Hollywood has produced several power couples but only a few of them can boast of belonging to the billion-dollar club. One of the select few that have such bragging rights is none other than hip-hop megastars, Jay-Z and Beyonce. Regarded as the president and first lady of the music industry, the couple has dominated the scene for decades; smashing records and winning numerous accolades (Queen Bey is notably the most awarded female in Grammy history with 28 awards). They have further collaborated on multiple occasions and have extended their creative pursuits to other areas.
Asides from the arts, Jay- Z and Beyonce have emerged as formidable business personalities with their enterprises spanning streaming services, clothing, wines, etc. The superstar couple now has individual fortunes that are eye-popping and are using the same to live the good life. From private jets to luxury vacation homes and multi-million dollar estates, the Carters spare no expense in treating each other well. They have also been known to utilize their wealth for charity and social justice.
Jay-Z is Hip Hop’s First Billionaire While Beyonce is Worth $420 Million
There is no gainsaying the fact that Jay-Z and Beyonce have similarly accomplished careers in the music industry. One, however, tops the other in terms of wealth accumulated and this crown goes to Jay-Z. The rapper previously had a net worth running into hundreds of millions of dollars but by June 2019, he hit the billion-dollar mark and made history as the first hip-hop personality to achieve that feat. Since then, he has further added to his wealth and is now worth $1.4 billion.
A primary source of Jay-Z’s fortune is his music career. The New York native has sold about 125 million records in the course of his career and also grossed hundreds of millions of dollars on tour. Additionally, he has retained the rights to his master catalog and Forbes now estimates this to be worth $70 million. Another lucrative source of income for Jay-Z is his businesses and investments. He owns streaming service Tidal (worth $100 million), champagne brand – Armand de Brignac (worth $310 million), as well as Roc Nation Entertainment Company (worth $75 million). He also has lucrative stakes in Uber (worth $70 million) and the cognac brand D’ussé (worth $100 million).
Jay-Z also owes his massive wealth to real estate and prized artworks. The rapper has an art collection worth $70 million and a real estate portfolio worth $50 million which includes an East Hampton mansion, a Tribeca penthouse, and a Bel Air estate.
Over to Queen Bey now, she has a net worth of $420 million. While this may not be as massive as her husband’s, there is no denying the fact that it is impressive as well. Just like her husband, Beyonce’s primary source of income is her music career. The multiple Grammy-winning singer has dished out numerous hit songs and chart-topping albums over the years. She has sold over 118 million records worldwide and has embarked on high-grossing tours. Her Formation Tour of 2016 grossed $250 million while her 2018 joint tour with her husband called On The Run II grossed $250 million.
Away from music, Beyonce is also a talented actress and has featured in movies such as Obsessed, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, and Fighting Temptations. She also supplied her voice to the 2020 Lion King remake and earned as much as $25 million for her troubles. Another 2020 project that earned Beyonce good money is a Netflix special about her groundbreaking 2016 Coachella performance. The performance itself earned her $3 million and then she got an extra $60 million from Netflix as well.
Other sources of income for the singer include endorsement deals with the likes of Pepsi and H&M as well as her activewear line, Ivy Park.
Beyonce is Twelve Years Younger Than Her Billionaire Husband
Beyonce Giselle Carter (nee Knowles) was born on the 4th day of September 1981 in Houston, Texas. She grew up with her sister Solange and they had a pleasant childhood thanks to their parents who were well-off. The family wasn’t super-rich by any imagination but they had steady sources of income and this meant that their young daughter was able to enroll in dance classes through which she discovered her talents.
Together with some of her childhood friends, Beyonce eventually formed Destiny’s Child with whom she won several accolades and impacted the music industry before deciding to go solo in 2002. Incidentally, one of Bey’s first solo recordings was a collaboration with Jay-Z for the single, “Bonnie & Clyde”.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter, grew up in New York and was born on the 4th day of December 1969. His father abandoned the family while they were still young and as such, it fell to his mom Gloria to raise him and his three siblings. As can be predicted, this wasn’t easy. The family lived in the projects and Jay-Z took to dealing crack cocaine to make ends meet as a teen. He would eventually move into music in the 80s and dropped his first official single titled “In My Lifetime” in 1995.
The Superstar Couple Have Been Together Since The Year 2000
There are some discrepancies as to the exact time that Beyonce and Jay-Z started dating. Some say around 2002 but the singer has stated that they first met when she was 18, in 1999. They later began dating the following year. Jay-Z was 31 years of age at that time but they didn’t let that difference get in the way of their romance. They started going steady in earnest but took steps to shield their relationship from the public. They later unveiled it by walking the red carpet together at the MTV VMAs in 2004.
The couple would date for an additional four years before tying the knot in a super-secret ceremony on the 4th of April 2008. As per their usual style, they hid the fact that they were married for some months. They later disclosed the same to the public revealing that the ceremony took place at Jay-Z’s Manhattan mansion. It was quite “emotional” and “spiritual” and the bride wore a voluminous white gown while her groom looked splendid in a black tux. About 70,000 orchids were reportedly flown in from Thailand to decorate the venue.
Beyonce was 26 years of age at the time of the wedding while Jay-Z was 39. The couple have now been married for more than 12 years and have welcomed three kids; daughter Blue Ivy (b. January 2012) and twins Sir and Rumi (b. June 2017).
All appeared to have been well in the Carter household as they collaborated on several occasions, resulting in hit tracks such as “Drunk in Love”, “Crazy in Love”, “Déjà Vu”, and “Upgrade You”. Things, however, later looked like it was coming to an end after the rapper was rumored to have cheated on his wife around 2016. It was quite a difficult moment for them but thankfully, they conquered it and have now moved on.
Quick Comparison of the Super Musicians
| Jay-Z | Beyonce | |
| Age | 54 | 42 |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (1.88m) | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70m) |
| Net Worth | $1.4 billion | $420 million |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York | Houston, Texas |
| No. of Albums | 14 | 6 |
| Headlining Tours | Eight | Five |
| No. of Records Sold | 125 million | 118 million |
| No. of Grammy Awards | 23 | 28 |
Key Takeaways
- Beyonce and Jay-Z rank amongst the few billion-dollar couples in Hollywood.
- The rapper is worth $1.4 billion and owes his fortune to his music career, real estate, art collection as well as businesses, and investments.
- Beyonce is worth $420 million and draws her wealth from music, acting, endorsement deals as well as her activewear line.
- Beyonce was born in 1981 while Jay-Z was born in 1969. This makes her 12 years younger than her husband.
- The couple first met in the late 90s but only started dating in 2000.
- They tied the knot in 2008 and have remained together since then. They now have three kids; Blue Ivy, Sir, and Rumi.
