Elton John Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Elton John’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $650 million, Elton John stands as an immensely popular and successful British singer, composer, pianist, and songwriter. He ranks as one of the most commercially successful artists in history, having sold over 300 million albums globally. This remarkable achievement places him as the fifth best-selling musical artist of modern times, following Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis, and The Beatles. Frequently, he is counted among the highest-paid celebrities globally.

In a touring year, Elton can easily surpass earnings of $80 million through various ventures. Notably, his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour has become the second highest-grossing concert tour ever, grossing $940 million across over 330 shows from 2018 to 2023. Although Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” broke the record for the highest amount grossed from tours, it’s worth noting her average gross per show of $14 million far exceeds Elton’s $2.85 million average.

Sir Elton John has received nearly every music accolade imaginable. His track “Candle in the Wind” holds the record for the best-selling single in both the UK and US singles chart history. Elton has landed 50 songs in the Top 40, with nine reaching No. 1, and has enjoyed seven consecutive #1 albums. On January 15, 2024, he achieved “EGOT” status after winning an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special, following his prior wins of five Grammys, an Oscar, two Golden Globes, and a Tony Award. He is recognized as the 19th person to achieve EGOT status. Additionally, John is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts and the first solo artist to have UK Top 10 singles spanning six decades.

Early Life

Reginald Dwight, known as Elton John, was born on March 25, 1947, in Middlesex, England. He began his piano journey at the tender age of three using his grandmother’s instrument. By seven, he was taking formal lessons and at eleven, secured a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Despite his father, a military man, attempting to guide him toward a more conventional banking career, Elton’s passion prevailed. His parents divorced when he turned 14, after which his mother remarried to Fred Farebrother, a supportive local painter and stepfather. Together with his mother and stepfather, Elton moved into an apartment where he remained, even during a successful period when he had four Top 40 albums in the US. Reginald’s stepfather assisted him in landing a weekend piano gig when he was just 15.

In 1966, he formed the band Bluesology with friends, during which he adopted the stage name Elton John, honoring blues legends Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

It was during this time that Elton met lyricist Bernie Taupin, marking the beginning of a significant collaboration.

collaborate on more than 30 albums that ultimately sold over 300 million copies.

Rise to Success

In 1969 and 1970, Elton John released his debut albums, Empty Sky and Elton John, respectively. Between 1972 and 1975, he achieved seven consecutive chart-topping albums. By 1973, he established his own record label, The Rocket Record Company, which produced albums by Neil Sedaka. Interestingly, he chose not to release his own music through his label, opting instead for an $8 million agreement with MCA, equivalent to about $40 million today when adjusted for inflation.

Throughout the 1980s, Elton continued to release successful albums, and in 1992, he and Taupin entered into a twelve-year contract with Warner Bros. Records worth $39 million — the biggest cash advance in music history at the time. In 1994, he wrote the score for Disney’s animated film The Lion King, which won a Grammy Award for Best Song and achieved “diamond” certification in 1999 after selling fifteen million copies. Following the death of Princess Diana of Wales in 1997, John re-released his classic song “Candle in the Wind” from 1973, which became the best-selling single ever recorded and garnered John his only Grammy for Best Male Pop Recording. As of 2023, John remains active in touring, composing for the stage, and releasing best-selling albums.

Personal Life

He was married to German recording engineer Renata Blauel from 1984 until 1988. Later, he came out as gay and has been in a relationship with filmmaker David Furnish since 1993. The couple entered into a civil partnership in 2005 and married in December 2014, following the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom. They have two sons, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, both born via the same surrogate. Additionally, Elton John has ten godchildren.

Highest-Paid Celebrities

Elton consistently ranks as one of the highest-paid entertainers globally. Between June 2017 and June 2018, he earned $45 million. From 2011 to 2018, he held a Las Vegas residency titled The Million Dollar Piano, where he arranged to receive 88% of the door revenue from each show, resulting in approximately $500,000 in earnings per performance.

His farewell tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, achieved remarkable success, grossing a total of $853 million across 293 shows, making it the highest-grossing tour in history.

Elton John Net Worth Milestones

In the year 2000, Elton’s net worth was considered “only” $100 million. At that time, he was recognized for his extravagant spending habits. He later revealed that during the late 90s, he spent approximately $2 million monthly, totaling about $40 million over several years. For instance, in a single six-month period in 1996, he spent over $12 million on real estate and half a million dollars on flowers alone. He also developed a museum-quality car collection. In June 2001, he sold 20 cars that he had never even used, including a $300,000 1993 Jaguar, as well as Ferraris and Bentleys.

Rolls Royces.

In 2009, when Elton John was first included in Celebrity Net Worth, his personal wealth was reported at $265 million. By 2011, his assets were estimated to exceed $240 million. In 2013, we adjusted his net worth to $300 million. Fast forward to 2020, and his net worth had reached an astonishing half a billion dollars.

Art Collection

Recognized as one of the most astute celebrity art collectors, Elton’s collection alone could be valued at approximately $200 million in favorable market conditions. He’s owned works by renowned artists like Mapplethorpe, Warhol, Basquiat, Haring, and Damien Hirst, among others. In 2004, he auctioned 70 photographs from this collection for $900,000. His photography collection is notable for being one of the largest worldwide.

Real Estate

Since 1974, Elton John’s primary residence has been Woodside, a spacious estate located in Old Windsor, Berkshire, England. Spanning 37 acres and dating back to the 1750s, Elton purchased Woodside in 1974 for 400 thousand pounds, which is approximately $5 million USD today after accounting for inflation and currency fluctuations. Prior to this, he had mainly lived with his mother and stepfather in a modest apartment. In 1988, he sold all the furnishings of the house at auction for $8 million, after which he embarked on extensive renovations of the estate.

Elton also possesses residences in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nice, London, and Venice.

In October 2015, he bought a Beverly Hills estate for $33 million. This nearly 20-acre gated property was custom-built in 2001 for Armand Marciano, co-founder of Guess. Before Elton’s acquisition, the property was listed at $63 million. The main residence boasts 25,000 square feet along with an underground garage for 11 cars, a screening room, a wine cellar, a gym, and numerous additional features.

In 2012, he purchased another home in the vicinity for $7.2 million. Then, in September 2021, Elton acquired a neighboring half-acre property for $8.5 million.

In 1992, he bought a 2,500-square-foot penthouse in Atlanta, Georgia. Over two decades, he acquired five additional units within the building, ultimately merging them into a grand 13,000-square-foot penthouse. Elton appreciated the convenience of flying in and out of Atlanta while on tour and fell in love with Georgia overall. In September 2023, he listed the penthouse for sale at just under $5 million. A month later, it sold for nearly $14 million. Below is a video tour of Elton’s former Atlanta penthouse:

In 2022, Elton added a penthouse in Toronto to his extensive real estate portfolio.

Ferrari Testarossa

In 1987, for his 40th birthday, MCA Records gifted the tirelessly working musician a striking red Ferrari Testarossa from that year. Popularized by the original “Miami Vice” series in 1987, the Testarossa embodied the pinnacle of luxury and speed. Capable of reaching 180 mph and accelerating from 0 to 60 in just 5.2 seconds, it arguably stands as the most iconic car of the 1980s. After years of remaining unused in Australia, Elton auctioned the Ferrari in 2001, at which time it had accumulated only 12,427 miles.