Football pays crazy money to footballers, but musicians who pair their art with business ingenuity can take wealth to an entirely different level. These artists prove that the stage can be just as lucrative—if not more so—than the pitch.

When you think of big money, it’s easy to picture Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Neymar signing jaw-dropping contracts and endorsement deals.

But here’s the twist: some musicians have actually out-earned football’s biggest names, and not just by a little, but by hundreds of millions.

Jay-Z $2.6 billion
Jay-Z is living proof that music is just the beginning. From champagne to tech investments, he has built an empire that places him way above any footballer’s net worth. He is not just a rapper; he is a billionaire businessman. Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid footballer with a net worth of around $600 million. Jay-Z’s fortune is more than four times that, built on music, investments, luxury drinks, and tech ventures. He plays in a completely different financial league.

READ ALSO:Nigerian Student Wins ‘Top In World’ Cambridge IGCSE English Award

Rihanna, $1.4 billion
Rihanna may have started with hit songs, but her real wealth comes from beauty and fashion. Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty turned her into a billionaire, richer than Neymar and Messi combined. Music gave her the spotlight, but business made her unstoppable. Messi has an estimated net worth of about $650 million, but Rihanna’s business empire through Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty has more than doubled that. She turned her stardom into a billion-dollar fashion and beauty powerhouse.

Paul McCartney, $1.2 billion
Decades after The Beatles, McCartney is still cashing in. His catalog and royalties keep pouring in money, proving that timeless music can be more valuable than even the flashiest football contracts. Neymar sits on roughly $250 million in net worth. McCartney is still earning enough from music rights and royalties to be nearly five times richer than the Brazilian star.

READ ALSO:Top Russian General Seriously Wounded In Ukraine – Officials

Taylor Swift, $1.1 billion
Taylor is rewriting music history and her bank balance too. The Eras Tour has been one of the highest-grossing tours ever, and her decision to re-record her old albums made her a billionaire. She is now worth more than most footballers, and she is only just getting started. Kylian Mbappé, the youngest superstar of modern football, is valued at around $180 million. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour alone earned more than that. Her total wealth is six times greater than Mbappé’s and still growing.

Dr. Dre, $500–800 million
Dr. Dre may not be in the billionaire’s club, but selling Beats to Apple and his music catalog means he is still ahead of plenty of big-name footballers. From the studio to Silicon Valley, Dre made moves that paid off massively. Even at the lower end of his estimated fortune, Dre is worth more than most footballers except Messi and Ronaldo. Dre’s wealth easily surpasses players like Mohamed Salah ($90 million) or Kevin De Bruyne ($70 million).