https://www.forbes.com/si...db78e813de

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Here's the opening excerpt...

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“Work, work, work, work, work, work.”

That’s the opening line of Rihanna’s 2016 dance hall anthem titled, appropriately, Work. It could also serve as her personal motto.

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Famous first as a singer, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, age 31, has since evolved into a style icon and makeup entrepreneur—and soon she’ll be the first black woman in charge of a major luxury fashion house. All those efforts add up to a $600 million fortune, making her the wealthiest female musician in the world, ahead of the likes of Madonna ($570 million), Céline Dion ($450 million) and Beyoncé ($400 million)."

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Most of that comes not from music but from her partnership with LVMH, the French luxury goods giant run by billionaire Bernard Arnault. Rihanna (pronounced "Ri-ann-ah," not "Ri-ah-nah," as she recently clarified) and LVMH co-own the makeup brand Fenty Beauty. It launched in September 2017 at Sephora, another LVMH brand, and online at FentyBeauty.com, quickly becoming a viral success. Fenty Beauty racked up a reported $100 million in sales in its first few weeks, propelled by Rihanna’s fame and 71 million Instagram followers.

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She's isn't the weathliest female musician making her money only by making by music.

According to these lists, if Bill gates would record a song he would be the richtest musician on the planet.

nextedition said:

getxxxx said:

Who hasn't released a note since, what, 2016? That's the problem with these headlines. She keeps hyping up FENTY which has a cool logo and I think it is make-up. But we're like UGH drop an album already.

Same with the "Jay-Z is a billionaire" news from this week.

Why do people buy everything the media sells them as truth? Just because they say so, doesn't mean it's true you know, but of course they know how gullible the public is, and that most will buy whatever they sell them! People need to wise up and wake up to their tactics, it's long over due! SMH

Cinny said:

Who hasn't released a note since, what, 2016? That's the problem with these headlines. She keeps hyping up FENTY which has a cool logo and I think it is make-up. But we're like UGH drop an album already.

Same with the "Jay-Z is a billionaire" news from this week.

the hate is REAL up in here....

FENTY is more than make up... she has shoes, lingerie and also for the forthcoming clothing line. She is doing the damn thing...

Musician?????

& sex with her's so amazing (or so she says) . Thanks the pronounciation clarification, needed that .

When did Rih become a musician?

these lists need to actually LOOK at the term making money from "Music", quoting Diddy from years ago, he said "If i only did music I wouldnt make any money". These artists all have their hands in millions of endeavors, Jay Z has Tidal which profits off artists as we know, though it may be paying them more than apple and spotify, its still benefiting from the artists and then countless other endoresements and clubs and properties he owns, so if we broke down what are you making off your actual album sales, i doubt the names would be the same at all.

lastdecember said:

so if we broke down what are you making off your actual album sales, i doubt the names would be the same at all.

Few acts today make a lot of money from album sales, maybe Adele and a few others. They don't get much from streaming. I'd guess Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr make more money from Beatles related things than for their new records. Paul also still has Linda McCartney's frozen foods. Rolling Stones make money from touring & merchandise.

Musician?! Barely even a singer. Lucky girl.

MickyDolenz said:

She's got an impressive chart history, IIRC.

But as many have pointed out here, the wealthiest musicians are brands moreso than acts. Like superstar athletes, they make more money off of endorsements and outside ventures than their "profession."

getxxxx said:

Cinny said:

Who hasn't released a note since, what, 2016? That's the problem with these headlines. She keeps hyping up FENTY which has a cool logo and I think it is make-up. But we're like UGH drop an album already.

Same with the "Jay-Z is a billionaire" news from this week.

the hate is REAL up in here....

FENTY is more than make up... she has shoes, lingerie and also for the forthcoming clothing line. She is doing the damn thing...

"Hate" is a bit strong. I just don't have any interest in lingerie, heels, make-up.

But as long as I am a hater, I would say this venture has nothing to do with musicianship, so mightas well catagorize her occupation as model/CEO.

Cinny said:

"Hate" is a bit strong. I just don't have any interest in lingerie, heels, make-up.

But as long as I am a hater, I would say this venture has nothing to do with musicianship, so mightas well catagorize her occupation as model/CEO.

What's the difference in Rihanna having a makeup line and classic rock acts like KISS & The Beatles selling all kinds of things including a KISS Kasket or a Cirque du Soleil show? Many acts sell posters, t-shirts, stickers, and tour books, which are not directly about their music. There's singers & bands making commercials for soda/beer/fast food restaurants, acting (Elvis Presley, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Frank Sinatra, Fresh Prince, Dolly Parton, Gladys Knight, Dean Martin, Ice Cube, etc), video games (Journey Escape, Moonwalker, Aerosmith Revolution X), or Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson buying song publishing. Others had Broadway plays based on their music like Cher, Green Day, Four Seasons, Motown, etc. James Brown owned radio stations and some have food products like Smokey Robinson, Marky Mark/Donnie Walhberg, & Patti Labelle. There's stories of Solomon Burke selling hotdogs & popcorn when he performed at the Apollo Theater back in the 1960s.

Don't know about Fenty but I liked her last album...

Marrk said:

Musician?! Barely even a singer. Lucky girl.

Exactly

MickyDolenz said:

Cinny said:

"Hate" is a bit strong. I just don't have any interest in lingerie, heels, make-up.

But as long as I am a hater, I would say this venture has nothing to do with musicianship, so mightas well catagorize her occupation as model/CEO.

What's the difference in Rihanna having a makeup line and classic rock acts like KISS & The Beatles selling all kinds of things including a KISS Kasket or a Cirque du Soleil show? Many acts sell posters, t-shirts, stickers, and tour books, which are not directly about their music. There's singers & bands making commercials for soda/beer/fast food restaurants, acting (Elvis Presley, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Frank Sinatra, Fresh Prince, Dolly Parton, Gladys Knight, Dean Martin, Ice Cube, etc), video games (Journey Escape, Moonwalker, Aerosmith Revolution X), or Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson buying song publishing. Others had Broadway plays based on their music like Cher, Green Day, Four Seasons, Motown, etc. James Brown owned radio stations and some have food products like Smokey Robinson, Marky Mark/Donnie Walhberg, & Patti Labelle. There's stories of Solomon Burke selling hotdogs & popcorn when he performed at the Apollo Theater back in the 1960s.

We used to make fun of all that shit too.

I LOVED Rihanna in Donald Glover's 'Guava Island'. The camera loves her! She should retire from putting out records when her contract is up & pursue acting. She already owns her master recordings.

uPtoWnNY said:

Marrk said:

Musician?! Barely even a singer. Lucky girl.

Exactly

Can you knock her hustle?

Cinny said:

We used to make fun of all that shit too.

You didn't call the New Kids On The Block & MC Hammer 1-800 numbers with a message especially for you and watch the Jackson 5 cartoon or the House Party movies? If the Fresh Prince had only stuck to music, he wouldn't be in Aladdin today. He & Jazzy Jeff would probably be on a I Love The 90s tour with Vanilla Ice & Color Me Badd. I heard recently that the most known rap song in history is the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Aire theme song. Because the show has been braodcast in many countries all over the world.

MickyDolenz said:

Cinny said:

We used to make fun of all that shit too.

You didn't call the New Kids On The Block & MC Hammer 1-800 numbers with a message especially for you and watch the Jackson 5 cartoon or the House Party movies? If the Fresh Prince had only stuck to music, he wouldn't be in Aladdin today. He & Jazzy Jeff would probably be on a I Love The 90s tour with Vanilla Ice & Color Me Badd. I heard recently that the most known rap song in history is the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Aire theme song. Because the show has been braodcast in many countries all over the world.

even J.J. Fad had a 1-900 number!

Ya got me on Fresh Prince

MickyDolenz said:

Cinny said:

We used to make fun of all that shit too.

You didn't call the New Kids On The Block & MC Hammer 1-800 numbers with a message especially for you and watch the Jackson 5 cartoon or the House Party movies? If the Fresh Prince had only stuck to music, he wouldn't be in Aladdin today. He & Jazzy Jeff would probably be on a I Love The 90s tour with Vanilla Ice & Color Me Badd. I heard recently that the most known rap song in history is the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Aire theme song. Because the show has been braodcast in many countries all over the world.

I used to turn my nose up at acts who "sold out."

I no longer knock the hustle of any act who maximizes their earning potential using their "music" as a platform. Even if I don't listen to or like their music. Life is short, and successful careers in the music industry are even shorter.

Heck, even legit artists get in on the act. O'Shea Jackson is making movies and Lonnie Lynn, Jr. is hustling software.

namepeace said:

I used to turn my nose up at acts who "sold out."

I no longer knock the hustle of any act who maximizes their earning potential using their "music" as a platform. Even if I don't listen to or like their music. Life is short, and successful careers in the music industry are even shorter.

Heck, even legit artists get in on the act. O'Shea Jackson is making movies and Lonnie Lynn, Jr. is hustling software.

Ice Cube also has a 3 on 3 basketball league for retired NBA players. DJ Jazzy Jeff said in an interview that he got the money to start his record label and building a recording studio from acting on Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. So without Will going into acting in a sitcom, Jill Scott might not have been a thing. I think his studio also had something to do with producing Butterflies by Michael Jackson. Quincy Jones was behind the Fresh Prince show, and Quincy started in an era when entertainers did multiple things. Frank Sinatra & Herb Alpert started the successful record labels Reprise and A&M. Those are probably the only artist run labels that lasted a long time and had acts who sold lots of records. Sammy Davis Jr. acted, danced, sang and played instruments. Louis Armstrong was in a Betty Boop cartoon. Hazel Scott & Nat King Cole had TV shows. They didn't last that long because they had problems getting sponsors and getting TV stations in the south to broadcast the programs. Most of those older recording artists died broke because they had bad contracts and/or managers who ripped them off. A bad contract with their label is how The Beatles lost their publishing that Michael Jackson was later able to buy.

So true. She must have made some great decisions because lord knows there would be financial vultures every step of the way. Doesn't she own her masters too?