Taylor Swift is unarguably one of the best-selling music artists of all time. While she might not be at the same level with legendary artists like Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Madonna and Elvis Presley, it is important to note that she has managed to at least be mentioned in the same breath as these other greats despite having only been around since 2006. In that period of time, she has managed to sell more than 50 million albums and 150 million singles worldwide.
Swift’s outstanding commercial success has ensured her a spot on a number of occasions on the highest-paid celebrities list by Forbes. She topped the list on two occasions (2016, 2019) and has managed a top ten spot three other times (2011, 2013 and 2015).
Like every other talented musician out there, Taylor Swift gained an interest in music at a very young age. At the age of nine, she focused on musical theatre but later shifted focus towards country music. Confident that she had the voice to begin her career, Swift and her mother headed to Nashville, Tennessee when she was eleven to land a record deal but they were, however, rejected. This did not dampen her confidence as she went back to the drawing board and began to learn how to play guitar and also write songs.
By the time the young girl turned 14, she had mastered her craft, enough to persuade executives at RCA Records to hand her an artist development deal. She later left RCA to join the newly formed Big Machine Records through which she released her self-titled debut album in October 2006. The album peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 7.75 million copies as of 2016.
Since her debut album, which bagged numerous accolades, including the Nashville Songwriters Association’s Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2007, making her the youngest person to win it, Taylor Swift has released six more albums; Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017), and Lover (2019). Her music has allowed her to embark on a number of successful world tours, and have further garnered her a number of prestigious awards including 10 Grammy Awards, 23 American Music Awards, and 23 Billboard Music Awards.
How Much Money Does Taylor Swift Make?
In June 2019, Forbes magazine named Taylor Swift the highest-paid celebrity in the world. This was thanks to her reported earnings of $185 million, a huge step from the previous year when she reportedly earned about $80 million.
The multiple Grammy award-winning artist was able to steal the number one spot in 2019 ahead of other celebrities like TV Personality and businessperson Kylie Jenner, rapper Kanye West, and soccer player Lionel Messi, due to the sales of her album Reputation which was the best-selling album of 2017. To further promote the album, the Pennsylvania native embarked on the Reputation Stadium Tour which lasted from May 8, 2018, to November 21, 2018. The tour proved to be a huge success as it became the second-highest-grossing concert tour of the year and the highest-grossing tour of all time in the United States, making $345.7 million.
With this, it is no surprise to find out that the same financial magazine that named her amongst the highest earners has estimated her net worth to be in the region of $360 million.
What Does She Spend Her Money On?
Being the daughter of a father who was a stockbroker, and a mother who had worked as a mutual fund marketing executive, Taylor Swift has been able to make very smart decisions with her money. She has also been generous having given away a significant chunk to charity.
Swift has reportedly made a lot of investments in real estate, with properties in different US states that are said to be worth about $86 million. Some of these properties include a 3,240-square-foot condo, a 5,600-square-foot Greek Revival estate, a 10,982 square-foot Beverly Hills mansion, a 12,000 square feet estate with seaside views in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, an 8,309-square-foot large duplex penthouse and a four-story townhouse in New York City. She further reportedly owns two Dassault private jets.
On the charity front, Taylor Swift, among her many kind gestures, donated $1 million to the victims of Louisiana floods, $500,000 to the Nashville flood relief, and helped raise $750,000 through a Speak Now Help Now benefit concert for victims of tornadoes in the southern US. She further donates to various GoFundMe campaigns, most notably a $10,000 donation toward a service dog for an autistic boy and $50,000 donation to her backup dancer’s nephew, who was battling cancer.
