Dr. Dre does not have to release an album to make millions. The West Coast rap legend rank No. 1 on the 2012 Forbes Highest-Paid Musician list.
The producer/entrepreneur raked in a reported $110 million largely due to sales of his very popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line. According to Forbes, Dre made a whopping $100 million when HTC bought a 51% stake in the company.
Bajan pop star Rihanna also made the list but came in at No. 12 with $53 million largely due to her fragrance Reb’l Fleur sales, Loud tour and endorsement deals with Vita Coco and Armani Jeans.
Lady Gaga rank No. 13 with $52 million, Diddy and Katy Perry 14 with $45 million, Beyonce 18 with $40 million, her husband Jay-Z 20 with $38 million and Kanye West tie with Adele for No. 22 with $35 million
See the 2012 Forbes Highest-Paid Musician list below:
1. Dr. Dre – $110 million
2. Roger Waters – $88 million
3. Elton John – $80 million
4. U2 – $78 million
5. Take That – $69 million
6. Bon Jovi – $60 million
7. Britney Spears – $58 million
8. Paul McCartney – $57 million (tie)
8. Taylor Swift – $57 million (tie)
10. Justin Bieber – $55 million (tie)
10. Toby Keith – $55 million
12. Rihanna – $53 million
13. Lady Gaga – $52 million
14. Foo Fighters – $47 million
15. Diddy – $45 million (tie)
15. Katy Perry – $45 million (tie)
17. Kenny Chesney – $44 million
18. Beyoncé – $40 million
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $39 million
20. Jay-Z – $38 million
21. Coldplay – $37 million
22. Adele – $35 million (tie)
22. Kanye West – $35 million (tie)
24. Michael Bublé – $34 million
25. Sade – $33 million
