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Elton John Net Worth: The Rise to Fame of the Rocket Man


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Credit: Vogue/YouTube Screenshot

Elton John is undeniably a music icon. With more than 300 million albums sold worldwide and being one of the highest-paid celebrities, he belongs to the list of the wealthiest singers in the world.

He’s the fifth best-selling musical artist in modern history, following Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and The Beatles. So, how much is Elton John worth today?

The Rise of Elton John’s Career

The 75-year-old pianist’s real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight. However, he changed it in the late 1960s as he and his friends formed the band Bluesology.

Around this time, he met the songwriter Bernie Taupin and from there, they started collaborating on a number of albums that made him one of the best-selling artists there is.

He dropped his first albums, Empty Sky and Elton John, in 1969 and 1970, respectively. From 1972 to 1975, his seven consecutive albums topped the charts.

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From there, he formed his own record label, The Rocket Record Company. However, he decided not to release his own album under his company and signed an $8-million deal with MCA instead.

Elton John’s succeeding albums from the 1980s to 1992 were all successful. He and Taupin then signed a $39-million, 12-year contract with Warner Bros. Records, the largest cash advance in music history at the time.

Come 1994, he composed the official soundtrack of the Disney animated movie The Lion King, becoming a certified diamond in 1999 for selling 15 million copies. He then rereleased “Candle in the Wind” in 1997 to commemorate Princess Diana’s death, making it the best-selling single in recording history.

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Until today, the legendary musician is continuously composing and releasing best-selling albums.

Elton John’s Paychecks and Net Worth Milestones

Meanwhile, as one of the highest-paid entertainers of all time, Elton John has received some of the highest paychecks.

He earned $45 million between June 2017 and June 2018. He held a Las Vegas residency, The Million Dollar Piano, between 2011 and 2018 and made a deal to receive 88% of every show’s door revenues, which was about $500,000 per show.

No wonder that from a $100 million fortune in 2000, it dramatically increased throughout the years. However, at the time, he was known as a profligate spender.

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He used to spend $2 million a month in the late 1990s. In fact, he ended up having a collection of cars that he mostly didn’t drive.

In June 2001, he decided to sell 20 of his vehicles, from Jaguar to Ferrari to Bentley to Rolls Royce.

By 2009, his net worth was $265 million until it became $300 million in 2013. Now, Elton John is worth a whopping $500 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

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