Introduction

Eric Clapton is an English professional singer and musician with an estimated net worth of $450 Million.

Clapton is one of the biggest names in the music industry and a true Rock and Roll legend. Through his solo works and band collaborations, Eric has earned himself a reputation as one of the all-time greatest virtuosos. Bands that have benefited from his incredible skills are The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos. Eric is a self-made artist whose arrangements and performances have mesmerized audiences worldwide.

In this profile, we’ll outline our research into Eric Clapton’s net worth, income sources, earnings history, and how he spends his fortune.

Quick facts

• Earned an estimated $62 million between 1992 and 1994
• Sold three Gerhard Richter paintings for $74.8 million (2012-2016)
• The artwork cost him just $3.4 million in 2001
• Assets include a $14 million property in Antigua

Earnings History

Between 1992 and 1994, Forbes consistently featured Eric Clapton in its annual lists of the Forbes Top 40. This list was ultimately superseded by the Forbes Celebrity 100 in 1999.

To the best of our knowledge, Clapton debuted on the list in 1992, when he earned an estimated $33 million. Bear in mind that this was among his most active years on tour, performing at 83 concerts. The following year, his earnings declined to an estimated $19 million. They also dropped again to approximately $10 million in 1994, at which point he fell off the list.

Art Collection

Perhaps one of the best investments that Clapton has ever made has been his art collection. Now it’s not exactly clear how many pieces are in his collection, but based on his history, it could be in the hundreds. 

We also don’t know exactly how much he paid for his collection, nor its current value. However, here’s what we do know:

In 1997, Clapton listed 32 pieces up for sale with Christie’s auction house in London, England. The collection included works from Degas, Matisse, and Sandro Chia. Reports suggest that all 32 pieces sold for a total of £419,665 ($680,000), with the most expensive (“Meditation” by Sandro Chia) selling for £87,300.

Several years later, in 2001, Clapton acquired three Gerhard Richter Paintings for a total of $3.4 million, which were as follows:

• Abstraktes Bild (809-4)
• Abstraktes Bild (809-1)
• Abstraktes Bild (809-2)

Roughly a decade later, in 2012, he auctioned off the first painting (809-4) at Sotheby’s. It sold for an astonishing $34.2 million, which at the time was the highest price a Richter piece had ever been sold for.

In November 2013, Clapton returned to Christie’s to auction off the second painting (809-1). It sold for an impressive $18.5 million at the hammer, with a sale price of $20.89 million including the buyer’s premium. Exactly three years later, Eric sold the final painting (809-2) for $22.1 million at the Christie’s auction house.

In summary, Eric Clapton bought three pieces of artwork for $3.4 million in 2001, and within the span of fifteen years, sold them for $74.8 million. Of course, this is before taking the auction’s commission off the top line, but that’s a $71.4 million gross profit.

Introduction

Bill Berry is an American retired professional musician with an estimated net worth of $40 Million. 

Berry was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M., but he is best known for his economical drumming style. He also played other instruments, including guitar, bass, and piano, for songwriting and on R.E.M. albums. After a long career with the band, he left the music industry to become a farmer and has since maintained a low profile. 

In this profile, we’ll discuss our research into Bill Berry’s net worth, contracts, earnings from R.E.M., and how he’s invested his fortune.

Quick Facts

• Paid roughly $113,000 for a 56.6-acre farm in Georgia
• R.E.M. earned an estimated $44 million in 1996
• Signed an $80 million, five-album deal with Warner Bros. in 1996
• The band has sold over 93 million records worldwide

R.E.M. Earnings 

In 1996, R.E.M. was ranked on Forbes’ Top 40 with an estimated annual income of $44 million. At the time, most of this figure came from touring. However, prior to the 2000s, touring revenue in the music industry wasn’t widely reported; verified figures are difficult to find.

In any case, between January 1995 and November 1995, R.E.M. held the Monster Tour, which grossed an estimated $94.6 million. Not all of this revenue fell within the calculation period for Forbes Estimates, but anything from June 1 onward would have.

Tour Revenues

As we briefly mentioned above, the only time that Berry’s band R.E.M. made the Forbes list was thanks to the Monster World Tour. Throughout their tenure, touring was a primary source of revenue for the band. They held 14 major concert tours between 1981 and 2008, but it appears that the Monster Tour was responsible for the bulk of the revenue.

In a 2022 report from Pollstar, R.E.M. were ranked 127th on its list of “Top Touring Artists” in order of tickets sold. The group has reportedly sold 3,640,879 tickets, resulting in gross revenues of $128.3 million. This is surprising, since the Monster World Tour allegedly grossed $94.6 million on its own, accounting for roughly 73.7% of the band’s lifetime touring revenue.

While we don’t know how much their other tours grossed, here’s a complete list of every major concert tour R.E.M. has held:

• Rapid.Eye.Movement. Tour (1981)
• Chronic Town Tour (1982)
• Murmur Tour (1983)
• Little America Tour (1984)
• Reconstruction Tour (1985)
• Pageantry Tour (1986)
• Work Tour (1987)
• Green World Tour (1989)
• Monster World Tour (1995)
• Up World Tour (1998/99)
• Reveal World Tour (2001)
• In Time World Tour (2003)
• Around the Sun World Tour (2004/05)
• Accelerate World Tour (2008)

Warner Bros. Records Deal

In 1996, R.E.M. signed a five-album record deal with Warner Bros., reportedly valued at $80 million, or $16.66 million per album. At the time, this was among the largest record deals in history, which many might have found surprising. According to reports, R.E.M.’s contract with the label included the following:

• $10 million signing bonus
• $20 million advance tied to future sales of existing catalog
• $10 million advance per album
• 24% royalty payment on future retail sales

Real Estate

In the late 1980s, Bill Berry purchased 56.6 acres of land in Watkinsville, Georgia. While the purchase price wasn’t publicly disclosed, Berry has previously commented on this investment, saying he wanted to broaden his portfolio at the time. He mentioned that the land cost about $2,000 per acre back then, which would have totaled about $113,100. There now stands a 6,010-square-foot home on the land, and the property is worth roughly $1.47 million. It also costs him roughly $16,000 in property taxes each year.

Introduction

Stevie Wonder is an American professional singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist with an estimated net worth of $200 Million.

Since 1962, Stevie Wonder has released 23 studio albums, though it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that his career truly took off. To date, the musician has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with the majority of his success coming from the 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. The RIAA has since certified this album as diamond in the United States, with more than 10 million units sold.

In this profile, we’ll discuss our research into Stevie Wonder’s net worth and any significant events that have heavily impacted his finances.

Quick Facts

• Sold more than 100 million records globally
• Grossed $41.7 million from the Songs in the Key of Life Tour
• Ex-girlfriend filed a $30 million palimony lawsuit against him (2001)
• Purchased a 19,593-square-foot LA mansion for $13.85 million (2021)

Income Sources

Stevie Wonder’s annual income typically hasn’t been reported on in the past; however, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s built his fortune through music sales, royalties, and live performances. That said, little information has been released over the years.

Between November 2014 and November 2015, Wonder held the Songs in the Key of Life Tour. The tour comprised three legs, and 44 shows in total across North America, grossing a reported $41.7 million in revenue.

In August 2018, Wonder held a residency with MGM Resorts in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned $4.2 million from just seven shows that month.

Palimony Lawsuit

In October 2001, Angela McAfee, a former girlfriend of Stevie Wonder, filed a $30 million palimony lawsuit against the singer. According to the lawsuit, McAfee alleged she had a verbal agreement with Wonder that he would be the sole provider for the household and that she would make the house a home. She also claimed that Wonder promised to share his fortune and assets with her. However, the singer reportedly moved out of the couple’s home and stopped paying rent, allegedly breaching their oral agreement.

Wonder denied the allegations, and his attorney released the following statement: “The only breach that has been made is one of Stevie’s trust in someone he had heretofore called a friend.”

He also filed a countersuit in November, accusing McAfee of stealing $160,000 in furniture and other belongings. The case was sent to mediation, but no further updates were reported in the media.

Real Estate

In December 2021, Stevie Wonder paid $13.85 million for a 19,593-square-foot, eleven-bedroom, fifteen-bathroom mansion in Los Angeles, California. The enormous property features multiple sitting rooms, a wine room, a games room, a home office, and an outdoor pool with a hot tub. According to public records, Stevie still owns the property, which now has an estimated value of $15.3 million, and costs him roughly $170,000 per year in taxes.