The 15 Musicians With the Biggest Empires of All Time

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Half a century later and The Beatles are still on top. The ’60s band that changed rock ‘n’ roll forever hasn’t faded from the spotlight, despite the fact that their last studio album Let It Be came out in 1970. The Beatles catalog is worth a lot, but surprisingly enough, that’s not where these Britpop originators are reaping the biggest paychecks. In fact, The Beatles don’t even own their own music. Michael Jackson bought the rights to The Beatles catalog in 1985, and while the $47.5M they collected was a nice cash-in, it doesn’t even come close to the numbers Paul and John put on the board independently.

In September, Paul McCartney will release the next two-disc package in the multi-year roll out of his archive of solo music. Although he played the biggest hand in selling The Beatles music to his buddy MJ in the ’80s, McCartney owns the rights to tons of other people’s music, including part of Buddy Holly’s catalog. The 72-year-old is still on a heavy touring schedule, which helps him rake in millions in ticket sales each year. And last, but not least, almost half of McCartney’s net worth comes from his very-wealthy wifey, Nancy Shevell. She’s the heiress to a massive family fortune in the transportation industry and sits on the board of the MTA. Not bad, Paul.

John Lennon, though no longer with us, is the second-most-successful Beatle. Worth a whopping $800M at the time of his death, most of his wealth was rumored to be in real estate and organic farming. He left his entire estate to Yoko Ono, who, while balling out of control, released a provocative capsule collection with retailer-of-the-moment Opening Ceremony, among other ventures.

Although he’s stepped out of the spotlight more than his counterparts Ringo Starr is still worth a reported $300M, making him the richest drummer of all time. At the time of his passing, bassist George Harrison was reportedly worth $400M.

Dr. Dre has proved to be an incredibly well-rounded impresario. From the co-founding of Death Row records, to the founding of his own Aftermath Entertainment imprint, Dre has managed to keep his hand on the pulse of the rap world with some of the biggest signings in the genre's history. Running down Dre's resume reads like a hip-hop hall of fame inductee sheet: Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, N.W.A., Eminem, 50 Cent, and many more. Most other rap businessmen would stop there. But, in 2006 Dre teamed up with Interscope head Jimmy Iovine to create Beats Electronics, the parent company that produced the popular Beats by Dre headphones. The company went on to dominate the premium headphone market so much that Apple decided to scoop it up for $3 billion. The deal netted Dre a hefty check, raising his net worth to around $800 million. Dr. Dre is shaping up to be his own billion-dollar corporation, literally.

When Madonna released “Material Girl” in 1984 even she had little idea the heights her personal wealth would reach today. Not only the single best-selling female artist of all time, Madonna has business ventures in film, fashion, and even children’s books. An unstoppable work ethic and endless energy to tour has kept Madonna relevant and totally loaded. She performed at The 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show and is busy working on her thirteenth studio album featuring massive acts like Avicii. She has a big heart, too. Madonna heads up Raising Malawi, an organization dedicated to building schools around Malawi, and has contributed major donations to different groups committed to fighting the effects of poverty in her hometown of Detroit.

Michael Jackson was a tour de force. One of history’s most influential musicians, Jackson was also one of the industry’s most strategic businessmen. In addition to acquiring the rights to the entire Beatles Catalog, Michael Jackson was aggressive in ensuring he owned the rights to his own family’s songs—many of which remain some of the biggest hits ever written. Thanks to those rights and millions in record sales, concert ticket sales, and publishing deals, Jackson was able to acquire the now-famous Neverland Ranch, a collection of cars, antiques and designer clothing. Michael Jackson worked tirelessly to build an empire that continues to thrive today, despite personal turmoil and numerous lawsuits. 

Bono is a living legend. In addition to heading up one of the biggest rock bands in history, his commitment to humanitarian work and AIDS research ranks him up there with philanthropists like Bill and Melinda Gates. As a venture capitalist, Bono invested in the Forbes Media Group and sits on the board of a successful private equity firm. Through his investment, he owns a small, but valuable stake in Facebook. Cha-ching.

Despite a slew of unsuccessful teeny bopper movies like Glitter and WiseGirls, this multi-octave songbird has been charting number ones and selling out international arenas for close to three decades. The New York native has sold over 200 million records and was honored at the 1998 World Music Awards as the best-selling musician of the 1990s. She's done campaigns with Pepsi, Motorola, and a number of other moneyed brands. She's had her own fragrance; her own clothing line, and her own soft drink. Anything that an artist could do to make money, Mariah Carey has done. Makes sense why she's sitting pretty. 

Despite that fact that most ’80s babies have distinct memories of enthusiastically doing the rhumba around their room listening to “Turn the Beat Around” or crying a river while watching N’Sync go ham in Music Of My Heart, most haven't checked for Gloria Estefan in close to two decades. But the Cuban singer/songwriter has never stopped hustling. In addition to recently wrapping up a successful European tour, Estefan also pockets serious cash from the businesses she started with her husband Emilio. Some of those businesses include Cuban restaurants and two hotels located through Florida. On top of that, Estefan was appointed to the board of directors for Univision in 2007 and bought a minority share of the Miami Dolphins. It's safe to say she's going to be rich forever. 

Don't get it twisted: Dolly Parton is one of the realest women in the world. Her entrancing contralto voice stirs up those deep-seated tumbleweed emotions, and helped the star blaze her path to headliner success in an industry that isn't exactly known for reciprocity. Dolly Parton famously said, “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” and clearly she knew what she was talking about. Just look at those millions.

"Divalicious to the max" are words that someone might use to describe Elton John. The sassy and prolific pianist has reigned supreme for close to 50 years now, thanks to classics like "Your Song" and all the best sexy jams from Disney's The Lion King. Trippy, out-of- this-world costumes and an attitude to match are a recipe for riches, fame, and success. Oh, and always keeping your sunglasses on.

The Canadian singer who launched a single ship (the Titanic) to earn millions of dollars, Celine Dion is, for many, the definition of adult contemporary kitsch. But you can't deny her vocal abilities. Dion has wowed audiences with her unmatchable soprano, pipes that earned her a very profitable Vegas residency.

Jenny from the block makes enough money to own the block. It’s great to see J.Lo regaining some of her groove this year (thanks, "I Luh Ya Papi") after her hiatus as Latin Music’s First Lady alongside the ever elegant Marc Anthony. Lopez reemerged in 2011 with her smash single "On the Floor," featuring Pitbull. This year, she released a new album, A.K.A., and let everyone know that the block will forever be hers.

The head of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger remains one of the cooler old dudes in trad rock ’n’ roll. He’s got just enough strange in his face to keep him attractive and time has done nothing to dull the onslaught of what aging does to a person with "interesting" features. Thankfully, Jagger’s much heralded success allows him to continue moving his hips in suggestive, sorta uncomfortable ways in stadiums across the land. Your parents may have told you about this.

Let's hear it for the man who turned mumbling over jam band noodling into a successful singing career. Matthews is probably most famous for his ability to sound like he’s singing with his mouth's been wired shut, while his mouth is actually open. He's also known for soundtracking many, many poor college decisions in the basements of frat houses populated by men who embrace sandals as a way of life. Signs and wonders.

Beginning one’s career as a drummer for an iconic band like Nirvana is an auspicious start. Grohl has been quite adept at successfully founding other bands including the the popular alt band Foo Fighters. Additionally, Grohl has released a slew of semi-successful documentaries and short films in the last two decades.