To some, Jimmy Page is one of the greatest guitarists ever while to others, he is the quintessential definition of a rock icon. Whichever category you belong to, you won’t be entirely wrong as these are the qualities that make up the man who is simply a living legend. A native of Middlesex, England, Page started playing guitar for other musicians in his early 20s. He later co-founded one of the greatest rock bands ever, Led Zeppelin, in 1968.
Even though Page’s career was threatened by stints of drug abuse, he persevered and became one of the biggest rock stars the world has ever seen. He and his Led Zeppelin band sold hundreds of millions of records. He has also been bestowed with numerous accolades including two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These remarkable achievements have come with impressive wealth as Jimmy Page has a net worth of £127 million, making him one of the richest musicians in the United Kingdom.
Jimmy Page’s Band Sold about 300 Million Records and Made Over $500 Million
Jimmy Page accumulated his first millions as a member of the Led Zeppelin band. As the story goes, the Middlesex native spent his late teens and early 20s playing guitar during recording sessions for other musicians. He then got his first breakthrough after he was hired as the guitarist for the band, The Yardbirds, in 1966. Page and his fellow Yardbirds members managed to release one album but it performed poorly. This led them to break up and the courageous Page soldiered on solo.
He recruited vocalist Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones, and constituted them into a new Yardbirds. The group then changed its name to Led Zeppelin in 1968. Led Zeppelin dropped their first eponymous studio album in 1969. It was an instantaneous hit; selling eight million copies in the U.S alone and an additional two outside the U.S, thus making for a total of ten million. This set the tone for what Page and his Led Zeppelin bandmates would achieve during the course of their 12-year existence.
The band released an additional seven studio albums, all of which were certified multiple platinum. They also released several live and compilation albums which were certified platinum as well. To date, it is estimated that Led Zeppelin has sold around 300 million records. They have netted more than $500 million in the process, thus contributing a healthy chunk of Jimmy Page’s net worth.
Their 2007 Reunion Concert Attracted about 20 Million Fans
Another major contributor to Jimmy Page’s net worth is the revenue that he and his band made from public performances. Led Zeppelin was not just talented at making brilliant music in the studio but was also gifted with the art of dishing out unforgettable live performances. This made them the toast of concerts goers and as such, they staged several sold-out tours during their 12-year existence. Some of them include the North American Tour (1968-69, 1973, 1975, and 1977), the Japanese Tour (1972), the European Tour (1973, 1970), and the U.K. Tour (1968, 1970).
In all, the group organized about 600 sold-out concerts and it is estimated that they made at least $1.5 million from each concert, making a gross revenue of $900,000,000. Public performances continue to spin money for the group even though they have disbanded. For instance, in 2007, Page and his bandmates staged a reunion concert at the London O2 Arena. About 20 thousand tickets were made available and people only stood a chance of buying them if they were lucky in the draft lottery as about 20 million people applied for it.
Each ticket went for as much as $250 but people resold theirs for as much as $2000 and $168,000. Going by the official value of the tickets, it means that the reunion concert grossed at least $5 million.
Jimmy Page and His Bandmates Made about $62 Million from “Stairway to Heaven”
Jimmy and his Led Zeppelin bandmates released several unforgettable songs during their time together but none can compare to their 1971 monster hit, Stairway to Heaven. Often hailed as the greatest rock song ever, it charted in several countries around the globe. It also sold millions of copies and it is now estimated that this single track has fetched the band about $62 million.
A breakdown of this figure shows that $400k comes from public playing of the song while $2 million is from a download deal with Verizon. An additional $12 million come from royalties from album/DVD sales as well as radio play while another $48 million comes from sales of DVD.
Page and his bandmates continue to reap the benefits from Stairway to Heaven to this day. According to a plagiarism lawsuit filed against the group in 2014, it is estimated that the song fetched them about $58.5 million in royalties from 2011 to 2016.
His Solo Album Has Sold about 500K Copies
Following the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, Jimmy Page and the remaining Led Zeppelin members found it hard moving on without him. They thus decided to call time on the group and pursue solo careers. From that time till now, Page has collaborated with several other bands and artists such as The Firm, Black Crowes, and Roy Harper. These collaborations have yielded numerous public performances as well as six albums. They include The Firm (1985), Mean Business (1986), Walking into Clarksdale (1998), and Live at the Greek (2000).
Page has also dropped one solo album of his own. Titled Outrider, the 1988 album features about nine tracks including Wasting My Time, Wanna Make Love, Writes of Winter, The Only One, and Liquid Mercury. The album did quite well. It charted in the U.K. and the U.S. and sold about 500k copies in America alone. It also spurned a tour that saw Page play 37 shows across the U.K. and the U.S. All these has without doubt contributed to his net worth.
Sources of Jimmy Page’s Wealth
- Album sales
- Concerts and tours
- Stairway to Heaven
- Solo album and tours
A Breakdown of His Net Worth Over the Years
- 2011 – £75 million
- 2012 – £75 million
- 2013 – £80 million
- 2014 – £100 million
- 2015 – £100 million
- 2016 – £105 million
- 2017 – £105 million
- 2018 – £125 million
- 2019 – £125 million
- 2020 – £127 million
The Rock Star Has Owned Several Historic Houses
The award-winning musician has a thing for houses, especially those steeped in history, and he is not afraid to bring out top cash to own them.
Page’s love story with buildings dates back to his pre-Led Zeppelin days, specifically 1967 when he paid about £6000 for a house on the leafy banks of the River Thames. The home boasted of angular rooms as well as a moor which accommodated its owner’s boat.
By 1970, Page bought the Boleskine House on the east side of Loch Ness. The home was in a very poor state but the singer deployed his enormous funds to repair it and by the time he sold it in 1992, he got a quarter of a million pounds. Whilst residing in Boleskine, Page also purchased the Plumpton Place (a grade II manor house located in the east part of Sussex) in 1971. The magnificent home featured six bedrooms, a large library, and two small cottages; all surrounded by a lake and moor. The guitarist later sold it after his bandmate, Bonham, died there in 1981.
He Now Lives in His London Tower House
Presently, Jimmy Page makes his home in the famous tower house located in Holland Park, West London. Designed by renowned English architect, William Burges, the house was built from 1875 to 1881 and features a red brick façade, a prominent cylindrical tower, as well as a conical roof.
Page bought the home for £350K in 1972. It remains his primary residence to date and his neighbors include popular musician, Robbie Williams.
Some of Jimmy Page’s Bestselling Songs and Albums
Albums
- Led Zeppelin
Year of release – 1969
Sales – 10 million - Led Zeppelin II
Year of release – 1969
Sales – 12 million - Led Zeppelin IV
Year of release – 1971
Sales – 23 million - Houses of the Holy
Year of release – 1971
Sales – 11 million - In Through the Out Door
Year of release – 1979
Sales – six million
Songs
- Stairway to Heaven
Year of release – 1972
Sales – 700k - Black Dog
Year of release – 1971
Sales – N/A
