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Key Takeaways:
- Beyoncé joins the billionaire club as the fifth musician to reach the milestone.
- Her COWBOY CARTER era and mini-residency tour model reshaped country music economics.
- Strategic ownership of her catalog and Parkwood Entertainment fueled long-term profits.
Beyoncé has officially crossed into billionaire territory, and Forbes credited a bold pivot to country music — and a massive 2025 touring run — for pushing her to the incredible mark. Of the 22 billionaire entertainers Forbes identified, nearly half were added in the last three years. The milestone also made Bey just the fifth musician to reach billionaire status, joining Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna and her husband, JAY-Z.
Back in 2023, her “Renaissance World Tour” grossed nearly $600 million. Beyoncé then reinvented herself again in 2024 with COWBOY CARTER, a country album that opened new commercial lanes, a Christmas NFL halftime spotlight, and the subsequent tour of the same name. Forbes described it as the most successful concert tour in country music history.
A key driver to this achievement was control. In 2010, she founded Parkwood Entertainment, bringing management and production of her music, documentaries and concerts in-house. Parkwood fronts much of the production cost, giving Beyoncé more access to the back-end economics that can make stadium touring so lucrative.
The “Cowboy Carter Tour” delivered the supersized experience fans now expect: Nearly three hours of performance, big-set moments like a flying car and a golden mechanical bull, plus guest appearances from JAY-Z, her children and even her former Destiny’s Child bandmates. As Forbes further explained, mounting it was a major undertaking with more than 350 crew members, 100 semi-trucks of equipment, and eight 747 cargo planes to move it between cities. Instead of a traditional itinerary, Beyoncé embraced a mini-residency model, setting up in nine stadiums across the U.S. and Europe for multiple dates totaling 32 shows.
Pollstar reported the tour grossed more than $400 million in ticket sales, and Forbes estimates another $50 million came from merchandise. With catalog earnings and sponsorships included, Beyoncé was believed to have brought in $148 million in 2025 before taxes. The year also featured a Netflix Christmas Day NFL halftime show (estimated at $50 million in earnings, production costs included) and Levi’s commercials (estimated at $10 million in earnings).
