We’re in the final quarter of the financial year for businesses around the world, as September means the completion of what is referred to as Q3.
While the last three months (July - September) is a period that takes into account the peak of the summer festival season and the release of new material to build momentum before the end of the year, this final quarter (Q4) is a pivotal moment for the music industry.
It includes the holiday shopping season, regarded as one of the biggest times to drive album sales, merchandise, and licensed music-related gifts as fans look for the perfect presents for loved ones - and one final push before the end of the financial year.
It also means speculation as to who has “made bank,” for lack of a (much) better term, before the annual Forbes and Sunday Times lists are revealed in the new year (usually May in the case of the Sunday Times, and around March and April for Forbes), accounting for who are the richest people in the world. So, from the world of music, who is topping those lists?
We’ve taken a look at both the most recent Sunday Times Rich List and combined that with the current Forbes Real Time Billionaires list to find out who, currently and based on that information, are the richest music industry figures in 2025.
In the case of those that appeared in the Forbes list, we’ve gone to the added measure of converting those figures from USD to GBP at the current exchange rate - so as ever, treat these as an estimate rather than the gospel at this time of the year.
Here are the 13 figures who topped those lists - and their staggering net worth.
7. Rihanna - £780m
Rihanna’s massive fortune showcases the modern pop star's path to riches. While her music career is the foundation of her fame—she has sold over 215 million digital tracks—a significant portion of her wealth comes from business ventures outside of music. The majority of her wealth is attributed to her highly successful beauty and fashion enterprises, such as her Fenty partnership with luxury conglomerate LVMH. | Getty Images
8. Bruce Springsteen - £940m
We're getting into some big figures now, with Bruce Springsteen's monumental wealth a testament to the long-term value of a timeless musical catalogue and a dedication to live performance. His career spans over six decades, and he has a reputation for his marathon, lucrative tours. He cemented his status as a music billionaire by selling his entire catalogue to Sony for over $500 million in 2021. | Getty Images
9. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy McCartney - £1.025bn
Sir Paul McCartney's wealth is rooted in one of the most successful and enduring music careers of all time. As a member of The Beatles, he was a co-principal songwriter and a key figure in their creative and financial success. His vast fortune is built on his extensive and valuable back catalogue with The Beatles, his solo career, and his time with the band Wings. He continues to earn significant income from touring, album sales, and royalties from his songs, which are some of the most famous in the world. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
10. Taylor Swift - £1.27bn
Taylor Swift's fortune is a powerful example of modern music success. With a net worth of £1.27bn, she is one of the few artists to become a billionaire from her music and performances alone, without a secondary business empire. Her wealth is a result of record-breaking global tours, particularly her Eras Tour, which became the highest-grossing tour of all time. With the runaway success of The Life of a Showgirl, expect her to rise on the rich lists come 2026. | ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
11. Jay-Z - £2.03bn
He's not a businessman, he's a business, man! Jay-Z's wealth is an interesting case study in the modern music industry. While he is a highly successful rapper, his £2.03bn fortune is largely attributed to shrewd investments and ventures outside of music. He was an early pioneer in diversifying his portfolio, building his Roc Nation entertainment empire and acquiring stakes in companies like Uber and Tidal. | Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
12. Clive Calder - £3bn
Clive Calder, with a staggering £3bn fortune, is a powerful, yet famously reclusive, figure in the music business. His wealth is a testament to the business side of the industry, earned not from being a performer but from being a visionary label owner. He co-founded the Zomba Group and its subsidiary, Jive Records, which signed and developed some of the biggest pop stars in the world, including Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. His incredible business acumen culminated in the sale of the entire Zomba Group for a staggering $2.74 billion, cementing his legacy as one of the wealthiest men in modern music history. | Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Sony Music