When Rihanna hit the stage at her Super Bowl performance, viewers debated whether she was pregnant (an official confirmation was released hours later). But no one is debating her success as an iconic singer and businesswoman. Today, all she sees are dollar signs.
Rise to fame: Rihanna grew up surrounded by music and was encouraged to pursue a career in the field from an early age. Her life changed when she met renowned record producer Evan Rogers while he was on vacation in her native Barbados in 2003. Rogers was impressed with Rihanna's vocal talent and immediately saw her potential. He paid for her to travel to New York to collaborate on some demos, inviting her to stay at his home while they worked together over the course of the following year.
They worked long hours in the studio creating what would become some of Rihanna's most iconic songs. They were also diligently sending out demos to major record labels, hoping that one of them would take notice and sign Rihanna on as an artist. Eventually, their hard work paid off. Def Jam Recordings agreed to sign Rihanna, marking the start of her successful music career. Thanks to Rogers' guidance and expertise, Rihanna went from being virtually unknown outside Barbados to becoming one of the world's top-selling artists.
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Popstar and businesswoman: In 2015, Rihanna made waves in the music industry by taking a stake in the music streaming service Tidal. This move was seen as a bold step into the future of music streaming services, emphasizing quality over quantity and providing an avenue for artists to maintain control of their music. The company was acquired by Square in 2021, reportedly netting Rihanna and other artists involved nearly $9 million each. According to Variety, this deal is believed to be worth around $297 million.
The acquisition enabled Rihanna and the other artists to increase their revenue significantly, while also making a statement about the growth potential of niche streaming services like Tidal.
In 2016, Rihanna made a notable investment in the car-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc., which has changed the face of transportation.
She joined forces with actress and businesswoman Jessica Alba to invest in The Honest Co., which has grown to become one of the most successful venture-backed companies in the U.S. since its launch in 2012.
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The road to billionaire status: Rihanna's net worth of $1.7 billion is largely attributed to her makeup line Fenty Beauty, which has generated an estimated $1.4 billion in revenue since it launched in 2016 following the release of her album. The company, founded in partnership with the prestigious French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, was half owned by the latter and 15% by Rihanna when first established. Rihanna has since increased her stake to 50%, making her the majority shareholder of the brand, according to a Forbes report.
This success was followed by the 2019 launch of Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand that has raised more than $300 million from Neuberger Berman Group and L Catterton. Reports have indicated that the company considered going public last year but because of the tumultuous economic climate at the time, opted to hold off.
In 2021, Rihanna used some of her wealth to invest as an angel investor in Partake Foods, a company that produces allergen-free cookies and raised $4.8 million in its Series A funding round.
That same year, Rihanna became a stakeholder and ambassador for Therabody Inc., and the company released a special edition version of its Theragun product in collaboration with Rihanna's Savage X Fenty brand.
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