80 million)
7. One Direction ($75 million)
8. Paul McCarney ($71 million)
9. Calvis Harris ($66 million)
10. Toby Keith ($65 million)
11. Taylor Swift ($64 million)
12. Jay Z, Diddy, Bruno Mars ($60 million)
15. Justin Timberlake ($57 million)
16. Pink ($52 million)
17. Michael Bublé ($51 million)
18. Rihanna ($48 million)
19. The Rolling Stones ($47 million)
20. Roger Waters ($46 million)
21. Elton John ($45 million)
22. Kenny Chesney ($44 million)
23. Katy Perry ($40 million)
24. Jason Aldean, Jennifer Lopez ($37 million)
26. Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion ($36 million)
28. Muse, Luke Bryan ($34 million)
30. Lady Gaga, Drake ($33 million)
Forbes notes that these artists fell just short of the list: Britney Spears, Avicii, Kanye West, Madonna, Macklemore, David Guetta, Lil Wayne, Tiesto, and Birdman.
[Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images.]