Taylor Swift became world’s highest-paid celebrity, and how she spends her millions

According to Forbes, the singer made US$185 million in pre-tax income in a year, thanks mainly to her 2018 Reputation album sales and tour

Touring and merchandise sales are her goldmine, contributing to her estimated US$360 million net worth that includes an US$84 million real-estate portfolio
Taylor Swift was the world’s highest-paid celebrity in the past 12 months, according to Forbes, with US$185 million in pre-tax income.

The American singer-songwriter has amassed an estimated US$360 million net worth and owns at least US$84 million in real estate across four US states. Her Reputation stadium tour was the highest-grossing tour in the US, grossing US$266.1 million.

She also donated US$113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

With Taylor Swift teasing her much-anticipated seventh album, the Delicate singer is poised to break multiple records – again. Swift’s previous album, Reputation, sold more than two million copies in the US, and the coinciding tour broke records as the highest-grossing US stadium tour of all time. The singer-songwriter has won 10 Grammys and is arguably one of the most influential figures in pop culture today.

Swift made US$185 million in pre-tax income thanks mainly to her 2018 Reputation album sales and tour. Photo: Reuters

Over the years, Swift’s influence has grown exponentially. In 2018, she was named the most influential person on Twitter, despite only tweeting 13 times. Whether it’s pulling her music from Spotify, negotiating fairer royalties with Apple Music, or signing a reportedly US$200 million contract with Universal, Swift has been strategic in building her empire.

Since 2006, Swift has released six albums, all of which went platinum. Her 2014 album, 1989 sold more than 3.7 million units, making it the bestselling album of the year. Swift is one of the few artists to still use a long-lead album release cycle, one that typically takes three months. Since Beyoncé’s surprise album drop in 2013, many artists have been releasing their albums on a quicker cycle to varying degrees of success.