Introduction

John Deacon is an English retired professional musician with an estimated net worth of $170 Million. 

This profile outlines our research into John Deacon’s net worth, income sources, and earnings history.

Quick Facts

• Queen sold their entire music catalog for $1.27 billion in 2024
• Deacon reportedly earned $300 million from the sale
• Received $37.6 million in dividends from Queen Productions Ltd (2015-2024)
• Assets include a six-bedroom London home worth roughly £6 million

Music Catalog Sale

In 2024, Sony Music Entertainment acquired Queen’s entire music catalog for a record-breaking $1.27 billion, one of the largest music deals in history. John Deacon, Roger Taylor, Brian May, and the estate of Freddie Mercury each reportedly received approximately $300 million from the sale, before taxes and management fees were deducted. This represented, by far, the single biggest payday of Deacon’s career. The sale included all of Queen’s albums and singles, featuring timeless hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and Somebody to Love.

Queen Productions Ltd

All reports suggest that John Deacon still owns a percentage of Queen and regularly receives royalty payments from the band’s music. Queen Productions Ltd is a British company linked to the band, with all related payments being processed through the business. However, as of June 2024, Deacon, May, and Taylor are no longer company directors.

The company’s latest filing shows total profits of £17.6 million ($21.47 million) before taxes in 2024, a slight decrease from the £19.65 million ($23.96 million) figure in 2023. The total dividends distributed during the 2024 calendar year were £3.66 million ($4.46 million).

Between 2015 and 2024, a total of £123.21 million ($150.3 million) in dividends has been distributed to the company’s shareholders. Queen Productions Ltd’s ownership is split four ways between the three remaining band members and the estate of Freddie Mercury. This is structured as follows:

• John Deacon – Ordinary A Class Shares
• Brian May – Ordinary B Class Shares
• Roger Taylor – Ordinary C Class Shares
• Estate of Freddie Mercury – Ordinary D Class Shares

Each class of company shares is valued equally, effectively meaning that all four parties hold a 25% stake. Thus, John Deacon’s dividends over the past ten years amount to £30.8 million ($37.6 million).

These dividends were paid out with annual totals as follows:

• 2024 – £3.66 million ($4.46 million)
• 2023 – £19.65 million ($23.96 million)
• 2022 – £12.9 million ($15.7 million)
• 2021 – £17.07 million ($20.83 million)
• 2020 – £20.17 million ($24.61 million)
• 2019 – £19.43 million ($23.72 million)
• 2018 – £7.8 million ($9.52 million)
• 2017 – £5.85 million ($7.13 million)
• 2016 – £5.68 million ($6.93 million)
• 2015 – £11 million ($13.42 million)

Real Estate

According to reports, John Deacon owns a six-bedroom, five-bathroom Victorian home in South-West London. It’s not clear exactly how much he paid for the property, but it’s believed to be valued at between £4 million and £6 million.

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.