How this non‑singing artist earned $620 million, surpassing Taylor Swift and Beyoncé

UPDATED: Feb 4, 2025 00:36 IST

Over the last decade, singers like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez have attained billionaire status, highlighting the enormous profitability of the business. The very top pop artists make hundreds of millions annually.

Ten years ago, one musician who never sang a song collected a record $620 million in profit and still stands unmatched today.

Dr. Dre: The best‑paid musician in history

Every year, Forbes publishes its list of the world's top‑paid musicians, and in 2015 the list for 2014 was comprised of heavyweights such as Kanye West, Jay‑Z, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé. However, rapper, producer, and businessman Dr. Dre topped the list with a mind‑boggling $620 million in earnings that year—a sum larger than the combined earnings of the next nine musicians.

Only two musicians broke the $100 million barrier that year—Beyoncé and the legendary rock band The Eagles. Only one artist has come anywhere close to the record set by Dre: Bruce Springsteen, who earned $435 million in 2021.

How Dr. Dre became a music mogul without performing

Dr. Dre began his career in 1984 with the World Class Wreckin' Cru and later made his mark with N.W.A. Although he has not performed live for decades, he amassed his fortune as a record producer and entrepreneur. His largest monetary gain came in 2014 when Apple bought his brand, Beats by Dr. Dre, for $3 billion.

Forbes termed this deal the "biggest single‑year payday of any musician in history." Revenues from modern stars such as Taylor Swift ($185 million in 2019) and Kanye West ($170 million in 2020) have not come close to the mark set by Dre, proving that business ventures can sometimes outshine even the biggest stage performances.