Sixteen years after Bruno Mars and Travie McCoy sang about wanting to be billionaires on a magazine cover, now more stars have reached that milestone. The World’s Billionaires 2026 list includes 22 celebrity billionaires with a net worth of US$48.1 billion. The wealth of 18 celebrity billionaires is set to rise to US$39 billion by 2025, showing how fast wealth is growing in sports and entertainment.
2026 list of celebrity billionaires expanded
According to Forbes, athletes and entertainers are receiving bigger contracts, increasing endorsement income, and acting like more owners and entrepreneurs than ever before. The newest names on this year’s list are Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Roger Federer, Dr. Dre and James Cameron.
New celebrity joins billionaire ranking
The new names join several old names in the ranking, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey. Those stars first appeared on the list of billionaires in the 1990s and early 2000s. Recent celebrity billionaires named to the list include Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Rihanna. The ranking also makes clear how it defines celebrity. It focuses on people who first became famous, then became massively rich. This approach focuses on athletes and entertainers whose fame came before their wealth. It does not include public figures such as President Donald Trump and Mark Cuban who are famous for being wealthy or the success of their businesses.1. Steven Spielberg – US$7.1 billion2. George Lucas – US$5.2 billion3. Michael Jordan – US$4.3 billion4. Vincent McMahon – US$3.6 billion5. Oprah Winfrey – US$3.2 billion6. Jay-Z – US$2.8 billion7. Taylor Swift – US$2 billion8. Kim Kardashian – US$1.9 billion9. Peter Jackson – US$1.9 billion10. Magic Johnson – US$1.6 billion11. Tiger Woods – US$1.5 billion12. Dick Wolf – US$1.5 billion13. Tyler Perry – US$1.4 billion14. LeBron James – US$1.4 billion15. Bruce Springsteen – US$1.2 billion16. Arnold Schwarzenegger – US$1.2 billion17. Jerry Seinfeld – US$1.1 billion18. Roger Federer – US$1.1 billion19. James Cameron – US$1.1 billion20. Rihanna – US$1 billion21. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter – US$1 billion22. Dr. Dre – US$1 billionThe latest list reflects a clear change in the way top stars make money. Fame still matters, but ownership matters more. The increase in both the number of celebrity billionaires and their net worth points to a model in which public figures do more than perform. They build brands, control businesses, and expand far beyond the stage, screen or court. The list also reveals that the property now spans music, film, television, sports and business.Disclaimer: The figures presented in this article have been obtained from various public sources and are considered approximate unless clearly mentioned. We may include direct input from celebrities or their teams when available. We are open for feedback at toientertainment@timesinternet.in.
