Taylor Swift pictured in concert. (politeness: tailor)
New York:
Taylor Swift was officially named a member of the three-comma club on Tuesday, after Forbes confirmed rumors that her wealth has surpassed a billion dollars. The financial news outlet said she is the first artist to achieve billionaire status based solely on her music, and estimated that she has a fortune of $1.1 billion. Other industry heavyweights who have achieved their goals – including Rihanna and Jay-Z – have earned their vast wealth in part through fashion brands, alcohol companies or entertainment companies, among others.
Along with her extensive songwriting catalog, Swift staged the first ever billion-dollar tour – the ongoing Eras Tour has boosted the economy and delighted fans around the world.
Swift, 34, also has a significant real estate portfolio, with homes in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville and a coastal home in Rhode Island.
Her milestone tour was one of several records Swift shattered over the past year, including winning a fourth Grammy for Best Album, the most of any artist.
She received wall-to-wall attention in 2023, which concluded with Time Magazine honoring Swift as Person of the Year, calling her a “rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story.”
And in just a few weeks, fans will have a brand new album to look forward to: Swift’s release The department of tortured poets on April 19.
New record
The frenzy surrounding Swift was magnified by her dating life last year, when the pop culture icon began a very public romantic relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, which ultimately won the Super Bowl championship.
Chiefs Games – where Swift is a regular in a private box – broke a string of ratings records last season.
It was further proof of her enormous influence: with hundreds of millions of followers on social media and a loyal fan base, she can push any button with the slightest effort.
Even politicians – and conspiracy theorists – have been weighing in on her potential impact on the upcoming presidential election for months.
Swift was born in Pennsylvania on December 13, 1989. She began writing songs professionally as a teenager and signed with Nashville’s Big Machine Records as a country artist.
Years after going full-pop and, while inking a major deal with Universal, Swift became embroiled in a highly publicized feud with Big Machine.
The sale of her song catalog to a private equity firm sparked a huge dispute over musicians’ rights — and a bold new era in Swift’s career.
She promised to re-record her first six albums to own their rights, and began making good on the promise by urging her fans to listen to “Taylor’s Version” instead of previous releases.
In the meantime, she has released a number of original studio albums, with her eleventh due out later this month.
And her high-profile Eras tour will continue until the end of 2024, with estimates expecting her to cross the $2 billion threshold, a staggering sum.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)