NEW YORK — Global music icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has officially reached billionaire status, joining an exclusive group of artists who have transformed musical success into vast, diversified business empires, according to Forbes.
The 44-year-old singer crossed the milestone in 2025, driven by record-breaking touring revenues, ownership of her music catalogue, and a portfolio of strategic commercial ventures spanning entertainment, luxury goods and beauty.
At the centre of Beyoncé’s financial ascent is her tightly controlled music empire. Her “Cowboy Carter Tour” generated more than US$400 million in ticket sales and an additional US$50 million from merchandise, cementing her status as one of the most commercially powerful live performers in the world.
The tour spanned 32 stadium shows across the United States and Europe, supported by a large-scale production involving more than 350 crew members and 100 trucks of touring equipment, highlighting the industrial scale of her live operations.
In 2025 alone, Beyoncé earned an estimated US$148 million before taxes, ranking her as the third-highest paid musician globally. Her income was drawn from touring, catalogue royalties and high-value sponsorships, including a reported US$50 million deal for a Netflix halftime show and US$10 million from a Levi’s advertising campaign.
A key factor behind Beyoncé’s financial success has been her insistence on ownership and control. In 2010, she founded Parkwood Entertainment, a vertically integrated company that manages her music releases, concerts, films and documentaries.
By financing and producing projects internally, Parkwood allows Beyoncé to retain a larger share of profits while maintaining creative independence — a model increasingly emulated by top-tier artists seeking long-term wealth rather than short-term advances.
Her “Renaissance World Tour” in 2023 grossed nearly US$600 million, while the accompanying concert film generated US$44 million worldwide, further reinforcing the profitability of her integrated approach.
Beyond music, Beyoncé has strategically diversified into consumer and luxury markets. In February 2024, she launched Cécred, a premium haircare brand that has gained rapid traction in the global beauty industry.
She also partnered with Moët Hennessy, part of luxury conglomerate LVMH, to launch SirDavis, a premium whiskey retailing at US$89 per bottle. The brand pays tribute to her great-grandfather, Davis Hogue, who was a moonshiner during the Prohibition era.
While her previous fashion venture, Ivy Park, ended its partnership with Adidas in 2024, analysts note that Beyoncé’s broader brand strategy remains focused on fewer, higher-margin ventures aligned with her personal narrative and global appeal.
With her new status, Beyoncé becomes only the fifth musician to reach billionaire territory, joining Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna. Her husband, Jay-Z, remains the world’s wealthiest musician, with an estimated US$2.5 billion fortune, making the Carter family one of the most financially powerful households in global entertainment, with combined assets exceeding US$3.5 billion.
Beyoncé continues to focus on large-scale touring and her ambitious trilogy of genre-spanning albums, with “Renaissance” and “Cowboy Carter” marking the first two instalments. Industry observers expect future releases, tours and brand extensions to further strengthen her position as both a cultural icon and a formidable business force.
Her ascent underscores a broader shift in the music industry, where ownership, branding and strategic partnerships increasingly define success — and where Beyoncé now stands firmly at the summit.
