Kanye West had a pretty amazing 2019 where he made $150 million.
Despite the controversy associated with Kanye West the last few years, the Jesus Is King rapper/producer still remains one of the top-earning artists of all time. Forbes released its list of Highest-Earning musicians for 2019, and Ye sits atop of the list at No. 2 right behind his longtime foe Taylor Swift. Kanye raked in a cool $150 million thanks in large part to his “Yeezy” sneaker collection. “To make products that make people feel an immense amount of joy and solve issues and problems in their life, that’s the problem-solving that I love to do,” Kanye told Forbes in their August issue.
If things weren’t already aligned enough for music’s royal couple JAY-Z and Beyoncé, ironically enough, the two powerhouses tied at No. 6 on the list, earning $81 million a piece. Drake wasn’t far behind at No. 8 with $75 million, followed by Diddy at No. 9 with $70 Million. Other artists to place in the top 10 include Ed Sheeran at No. 3 ($110 million), The Eagles at No. 4 ($100 million), Elton John at No. 5 ($84 million), and Metallic rounds out the top 10 with $68.5 million in 2019.
Several other hip-hop/R&B stars made the top 20 with Rihanna at No. 11, earning $62 million this year, followed by Travis Scott at No. 12 with $58 million in earnings. Migos (#40, $36M), Kendrick Lamar (#34, $38.5M), and DJ Khaled (#29, $40M) all made the top 40 for highest-earning musicians.
Forbes Top-Earning Musicians in the World.
1. Taylor Swift – $185 million
2. Kanye West – $150 million
3. Ed Sheeran – $110 million
4. The Eagles – $100 million
5. Elton John – $84 million
6. JAY-Z – $81 million (tie)
6. Beyoncé – $81 million (tie)
8. Drake – $75 million
9. Diddy – $70 million
10. Metallica – $68.5 million
11. Rihanna – $62 million
12. Travis Scott – $58 million
13. Justin Timberlake – $57.5 million (tie)
13. Katy Perry – $57.5 million (tie)
15. Pink – $57 million (tie)
15. BTS – $57 million (tie)
17. Billy Joel – $52 million
18. Bruno Mars – $51 million
19. Jimmy Buffett – $50 million (tie)
19. Eminem – $50 million (tie)
21. Fleetwood Mac – $49 million
You can catch the full list here.
