Rihanna vs Beyoncé: Who Has the Most Money?

In pop culture, few names carry the weight of Rihanna and Beyoncé. Both artists have shaped sound and success in ways that reach far beyond music. They both have built brands that influence fashion, beauty, business, and global culture. Their careers are filled with chart-topping hits and iconic performances that are stitched into modern pop history. Naturally, the conversation often turns to impact and earnings, especially when fans start comparing the two powerhouse empires they have created.

When it comes to net worth, one name stands slightly ahead, and that title belongs to Rihanna. Her rise from hitmaker to billionaire entrepreneur has reshaped what artist success can look like today, adding another fascinating chapter to this ongoing pop royalty debate. However, exactly how rich is Rihanna, or how much money Beyoncé has? Let’s find out and move ahead to discover what their net worths and main sources of income are.

Rihanna’s Net Worth:

Rihanna’s net worth in 2026 is estimated at around $1.4 billion, securing her place as the second richest female musician in the world, just behind Taylor Swift. What makes that number even more fascinating is how she built it. Rihanna has not released an album since Anti in 2016. Yet her fortune has multiplied several times over in the years that followed. That kind of growth is rare in entertainment, and it speaks to a business pivot that completely changed the game.

According to Forbes, the heart of her wealth lies in Fenty Beauty. Rihanna owns 50 percent of the brand, a stake valued at roughly $700 million. Add to that her 30 percent ownership in Savage X Fenty, estimated at $300 million, and her business empire alone edges close to the billion-dollar mark. Music may have introduced her to the world, but beauty and lingerie turned her into a mogul. That said, even billionaires feel the pressure of shifting markets. In 2025, Forbes reported a $400 million dip in her estimated net worth, citing slower sales at Fenty Beauty and executive changes at Savage X Fenty. It was a reminder that massive success still comes with fluctuations. Still, Rihanna’s journey from global pop star to powerhouse entrepreneur remains one of the most impressive reinventions in modern entertainment.

How did Rihanna become a Billionaire?

Rihanna built her billionaire status by stepping away from touring and albums at her peak. She chose business ownership instead, which is definitely a bold move that completely reshaped how celebrity success looks today! Let’s get into the details.

• Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty launched in September 2017 through a partnership with LVMH’s Kendo Brands, and the impact was immediate. The brand reportedly crossed $100 million in revenue within its first two months. It was a rare feat for any beauty launch, let alone one tied to a celebrity name. Still, what set Fenty apart went far beyond star power? The real shift came from product innovation. Rihanna debuted the brand with 40 foundation shades, dramatically widening options for people with darker skin tones while still serving lighter and in-between shades. She summed it up perfectly in Vogue, saying beauty should work for everyone, not just a narrow range of faces. That mindset did not just sell makeup; it forced the entire industry to rethink inclusion!

Competitors quickly expanded their shade ranges, and Fenty became the blueprint for modern beauty branding. TIME named it one of the best inventions of 2017, and by 2018, the brand was already generating $570 million in revenue. Today, Forbes estimates Fenty Beauty is valued at around $2.8 billion, with Rihanna’s 50 percent stake alone worth about $1.4 billion.

• Savage X Fenty

In 2018, Rihanna brought her inclusive vision into the lingerie space with the launch of Savage X Fenty in partnership with TechStyle Fashion Group. From the start, the brand positioned itself as a bold alternative to the narrow beauty standards long associated with Victoria’s Secret. Instead of leaning into tradition, Savage X Fenty centered real bodies and real identities, giving authentic representation. Its annual fashion shows quickly became cultural moments, featuring models across sizes, genders, and abilities, and redefining what lingerie marketing could look like. The brand’s message resonated fast. Savage X Fenty reached a $1 billion valuation by 2021. Rihanna’s 30% ownership stake added an estimated $300 million to her growing business empire. This further cemented her status as one of entertainment’s most influential entrepreneurs!

• Music

Before stepping into her mogul era, Rihanna ruled pop music on a global scale. Hits like ‘Umbrella’, ‘We Found Love’, ‘Diamonds’, and ‘Work’ dominated charts and soundtracked entire moments in culture. She earned 14 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold more than 250 million records worldwide, placing her among the best-selling artists of all time. Music laid the foundation for everything that followed, both creatively and financially. Her influence still hits hard. When Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2023, over 118 million people tuned in. The performance sparked a massive resurgence in her catalog, sending streams soaring by more than 600 percent almost overnight. That spike translated into an estimated $97,000 in immediate streaming royalties. This once again proved that even without new releases, her music remains deeply embedded in pop culture and continues to move audiences at scale.

• Real estate

Rihanna’s real estate portfolio reflects her taste for privacy, luxury, and long-lasting value. In 2020, she purchased a $13.8 million Beverly Hills compound with A$AP Rocky. This now serves as their primary residence and home to their three children, RZA, Riot, and baby girl Rocki Irish Mayers, born in September 2025. She also owns a Century City property bought in 2014 for $5.2 million, which she has retained as an investment. In 2023, Rihanna added the former Matthew Perry penthouse in Hollywood Hills to her portfolio for $21 million and later listed it in 2024 for $25 million. Together, these properties highlight how she continues to build wealth beyond music. These help the musician-turned-business mogul blend lifestyle choices with smart real estate moves that support her expanding empire.

Beyoncé’s Net Worth:

As of December 2025, Beyoncé’s net worth reached $1 billion. This was an increase from the $800 million Forbes reported two years earlier. The jump came from a major career shift into country music, which opened doors to new brand deals, including Levi’s, a reported $50 million Christmas NFL halftime show, and the highest-grossing tour of 2025. Forbes estimates the Cowboy Carter Tour pulled in over $400 million in ticket sales, along with another $50 million from merchandise. Add her Levi’s campaigns, and her earnings for 2025 alone reached roughly $148 million before taxes. Earlier, Forbes credited $100 million to her Renaissance era and valued her music catalog at $300 million. The rest came from joint ventures with JAY-Z and her company, Parkwood Entertainment.

How does Beyoncé earn money?

• Album sales

Beyoncé’s career spans more than two decades, marked by constant reinvention and record-breaking success. She has released eight studio albums, or 14 when counting deluxe and live projects, along with 82 singles that shaped modern pop and R and B. In 2023, she made Grammy history as the most nominated female artist ever with 88 nominations, tying JAY Z for the overall record. Beyoncé is also known for rewriting album rollouts. Her surprise self-titled release in 2013 became the fastest-selling album on iTunes at the time. Lemonade went on to become the world’s best-selling album of 2016 and earned a Peabody Award. Renaissance crossed one million U.S. units in 2022. Her latest album, Cowboy Carter, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

• Concerts

While Renaissance stands as Beyoncé’s highest-grossing tour to date, her touring history has been lucrative long before that era. The 2016 Formation World Tour brought in $256.1 million, followed by the On the Run II Tour with JAY Z in 2018, which earned $253.5 million worldwide. During the Renaissance World Tour, her MetLife Stadium shows in New Jersey made history as the highest-grossing concerts ever by a female artist. It pulled in more than $16.5 million across two nights. Beyoncé extended the impact even further with Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, which was released in December 2023. The concert film topped the box office and earned $21 million in its opening weekend, with Beyoncé serving as writer, director, and producer.

• Acting

Apart from music, Beyoncé has built a solid acting career with roles in Dreamgirls, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Obsessed, and Cadillac Records. She also voiced Nala in The Lion King in 2019. It was a role that blended acting with her signature vocals. According to StyleCaster, she earned an estimated $15 million for the project, including her work on the soundtrack. It was another reminder of how effortlessly she moves between industries while keeping her star power intact.

• Parkwood Entertainment

In 2010, Beyoncé launched Parkwood Entertainment. It is her own production, management, and entertainment company. The move gave her full creative control across music, film, and fashion. Through Parkwood, she has produced major projects including Cadillac Records, Obsessed, and her documentary Life Is But a Dream. The company also backed Renaissance, A Film by Beyoncé, extending her tour into cinemas worldwide. Parkwood has become the engine behind much of her most ambitious work, allowing her to shape not only how her art is made, but how it reaches audiences, all while keeping her vision firmly at the center of every release.

• IVY Park

Parkwood Entertainment also helped launch Ivy Park, Beyoncé’s streetwear and athleisure brand created in partnership with Adidas. The label saw major early success, generating $93 million in revenue in 2021 and another $40 million in 2022. While momentum slowed, the brand still left a strong mark on fashion culture. In 2023, Beyoncé and Adidas officially parted ways, closing that chapter while reinforcing her ability to move fluidly between music, business, and style-driven ventures.

• Cé Noir and Cécred

Beyoncé has also stepped into the beauty space with ventures that reflect both luxury and intention. In November 2023, she launched her fragrance Cé Noir, priced at $160 per bottle and positioned as a bold extension of her personal brand. She followed that in February 2024 with Cécred, her own hair care line designed for all hair types and textures. The collection includes shampoos, conditioners, stylers, and treatments priced between $38 and $52, with a full bundle retailing at $336. According to Allure, the brand is fully self-funded with no outside investors, which gives Beyoncé complete creative control. The launch reinforced her ability to move seamlessly from music into beauty, while building products rooted in both performance and personal storytelling.

Who sold the most records?

Money tells one side of the story, but record sales still carry serious weight in music. On that front, Rihanna edges ahead with more than 250 million records sold worldwide. Beyoncé’s numbers remain powerful, with around 117 million solo sales and another 60 million from her Destiny’s Child era. Both catalogs are massive, but in pure global units moved, Rihanna holds the clear advantage.

Conclusion

Both artists have built legendary careers filled with awards, record-breaking moments, global influence, and cultural impact that stretches a lot further than charts and numbers. Each has earned multiple Grammys and continues to shape music, fashion, makeup, and business in powerful ways. What makes the comparison even more interesting is that Rihanna has openly cited Beyoncé as an influence, adding depth to what fans often frame as competition. In the end, while stats can measure wealth or record sales, their real legacy lies in how deeply they have connected with audiences and changed what success looks like for women in music.