If you have ever been anywhere in public and nodded your head to the infectious beats of “Shake it Off”, got emotional hearing “Long Live”, or even screamed to the bridge of “Cruel Summer”, chances are you’re definitely a Swiftie. (It’s me, hi, I’m also a Swiftie.)
Unless you live under a rock or off the grid, you know who Taylor Swift is.
The 34-year-old singer-songwriter is a global phenomenon, reputable for her catchy music catalogue, being the most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2023… and now officially a billionaire, as christened by Forbes magazine.
Reaching New Heights
In recent years, Taylor Swift has garnered several achievements: being the first recipient of Billboard’s Woman of the Decade award in 2019, winning Album of the Year 4 times at the Grammys, has clinched 9 Video of the Year awards at the MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards), and holds the most number of Number 1 albums on the Billboard 200—namely, 13 albums. (Which so happens to be Swift’s lucky number.)
Time Magazine has also granted Swift Person of the Year status last year, making her their featured artist on the cover of their issue.
In her latest breakthrough, the pop star has recently joined the ranks of Billionaires on 2 April, also known as the “three comma club”.
Currently, Taylor Swift has a total net worth estimated to be around US$1.1 billion, or S$1.4 billion.
A few other famous figures sharing her newly-minted status include Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Jimmy Buffett.
But what’s so special about that? Well, what sets Taylor Swift apart from these other stars is how she made the ranks.
For example, Barbadian soloist Rihanna’s entrepreneurship was what helped attain the majority of her wealth via her makeup company, Fenty Beauty. Revenues coming from Savage x Fenty and Fenty Skin, two of her trademark launches, were what boosted Rihanna’s earnings into the billion.
Meanwhile, rapper Jay-Z built an entertainment company of his own, Roc Nation, his stakeholder in Tidal, and various investments in several businesses, such as Uber.
Forbes has reported that Swift is the first musician to hit the milestone via her songs and performances alone.
Not to mention her Eras Tour concert, which started in March last year, broke the Guinness World Record for being the highest-grossing music tour.
Pollstar’s statistics revealed that Swift’s tour grossed more than US$1 billion (around US$1.04 billion) from only her first 60 shows held in the United States, Mexico, and Argentina.
One could say Taylor is a mastermind herself when it comes to business (pardon the pun), not just in the music arena, because she has strategically struck her own deals, took back her masters, and built up a brand that’s recognisable anywhere.
So what’s next on the road for Taylor Swift?
For starters, she is set to release her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, on 19 April—something all Swifties are eagerly anticipating.
And I’m sure it will break even more records and sweep all the awards.