Less than 5,000 people on Earth hold billionaire status, and 30 of them are household-name celebrities, according to Forbes’ 2025 World’s Billionaires List compiled from March 7 data.
At a Glance
- Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian and more now count fortunes of $1 billion-plus
- The U.S. leads with 902 billionaires; the global list gained $2 trillion over 2024
- Music, cosmetics, sports and streaming deals power most of the star fortunes
- Why it matters: Their earnings reshape what’s possible inside-and outside-Hollywood
These stars crossed the 10-figure line through hit tours, catalog sales, beauty brands, sports salaries and smart equity stakes. News Of Los Angeles breaks down how each made it to the three-comma club.
Music Moguls Lead the Way
Beyoncé became the fifth musician ever to reach $1 billion, earning the distinction in December 2025. Decades of hits, Ivy Park fashion, Cécred hair care and SirDavis whisky added up, but the tipping point was the Cowboy Carter Tour, which grossed $400 million in tickets and an estimated $50 million in merch, per Pollstar.
Taylor Swift hit $1.6 billion in October 2023 during her record-shattering Eras Tour. She is the first musician to make the ranking “primarily based on her songs and performances,” Forbes notes. The Eras Tour sold $2.08 billion in tickets-double any tour in history-and Swift gave $197 million in bonuses to crew members.
Bruce Springsteen long disputed estimates, but by April 2025 Forbes confirmed $1.2 billion. A $500 million Sony catalog sale in December 2021 supplied the bulk, plus decades of touring that grossed $1.53 billion in the U.S. alone.
Jay-Z cracked the list in 2019, reaching $2.5 billion through:
- $750 million Bacardi buy-out of D’Ussé cognac
- $300 million-plus Tidal sale
- $140 million Roc Nation valuation
- $70 million art collection and $50 million in real estate
Blockbuster Deals Behind the Camera
Steven Spielberg sits at $5.3 billion, largely from a 1987 contract giving him “2 percent of Universal Orlando theme-park receipts in perpetuity,” TheWrap reported. Lucasfilm’s George Lucas cashed in when Disney paid $4.1 billion for the company in 2012, pushing his net worth to $5.1 billion.
Peter Jackson joined after selling part of Weta Digital for $975 million in 2021, good for a $1.7 billion fortune.
Jerry Seinfeld reached $1.1 billion on the back of:
- 15 % cut of Seinfeld profits
- $500 million Netflix streaming pact
- $20 million special payday from the platform
Beauty Brands Build Empires
Rihanna (worth $1.4 billion) hit the list in 2021 when Fenty Beauty, launched in 2017, drove the bulk of her valuation. Savage x Fenty lingerie and 2024’s Fenty Hair keep revenues climbing.
Kim Kardashian crossed $1.7 billion via:
- KKW Beauty and Fragrance
- SKIMS shapewear
- 2025 Nike activewear collaboration
Kylie Jenner, once labeled the youngest self-made billionaire, now lists $670 million after Forbes revised earlier estimates downward.
Sports Salaries & Equity Stakes
LeBron James became the first active NBA billionaire in June 2022, worth $1.3 billion. On-court earnings, PepsiCo and Nike endorsements, plus stakes in Beats, Liverpool FC and SpringHill Company, secured his spot.
Tiger Woods (worth $1.4 billion) and Magic Johnson (worth $1.5 billion) joined as active or retired athletes. Johnson’s controlling interest in EquiTrust life insurance fuels his fortune.
Michael Jordan sold his Hornets stake for $3 billion in 2023, pushing his net worth to $3.5 billion.
Business Builders & Investors
Oprah Winfrey maintains $3.1 billion through Harpo Productions, the OWN network and past WeightWatchers shares.
Tyler Perry earned $1.4 billion after banking $1.4 billion in pretax income since 2005, owning his 330-acre Atlanta studio and BET+ stake.
Ralph Lauren built a $10.7 billion fashion empire after founding Polo in 1967, outfitting Team USA since 2008.
Christian Louboutin sold 24 % of his red-soled shoe brand for $650 million in 2021, hitting $1.2 billion.
Tech & Media Fortunes
Mark Zuckerberg ranks second globally with $216 billion, leading Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Evan Spiegel co-founded Snapchat and holds $2.9 billion.
Arnold Schwarzenegger reached $1.1 billion through:
- $500 million in film earnings
- Real estate, Google Series A, Starbucks and private equity bets
The Ultra-Elite Top Line
- Elon Musk leads the planet at $342 billion, headlining Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink
- Jeff Bezos sits third with $215 billion after founding Amazon and Blue Origin
- Bill Gates holds $108 billion from Microsoft and the Gates Foundation
- Warren Buffett commands $154 billion, pledging to donate the bulk
- Michael Bloomberg tallies $105 billion, giving away $3 billion in 2020 alone
- MacKenzie Scott, post-divorce, lists $28.2 billion and has donated $640 million in a single year
Key Takeaways
- Music catalogs, touring and cosmetics create the fastest celebrity billionaire paths
- Equity over salary: most fortunes hinge on ownership stakes, not paychecks
- Streaming and licensing deals keep paying for decades after content debuts
- Many on the list, including Rihanna, Scott and Buffett, have committed to giving large portions away
Forbes updates its real-time billionaire tracker daily, so these totals rise-or fall-as markets, tours and brand deals unfold.
