Jay Z Net Worth: “I’m a Business, Man”

As of 12/13/16, the Jay Z net worth total of $558 million comes from a prolific music career mixed with gigantic business deals. Jay Z’s impressive career started back in 1996. Since that time he has earned nearly $868 million. That’s $78 million from music sales, $240 million from concert tours, $147 million in endorsement deals, $48 million from merchandise and $354 million in business deals. Subtracting from the  total are a whopping $420 million in taxes and $86 million in expenses. Investments add back about $197 million.

Jay Z may have begun his career as a rapper, but he has since become one of the top entrepreneurs in the world. Or as he puts it, “I’m a business, man.”

jay-z-net-worth

Jay Z Net Worth Facts

Jay Z Net Worth Facts
Jay Z net worth:$558,289,365
Jay Z net worth vs Beyonce net worth:1.3 times bigger
Jay Z net worth plus Beyonce net worth:$978,289,365
Jay Z net worth vs Drake net worth6 times bigger
Jay Z net worth vs Rihanna net worthTwice as big
Jay Z net worth vs Miley Cyrus net worth:Three times bigger
Jay Z net worth vs Taylor Swift net worth:Twice as big
Jay Z net worth vs Justin Bieber net worth:Twice as big
Jay Z net worth vs Barack Obama net worth:174 times bigger
Jay Z net worth vs Hillary Clinton net worth:18 times bigger
Jay Z net worth vs typical American household net worth:8,210 times bigger

As the table above shows, the $558 million dollar Jay Z net worth sum is 1.3 times bigger than wife Beyonce’s net worth of $420 million. The combined Beyonce and JayZ net worth total is $978 million. Rapper Drake’s net worth of $101 million is 6 times smaller than Jay Z’s, which is twice as big as Taylor Swift’s net worth of $311 million. Jay Z’s net worth is twice the size of Rihanna’s at $308 million and double the size of Justin Bieber’s net worth of $244 million.

Who does America value more, their leaders or their musicians? If net worth is any clue, it’s the musicians. Jay Z has 173 times more money than Obama’s net worth of $3.2 million. He has 18 times more than Hillary Clinton’s net worth of $31 million and 1,057 times more than Bernie Sanders’ net worth of $528,014. How does the typical American stack up against Jay Z? The net worth of the typical American household is $68,000. That’s 8,210 times smaller than Jay Z’s net worth.

 

Also see: Drake Net Worth

Jay Z Net Worth Over Time

Jay Z Net Worth Through Time
Jay Z Net Worth 1996$5,469,051
Jay Z Net Worth 2000$36,937,669
Jay Z Net Worth 2005$81,458,210
Jay Z Net Worth 2007$187,605,618
Jay Z Net Worth 2008$270,023,752
Jay Z Net Worth 2010$319,902,266
Jay Z Net Worth 2012$391,574,555
Jay Z Net Worth 2013$450,660,935
Jay Z Net Worth 2015$527,158,221
Jay Z Net Worth 2016$558,289,365

The Jay Z net worth story began back in 1996 with the sale of his first album, Reasonable Doubt. That record sold 2.25 million copies and earned an estimated $24.7 million in sales. That kicked off a highly successful music career with 15 studio albums, 115 singles and 11 concert tours. 14 Jay Z albums received at least a Platinum certification, meaning they sold over one million copies each. Several of the rapper’s records went double, triple or even 5X Platinum, with 1998’s Vol 2…. Hard Knock Life selling over 10.5 million units.

Not content to stop at an incredibly prolific music career, Jay Z switched into high gear in 1999 with the start of his Rocawear clothing line. The rapper-turned-businessman sold that company eight years later for a fat $204 million. Another $150 million deal with concert promotion firm Live Nation one year later cemented Z’s status as a business leader. Persistent endorsement deals, merchandise sales, music sales and growing investment income have continued to ensure steep growth to the star’s wealth ever since.

jay-z-net-worth-timeline

Jay Z Net Worth Sources

It may come as a surprise to some that the largest slice of the Jay Z net worth pie doesn’t come from music but from business deals. The 2007 sale of Jay Z’s clothing company Rocawear pulled in $204 million. The rapper made another $150 million from his deal with entertainment giant Live Nation. Concerts have heaped another $240 million on the Jay Z net worth mountain. Also kicking in is estimated investment income at $170 million, endorsement deals worth $133 million, and finally music sales of $78 million. Bringing up the rear is YouTube income of $1.5 million.

Jay Z Net Worth Sources
Jay Z Business Deals$354,000,000
Jay Z Concerts$239,939,334
Jay Z Endorsement Deals$147,000,000
Investment Income (est. 6%/yr)$197,280,953
Music Sales$77,785,062
Jay Z Merchandise$47,987,867
Jay Z YouTube Channel$1,513,837
Total Jay Z Career Earnings$868,226,100
Average Jay Z Salary$43,411,305
Taxes (40%/yr)$420,395,078
Expenses (10%/yr)$86,822,610
Jay Z Net Worth$558,289,365

Jay Z Net Worth Breakdown

Jay Z Net Worth from Business Deals: $354 Million

jay z net worth business dealsIs Jay Z a rapper or a businessman? The musician has been quoted famously as saying, “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man!” $354 million in major business deals contribute to the Jay Z net worth total. The singer’s biggest deal by far was the sale of the Rocawear clothing line for $204 million in 2007. Jay Z and partner Damon Dash started Rocawear in 1999. By 2007 the company was raking in $700 million annually. Another high dollar deal with concert conglomerate Live Nation plows an extra $150 million into the Jay Z net worth pile. Jay Z also owns the Armand de Brignac champagne company and has another deal with streaming service Tidal.

Since more than half of Jay Z’s net worth comes from music and related sources, it’s still OK to refer to him as a rapper.

Concert Tours and Jay Z Net Worth: $240 Million

jay z net worth concertsConcert tours have added $240 million to the Jay Z net worth figures. The Best of Both Worlds tour in 2004 put almost $7 million in the rapper’s pocket. The star’s most lucrative tour was the Watch the Throne Tour in 2011. That tour added $64 million to the musician’s total wealth.

Major pop stars can earn a big percentage of a concert’s box office revenue. Industry experts put a singer’s take at about 85% of total ticket sales.

Some of the concert tours below were joint ventures with other artists. For example, the On the Run Tour with wife Beyonce brought in $110 million at the world wide box office. Since Jay Z likely split that take with his wife, the tour adds an estimated $47 million to Z’s net worth.

Jay Z Net Worth from Concert Tours
Jay Z Concert Tour NameYearBox OfficeJay Z %Jay Z Earnings
Best of Both Worlds (Jay Z debut tour)2004$16,000,00042.50%$6,800,000
American Gangster Tour2007$4,000,00085%$3,400,000
The Heart of the City2008$34,200,00042.50%$14,535,000
Jay Z & Ciara Live2009$12,000,00042.50%$5,100,000
Jay Z Fall Tour2009$15,000,00085%$12,750,000
U2 360 Tour2009$61,000,00010%$6,100,000
The Home & Home Tour (Jay Zwith Eminem)2010$2,000,00042.50%$850,000
Watch the Throne Tour (Jay Z biggest non-Beyonce tour)2011$75,000,00085%$63,750,000
Legends of the Summer2013$69,800,00085%$59,330,000
Magna Carta World Tour2013$24,400,00085%$20,740,000
On the Run Tour (Jay Z with Beyonce)2014$109,610,19842.50%$46,584,334
Total Jay Z Net Worth from Concerts$239,939,334

Jay Z Net Worth from Music Sales: $78 Million

jay z net worth music salesThink most of the Jay Z net worth fortune comes from music sales? Think again. Though the star has socked away some $78 million from sales of albums and singles, that’s only 6% of the Jay Z net worth amount.

Jay Z churned out 15 studio albums and 115 singles over a 19 year period. All in all, Jay Z has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Even top singers only get about 6.6% of the money from songs they sing. They get another 4.5% for songs they write. That puts Jay Z’s percentage at 11.1% of album sales, since he writes his own material.

Album Sales and Jay Z Net Worth: $69 Million

Album Sales and Jay Z Net Worth
Jay Z Album NameYearUnits SoldCostRevenueJay Z %Jay Z Earnings
Reasonable Doubt19962,250,000$10.99$24,727,500.0011.10%$2,744,753
In My Lifetime, Vol. 119972,500,000$10.99$27,475,000.0011.10%$3,049,725
Vol 2... Hard Knock Life (Top Jay Z album)199810,500,000$10.99$115,395,000.0011.10%$12,808,845
Vol 3... Life and Times of S. Carter19995,000,000$10.99$54,950,000.0011.10%$6,099,450
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia20003,000,000$10.99$32,970,000.0011.10%$3,659,670
The Blueprint (Considered one of the best Jay Z albums)20013,500,000$10.99$38,465,000.0011.10%$4,269,615
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse20022,500,000$10.99$27,475,000.0011.10%$3,049,725
The Best of Both Worlds (Jay Z with R. Kelly)20021,200,000$10.99$13,188,000.0011.10%$1,463,868
The Black Album20034,000,000$10.99$43,960,000.0011.10%$4,879,560
Unfinished Business (Bottom Jay Z album)2004750,000$10.99$8,242,500.0011.10%$914,918
Kingdom Come20063,000,000$10.99$32,970,000.0011.10%$3,659,670
American Gangster (First Jay Z "concept" album)20071,600,000$10.99$17,584,000.0011.10%$1,951,824
The Blueprint 320093,000,000$10.99$32,970,000.0011.10%$3,659,670
Watch the Throne20112,000,000$10.99$21,980,000.0011.10%$2,439,780
Magna Carta Holy Grail (15th Jay Z album)20132,500,000$10.99$27,475,000.0011.10%$3,049,725
Other Albums9,500,000$10.99$104,405,000.0011.10%$11,588,955
Total Jay Z Net Worth from Album Sales$69,289,752

Singles Sales and Jay Z Net Worth: $8.5 Million

Singles sales chip in $8.5 million to the Jay Z net worth total. Jay Z has sold 34 million singles worldwide as lead artist with $68 million in sales. We estimate the rapper keeps 11.1% of that or $7.5 million.

Jay Z also features in singles by other artists that have sold 15 million units. Those songs have revenues of $30 million. Since Jay Z keeps 3.3% of that, he has made another $1 million from featured singles sales.

Endorsements and Jay Z Net Worth: $140 Million

We don’t have exact dollar amounts for how much endorsements add into the Jay Z net worth numbers. We do know the star has had endorsement deals with Bing, Budweiser, Reebok, Samsung, HP, Hublot and Rhapsody to name a few. We estimate an annual average of $7 million dollars in endorsements pumping up the Jay Z net worth whole, for a total career earnings of $147 million in product endorsement cash. Jay Z continues to sign fat endorsement deals, with the most recent a Reebok partnership in the summer of 2016.

YouTube and Jay Z Net Worth: $1.5 Million

Shockingly, Jay Z doesn’t appear to have a huge YouTube income. As of 12/13/16, the rapper’s Vevo channel has 204,719,248 views. Compare that to 9 billion for Rihanna. Since 1,000 YouTube views translates to about $7.60 according to industry sources, we figure $1.32 million in YouTube earnings have added into the Jay Z net worth mix.

Jay Z Net Worth from YouTube
Views
Revenue
Jay Z %
Jay Z Earnings
Jay Z YouTube (Vevo)204,719,248$1,555,86685%$1,322,486

Taxes and Expenses and Jay Z Net Worth

taxes jay z net worthIncome taxes of a staggering $420 million subtract from the Jay Z net worth final figure. Jay Z is in a 39.6% federal tax bracket. As a resident of New York State, his State taxes sit at 8.82%. That gives the star a standing tax rate of 48.4%. Depending on the year, the singer has paid anywhere from $5 million to $106 million in taxes annually.

We estimate Jay Z spends about 15% of his regular income on expenses. That includes cost of living, agents, staff and operating costs. All in all, a career expense bill of $87 million sucks a little air out of the musician’s wealth.

Jay Z Net Worth Calculations
YearJay Z Total Income (plus 6% investments)Taxes (40%)Expenses (10%)Jay Z Net Worth
1996-1997$26,611,132-$12,885,110-$2,661,113$11,347,002
1998-1999$39,724,950-$19,234,821-$3,972,495$29,563,320
2000-2001$28,745,940-$13,918,784-$2,874,594$44,946,003
2002-2003$30,209,808-$14,627,589-$3,020,981$62,583,479
2004-2005$28,531,572-$13,814,987-$2,853,157$81,458,210
2006-2007$233,828,149-$113,219,590-$23,382,815$187,605,618
2008-2009$212,961,325-$103,115,873-$21,296,132$299,759,460
2010-2011$87,856,435-$42,540,086-$8,785,643$368,252,318
2012-2013$103,936,380-$50,325,995-$10,393,638$450,660,935
2014-2015$66,343,922-$32,123,727-$6,634,392$527,158,221
2016$9,476,487-$4,588,515-$947,649$558,289,365
Jay Z Net Worth Totals$868,226,100-$420,395,078-$86,822,610

Jay Z Net Worth vs Dr. Dre and More

jay z net worth vs othersThe chart below shows how Jay Z’s net worth stacks up graphically. Dr. Dre’s net worth of over $700 million makes him the highest paid singer in our database. What do Jay Z and Dr. Dre have in common, and why are they worth so much more than other rappers? The answer is business deals. Dr. Dre sold Beats Electronics to Apple in a $3.2 billion dollar deal in 2014. Dre’s cut of that was roughly $800 million. Jay Z also got into business in a big way. The Rocawear clothing line sale netted the J-man $204 million.

By comparison, Drake and Kanye West have net worths less than $110 million. Their money comes mostly from music and endorsements, with very little business income.

What about Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Beyonce? The three pop stars aren’t heavily invested in the business world but are all worth well over $200 million. While that doesn’t approach Jay Z’s $558 million, it’s still a lot higher than Kanye West or Dr Dre. Both West and Dre have been in the business a lot longer than the three young ladies. A case could be made for sexism. The concerts by the three women below average more than twice the box office take of tours by the men. Simply put, it may just pay to be a diva.

Jay Z Net Worth vs

Jay Z Net Worth in the Future

So how will the Jay Z net worth story go on from here? It’s difficult to say. Jay Z announced his retirement way back in 2003. If the rapper had stuck to his word, his total wealth would have stalled out at about $55 million, plus investment income. That’s not poor by any stretch, but it’s certainly not the half a billion the megastar has today. Even if he retires tomorrow, the star’s wealth will keep growing. Compound interest alone will likely keep pumping dollars into the star’s coffers long after he stops churning out songs.

At a rough estimate, even with no new music, Jay Z will keep adding 20% to his net worth every year from a mix of royalties, endorsement deals, business deals and investments. In 20 years, that kind of growth could inflate the rapper’s fortune to well over $12 billion dollars.

The chart below shows our pie-in-the-sky projection for Jay Z’s net worth in the future.

jay z net worth in future

Jay Z Net Worth Predicitons
Jay Z net worth 2025$2,880,650,497
Jay Z net worth 2026$3,456,780,597
Jay Z net worth 2027$4,148,136,716
Jay Z net worth 2028$4,977,764,059
Jay Z net worth 2029$5,973,316,871
Jay Z net worth 2030$7,167,980,245
Jay Z net worth 2031$8,601,576,294
Jay Z net worth 2032$10,321,891,553
Jay Z net worth 2033$12,386,269,863
Jay Z net worth 2034$14,863,523,836