It can be easy to assume that all celebrities are rich. We look at their social media and see designer clothes, private jets, and super luxe vacations and it's hard not to feel a little jealous sometimes. The truth is that while it's probably true that most celebs are wealthier than us regular moms, it's also true that some celebrities are much richer than even their famous peers.
There are over 2,500 billionaires in the world and some of those people living at the tip top of the 1% include some of our favorite singers, athletes, and film industry stars. Going into 2024, there are at least 15 famous faces that have a net worth (which includes properties, businesses, and cold hard cash) of or near $1 billion. These are truly the people living the luxury lifestyle, either because of crazy talent or just plain good luck. Read on for a roundup of the celebrities who'll probably never be seen hunting in the clearance section of Target (we say they are missing out on one life's real joys, honestly).
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Oprah Winfrey
According to Forbes, Oprah started 2024 with a whopping $2.8 billion net worth. This includes her real estate portfolio (she has at least 12 homes), her stake in WeightWatchers, and her earnings from years as the country's most popular daytime talk show host.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z might have started from humble roots but he is now considered a self-made billionaire. His wealth comes from both his work in the music industry and from several business ventures, including owning multiple liquor companies. According to Forbes, he's now worth $2.5 billion.
Kim Kardashian
Thanks to the success of her Skims brand, Kim Kardashian rolled into 2024 as the richest of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters. Poor Kylie isn't on the billionaire list anymore, but Kim is now that she has an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion. Apparently there is a lot of money to be made from telling other women that they need to wear the modern version of a girdle.
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Toto Wolff
Fans of Formula 1 racing and the popular Netflix show Drive to Survive know that Mercedes' racing team director is very tall, very European, and apparently very, very rich! Forbes puts his net worth at the start of 2024 at $1.6 billion, largely due to his 30% ownership stake in the Mercedes team.
Tiger Woods
Despite no longer being at the peak of his career as a golfer and a costly divorce in 2010, Tiger Woods is doing just fine financially. As of the start of 2024, the golfer is worth an estimated $1.1 billion, which stems from both price winnings and multiple business ventures such as real estate investing and endorsements.
LeBron James
According to Forbes magazine, LeBron James is one of the richest athletes in the world and the first active NBA player to be worth $1 billion. Many consider him the GOAT of basketball, and he just might end up being one of the richest, too.
Taylor Swift
According to Bloomberg, Taylor Swift hit billionaire status for the first time in 2023, which means she's dancing into 2024 as one of the wealthiest celebs around. She can thank the success of the Eras Tour and its movie for her lofty new status.
Steven Spielberg
Director Steven Spielberg has been a member of the billionaire club for a while. His $4.8 billion net worth comes from the success of his movies, his part ownership of the DreamWorks movie studio, and from licensing deals, including with Universal Studios.
George Lucas
Steven Spielberg isn't the only movie director in the billionaire club. Star Wars director George Lucas made a cool $4.1 billion when he sold his Lucasfilm company to Disney in 2012. As of the start of 2024 the mostly retired director is worth $5.1 billion.
Jami Gertz
Some of us might remember actress Jami Gertz from classic '80s movies like Sixteen Candles or Lost Boys, but we suspect that most of us didn't know that she's an actual billionaire. She's an owner of NBA team Atlanta Hawks and is said to be worth over $3 billion.
Michael Jordan
He might have had one of the most successful NBA careers ever, but, according to Forbes, Michael Jordan's $3 billion net worth comes more from his many endorsement deals as well as his ownership of a NASCAR team. He also made bank when he sold his partial ownership of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team in 2023.
Rihanna
Fans are dying for Rihanna to return to making music — it has been eight years since her last album — but she sure doesn't need to release an album for the money. Her hugely popular Fenty Beauty company has propelled her into the self-made billionaire club. As of the start of this year, she's worth $1.4 billion.
Tyler Perry
Producer and director Tyler Perry is currently worth $1 billion thanks to the success of his many, many films and TV shows as well as his ownership of an Atlanta-based movie studio. He might not be as royal as his friends Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, but he can sure afford to live like a king.
Peter Jackson
George Lucas and Peter Jackson prove that there is big money to be made in making epic movie trilogies. Peter, who directed the Lord of the Rings movies, is worth $1.5 billion in 2024. According to Variety Australia, he's is in rare company in his native New Zealand, where he is one of only three billionaires in the country.
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban may be leaving his post on the long-running show Shark Tank, but he's going to be just fine without his salary from the show. According to Forbes, he is currently worth a whopping $6.2 billion. Some of his net worth comes from investments and his ownership of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team.
