Elton John Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Elton John’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $650 million, Elton John stands out as an immensely popular and successful British singer, composer, pianist, and songwriter. He holds a spot as one of the most commercially successful artists ever, having sold over 300 million albums globally. This impressive feat places him as the fifth best-selling musical artist in modern history, following Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis, and The Beatles. Additionally, he often ranks among the world’s highest-paid celebrities.

In a touring year, Elton can easily surpass $80 million through his various endeavors. His “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour currently holds the title of the second highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Spanning from 2018 to 2023, the tour grossed $940 million over more than 330 shows. Although Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” broke his tour-grossing record, it’s important to note the significant difference in averages, with Taylor grossing about $14 million per concert compared to Elton’s $2.85 million.

Sir Elton John has amassed nearly every music award conceivable. Notably, “Candle in the Wind” is recognized as the best-selling single in both the UK and US singles chart history. He has placed 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 by winning an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special, adding to his previous accolades of five Grammys, an Oscar, two Golden Globes, and a Tony Award. He is the 19th individual to reach EGOT status. Additionally, John holds the record as the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts and is the first solo artist with 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 on his grandmother’s piano. Formal lessons commenced when he was seven, and at eleven, he earned a scholarship to London’s Royal Academy of Music. His military father attempted, though unsuccessfully, to guide him towards a conventional banking career. At 14, his parents divorced. Elton’s mother then married Fred Farebrother, a local painter who became a supportive stepfather. Elton, along with his mother and stepfather, moved into an apartment where he continued living, even during the height of his success with four Top 40 albums in the United States. His stepfather facilitated a weekend piano gig for 15-year-old Reginald at a local venue.

In 1966, he joined forces with friends to create the band Bluesology. It was during this period that he adopted the name Elton John, inspired by blues legends Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

This timeframe also marked the beginning of his partnership with songwriter Bernie Taupin. They would go on to create many iconic hits together.

collaborated on over 30 albums, leading to sales surpassing 300 million copies.

Rise to Success

In 1969 and 1970, Elton John launched his first albums, Empty Sky and Elton John, respectively. Between 1972 and 1975, he achieved seven consecutive number one albums. In 1973, he established his own record label, The Rocket Record Company, which was responsible for releasing albums by Neil Sedaka. Notably, he chose not to distribute his own music through his label, opting instead to sign an $8 million contract with MCA, which equates to approximately $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 agreement with Warner Bros. Records valued at $39 million—the largest cash advance in the music industry at that time. In 1994, he created the score for Disney’s animated film The Lion King, which won a Grammy Award for Best Song and was certified “diamond” in 1999 after selling fifteen million copies. Following the passing of Princess Diana of Wales in 1997, John re-released his classic “Candle in the Wind” from 1973. This version became the best-selling single in recording history and awarded John his only Grammy for Best Male Pop Recording. As of 2023, John remains active in touring, stage composing, and releasing chart-topping albums.

Personal Life

From 1984 to 1988, he was married to German recording engineer Renata Blauel. Eventually, he came out as gay and has been in a relationship with filmmaker David Furnish since 1993, with the two formalizing their relationship through a civil partnership in 2005. Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom, they wedded in December 2014. The pair have two sons, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, both born through the same surrogate. Additionally, Elton John has ten godchildren.

Highest-Paid Celebrities

Elton consistently ranks among the highest-paid entertainers worldwide. Between June 2017 and June 2018, he earned $45 million. From 2011 to 2018, he had a residency in Las Vegas titled The Million Dollar Piano, negotiating an arrangement to receive 88% of the door revenues for each performance. This resulted in approximately $500,000 per show for Elton.

His farewell tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, set a record as the highest-grossing tour of all time, generating $853 million across 293 performances.

Elton John Net Worth Milestones

In 2000, Elton’s net worth was regarded as “only” $100 million. During this time, he was recognized for his extravagant spending habits. He later confessed to spending approximately $2 million monthly during the late 90s, totaling around $40 million. For instance, in a six-month span in 1996, he spent over $12 million on real estate and $500,000 on flowers. He also built a museum-quality car collection. In June 2001, he sold 20 cars that he had never even driven, including a $300,000 1993 Jaguar, Ferraris, and Bentleys.

Rolls Royces.

When we first included Elton John in Celebrity Net Worth in 2009, his personal wealth was reported at $265 million. By 2011, this amount had decreased to over $240 million. In 2013, we adjusted his net worth to $300 million. Fast forward to 2020, his asset value had escalated to a remarkable half-billion dollars.

Art Collection

Renowned as one of the most astute celebrity art collectors worldwide, Elton’s art collection is estimated to be worth $200 million in an optimal market. It features works from famous artists such as Mapplethorpe, Warhol, Basquiat, Haring, Damien Hirst, among others. In 2004, he auctioned 70 photographs from his collection for $900,000. His photography collection is considered one of the largest globally.

Real Estate

Elton John has resided in a vast estate known as Woodside since 1974, located in Old Windsor, Berkshire, England. This 37-acre estate has origins dating back to the 1750s. Elton purchased the property in 1974 for 400 thousand pounds, equivalent to about $5 million USD today when adjusted for inflation and currency fluctuations. Prior to acquiring Woodside, he primarily lived with his mother and stepfather in a small apartment. In 1988, he auctioned off the entire contents of the house for $8 million, subsequently undertaking a complete refurbishment and refurnishing of the estate.

In addition, Elton owns residences in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nice, London, and Venice.

In October 2015, he bought his Beverly Hills estate for $33 million. This nearly 20-acre gated property, custom-built in 2001 for prior owner Armand Marciano of Guess, was previously listed for $63 million. The main house boasts 25,000 square feet, complete with an 11-car subterranean garage, screening room, wine cellar, gym, and much more.

He purchased another home in a nearby area for $7.2 million in 2012, and in September 2021, he acquired a half-acre property next door for $8.5 million.

In 1992, Elton acquired a 2,500-square-foot penthouse in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the subsequent twenty years, he obtained five additional units within the building, ultimately merging them to form a 13,000-square-foot penthouse. He appreciated the convenience of traveling to and from Atlanta while on tour and developed a fondness for Georgia overall. He listed this unit for sale in September 2023 for just under $5 million, eventually selling it in October for approximately $14 million. Check out the video tour of Elton’s previous Atlanta penthouse:

In 2022, he further expanded his real estate collection with the addition of a Toronto penthouse.

Ferrari Testarossa

For his 40th birthday in 1987, MCA Records gifted the hardworking musician a special red 1987 Ferrari Testarossa. This car, made iconic by its appearance on the original “Miami Vice,” epitomized coolness. With a top speed of 180 miles per hour and the ability to accelerate from 0-60 in just 5.2 seconds, the Ferrari Testarossa was arguably one of the most recognized vehicles from the 1980s. Sir Elton’s birthday gift spent years sitting in Australia before being auctioned off in 2001, at which time it had only 12,427 miles on it.