How to make a swift billion dollars (Taylor's version)

Making money in the music business, certainly as a performer, isn’t easy. But for those that reach megastar status, fortunes can be eyewatering.

High-net-worth hit-maker Taylor Swift is estimated to have added almost US$200 million to her net worth thanks to the immense success of her Eras Tour which sold over 2.4 million tickets in US pre-sales on the first day alone and is about to take Latin America, Asia, and Europe by storm before ending in Canada late in 2024.

The updated net worth total from Forbes takes Swift to just a couple of hundred thousand dollars away from being a billionaire, surpassing legends such as Dolly Parton, Madonna, and Bono. It’s important to note that this is just her personal fortune as the tour itself grossed more than $300 million from the first 22 dates alone.

Touring is just one aspect of a successful recording artists’ income of course and Swift added almost $100 million to her fortune in 2022 thanks to her recorded music.

While the Eras Tour is bringing in the dollars, a new report from experience company QuestionPro reveals that Beyonce fans are willing to spend more on concertgoing. The average Beyonce fan is paying out $1,800 for the experience compared to around $1,500 for Swifties.

Canadian stars

How does Taylor Swift’s fortune rank alongside Canadian music royalty?

At Forbes’ estimation of $740 million, only Celine Dion beats her in US dollar terms with $800 million according to MusicIndustryHowTo.com.

Although Dion continues to rake in cash from her recorded music, being diagnosed with the painful and rare neurological condition Stiff Person Syndrome means she is unlikely to tour again, one of the most lucrative parts of the business.

Shania Twain is some way behind Dion and Swift with a $400 million fortune, followed by Justin Bieber and The Weeknd (both on $300m), Drake ($250m), and Neil Young ($200m). Beiber and Young are among the artists that have sold rights to their music to fund manager Hipgnosis.