‘My money is not for me’ – so how does Rihanna, the world’s richest female musician, earn and spend her US$600 million fortune?
With an estimated net worth of US$600 million, Rihanna, 31, is the world’s richest female musician. She was also the third highest paid female singer in 2019.
That level of wealth puts her a long ways from her childhood. “When I was younger, I couldn’t afford everything, but a pair of Timberlands: that was my Dior”, Riri told T: The New York Times Style Magazine. “And I had to save my money for a whole school year to get those Timberlands that I wanted, and I did it.”
It’s a determined attitude that helped the singer get to where she is today. Rihanna’s fortune isn’t just from her music – she’s been able to grow it through brand partnerships and her own product lines.
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While she’s known to splurge on beauty, fashion and holidays, Rihanna prioritises spending money on others, whether it’s her family or those in need. She’s heavily involved in charity work and was named Harvard’s humanitarian of the year in 2017.
See how Rihanna earns and spends her fortune.
Rihanna is worth an estimated US$600 million, which she's earned from a variety of industries. According to Forbes, she is now the world’s wealthiest female musician.
The singer has earned millions from her tours. Her most prolific, the Diamonds World Tour in 2013, grossed more than US$140 million worldwide.
She’s sold more than 60 million albums and 215 million digital tracks. In 2016, she reportedly earned US$7.6 million from streaming and US$2.5 million from sales.
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Rihanna is also part-owner in the streaming service Tidal, which has sold stakes for millions of dollars.
Music is only part of Rihanna’s fortune. She’s appeared in films such as Home, Annie and Ocean’s 8, which earned US$41.5 million from its box office opening in 2018.
Rihanna has also designed collections for Armani and River Island, and she has a creative partnership with MAC. She’s made deals with companies, from Dior to Cover Girl.
That’s not to mention her role as creative director for Puma, creating clothing and shoe lines that have done exceptionally well. Rihanna took on the role in 2014.
Rihanna has released 11 fragrances throughout the years. Her debut scent, Reb’l Fleur, brought in an estimated US$80 million in sales.
But Rihanna’s net worth largely comes from her partnership with French luxury-goods giant LVMH. LVMH reportedly owns half of Rihanna’s make-up brand, Fenty Beauty, while Rihanna herself reportedly owns 15 per cent – and it’s worth a reported US$3 billion.
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Just 15 months after its September 2017 launch, Fenty Beauty raked in US$570 million in revenue.
In 2019, LVMH and Rihanna launched Fenty, a clothing house with clothes, shoes, accessories and jewellery.
Rihanna also co-owns the Savage X Fenty lingerie line with online fashion firm TechStyle Fashion, which includes “Xccessories” – a sex toy line.
Fenty Beauty and Savage Beauty helped Rihanna earn US$62 million in 2019, making her the third highest paid female singer that year – quite a jump from seventh spot in 2018.
“I never thought I’d make this much money, so a number is not going to stop me from working,” she told T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
Rihanna has dabbled in real estate. She reportedly owns a three-bedroom, four-bathroom flat at The Century condos in Los Angeles, which she paid US$5.45 million for in 2014.
In 2016, she reportedly spent US$925,000 on a condo on The Wilshire Corridor, known as “the Millionaire Mile”, in Los Angeles.
In 2017, Rihanna reportedly paid US$6.8 million for a 7,130-square-foot Hollywood Hills estate, which includes a cinema and spa. After a burglary in 2018, she put it on the market for US$7.5 million and then listed it for rent at US$35,000 a month.
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The same year, she also bought a West Hollywood property for US$2.75 million, but put it on the market for US$2.85 million three months later and ended up renting it out for US$16,500 a month. She eventually sold it in early 2018.
Rihanna also rented a lower-Manhattan penthouse, which increased from US$39,000 to US$50,000 a month from 2013 to 2014. In 2018, it was put on the market for US$16.9 million.
In 2019, Rihanna revealed she had been living in London for a year. She reportedly lives in a seven-bedroom mansion that costs US$20,363 a week to rent.
In 2019, she had reportedly been recording new music in an estate on Osea Island, which costs an estimated US$25,454 to rent a day. It has a gym, cinema, pool and cottages.
When she’s not working hard, Rihanna plays hard. She’s been spotted on holiday in Portofino, St. Tropez, Los Cabos, Honolulu and Barbados, where she is originally from.
She’s also been known to take yacht holidays. In 2011, she cruised down the French Riviera in a yacht that charters for US$300,000 a week. In 2014, she chartered a yacht around the Cote d’Azur for two weeks.
Rihanna drops big money on her nights out. In 2013, she reportedly spent US$8,000 in a single night at a Miami strip club, and US$17,000 at a strip club in Houston with rapper Drake.
Rihanna also splurges on her appearance, reportedly spending US$38,000 a week on beauty alone.
That reportedly includes US$2,500 on a personal make-up artist, US$7,600 on a personal dermatologist, and US$4,000 for contour tanning.
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But that weekly number could be even higher – one report says Rihanna shells out nearly US$17,834 a week on celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen.
She also spends on her wardrobe: she’s been seen sporting US$10,000 Saint Laurent boots and US$1,340 Gucci socks.
Rihanna also takes care of her body. She’s had a number of personal trainers over the years, including Harley Pasternak, Dede Lagree and Jamie Granger.
She also pays for a personal chef, Debbie Solomon, who whips up breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
While Rihanna treats herself, she likes to spend her money on opportunities above anything else. She previously said money helps her take care of her family, facilitate businesses, and create jobs for other people. Rihanna has also given her friends cash for Christmas.
She focuses a lot on charity work. In September 2018, she donated all the proceeds from Fenty Beauty’s Diamond Ball-Out Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter to women and children in need.
In 2012, she founded the Clara Lionel Foundation to improve education and health care for children in impoverished communities. The foundation creates scholarships and hosts fundraising events.
Rihanna's also an ambassador of Barbados, the Global Partnership For Education, and the Global Citizen Project. She spends time travelling and raising money for these roles. In 2017, she spent a week in Malawi as part of an educational trip.
“My money is not for me; it’s always the thought that I can help someone else,” she said.
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This article originally appeared on Business Insider.
While she splurges on beauty, fashion and holidays, Riri prioritises spending money on others, whether it’s her family or those in need, and she’s heavily involved in charity work