Introduction

Danielle Steel is an American professional writer with an estimated net worth of $600 Million. 

Quick Facts

• Earned an estimated $201 million between 2010 and 2018
• Peak annual income of $35 million in 2011
• A former bookkeeper allegedly stole $2.7 million from her in 2009
• 67th richest self-made woman in America

Net Worth History

Although not a billionaire, Forbes has been tracking Danielle Steel’s net worth for over a decade because she is a member of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. In 2016, she had an estimated net worth of $310 million, and for the next several years, this figure grew by $10-20 million annually. In 2024, her net worth jumped from $420 million to $500 million, and at the time of writing, she’s ranked as the 67th richest self-made woman in America, with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Earnings History

According to reports, between 2010 and 2018, Danielle Steel earned approximately $201 million from all endeavors. She often earned substantial annual sums from book advances, film and TV rights, and royalties. This included estimated earnings of $32 million in 2010 and $35 million in 2011, which were her highest-earning years of the decade. During the 2010s, Steel’s earnings gradually declined, dropping to between $22 million and $26 million in the mid-2010s and to $12 million by 2018. 

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

In 1993, Steel filed a lawsuit against author Lorenzo Bene, who was going to disclose that her son had been adopted by her husband at the time, John Traina. California law states that adoption records must remain sealed to protect adoptive families and can only be opened under very special circumstances. Generally, the records can be disclosed for medical purposes or with the consent of the adopted child once they reach adulthood. Steel believed that if her son’s adoption went public, it would violate her family’s privacy.

Despite her arguments, the state supreme court ruled in favor of opening the adoption record, which was highly unusual given that her son was still a minor at the time. Controversially, the court decided that, because of Steel’s public profile, privacy standards didn’t apply to her and therefore agreed that the records could be opened.

Theft By Former Assistant

In 2009, Steel was the victim of theft after her bookkeeper stole approximately $2.7 million from her. Kirsty Watts had worked for Steel for 15 years when, in November 2008, Steel discovered irregularities in the way Watts had handled credit cards and subsequently terminated her employment. An investigation later revealed that Watts had stolen the money by writing herself cheques and paying herself bonuses. She also used Steel’s credit card reward points to buy flights and gift cards for her family.

Watts was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing over several years and agreed to surrender her assets to help repay the money. So far, she has returned the majority of what she stole, mainly through the sale of her home, its contents, and her family’s vehicles.

Real Estate

Danielle Steel and her husband, Thomas Perkins, own the Spreckles Estate in San Francisco, California. The property has a significant history. It was initially split into four units before Steel acquired it and began her restoration efforts. She also reportedly purchased approximately 25 parking permits for guests in the adjoining streets.

While we don’t know precisely how much Steel paid for the home, recent estimations place its current valuation at roughly $19.2 million. Public records show that the annual property taxes range from $130,000 to $140,000. Over at least twenty-five years of ownership, the couple is estimated to have spent at least $2.5 million on property taxes alone. 

Introduction

Khabib Nurmagomedov is a Russian former professional UFC fighter and current MMA coach with an estimated net worth of $40 Million.

Nurmagomedov retired on his own terms after losing his father, a man who was always in his corner for every one of his fights. Khabib’s professional MMA record remains 29-0-0, going undefeated throughout his career. After earning approximately $15 million during his career, Khabib leveraged his fight income to invest in numerous companies, including the Eagle Fighting Championship, Fitroo by Khabib, Eagle Mobile, and Khabib Gym.

This article highlights Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career earnings, as well as the business ventures that have contributed to his net worth growth in recent years.

Quick Facts

• Earned an estimated $15 million in UFC fight earnings
• Received $6.09 million for his final UFC fight
• Fined $500,000 for jumping the cage after the McGregor fight
• Investments include Eagle FC, Fitroo, and Eagle Mobile

UFC Earnings

The UFC has typically also followed a pay structure of pay-to-show and pay-to-win for the up-and-coming fighters. As a fighter’s ranking and star power improve, they begin earning significantly higher paychecks per fight, often receiving a small percentage of the pay-per-view (PPV) sales.

One of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s earliest recorded salaries was $64,000 for defeating Rafael dos Anjos in 2014. He earned 50% ($32,000) to show up, and the other 50% for his win bonus. Given that Khabib never lost during his professional MMA career, we know that he always secured the win bonus when it was available.

In 2016, he earned $135,000 for defeating Darrell Horcher, which included a $65,000 to show, a $65,000 to win, and a $5,000 promotional bonus. That same year, his next victory against Michael Johnson earned him $80,000 to show, $80,000 to win, and a $10,000 bonus, for a total of $170,000.

By 2017, Khabib’s base show/win rate had increased to $85,000, earning him $170,000 for defeating Edson Barbosa. However, this time he received $60,000 in bonuses, bringing his total to $230,000.

Title Fight Earnings

Khabib’s final four fights in the UFC were all title fights, which meant he was no longer on the pay-to-show and pay-to-win structure. He was now guaranteed a certain purse per fight, which led to him earning significantly higher sums. When he won the lightweight championship belt against Al Iaquinta in 2018, he received a total of $530,000. 

When he defeated Conor McGregor by rear-naked choke in October 2018, Khabib earned a guaranteed $2 million, plus an additional $40,000 bonus. However, after making McGregor tap out in the fourth round, Khabib immediately jumped out of the cage and lunged into the crowd, aiming for Dillon Danis. One of his teammates jumped into the octagon and started throwing punches at McGregor. His antics led to the UFC suspending him and fining him $500,000, reducing his earnings from the fight to $1.54 million.

For his final two fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, Khabib earned $6.09 million per fight. This brings his total known earnings to roughly $14.85 million. However, this doesn’t include his first five fights in the organization. Assuming a scalable pay-to-show, pay-to-win structure, he likely earned between $20,000 and $48,000 per fight. This potentially brings his career earnings to just over $15 million.

Eagle Fighting Championship

Following Nurmagomedov’s retirement from the UFC in 2020, he steadily built his investment portfolio into what it is today. ​In November of that year, Nurmagomedov purchased the Russian MMA promotion company Gorilla Fighting Championship (GFC) for $1 million. He later rebranded it as the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) and created an international platform for up-and-coming fighters, providing them with a pathway into the UFC.

EFC’s first event was held in December 2020 in Moscow. It then hosted events across Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and made its U.S. debut in Miami, Florida, on January 28, 2022. The brand evolved into a respected MMA league featuring former UFC stars such as Kevin Lee and Junior dos Santos. Although EFC remains active today, it is financially smaller than it was during its U.S. expansion in 2022.

The promotion initially generated approximately $7 million in annual revenue from sponsorships, ticket sales, and broadcast rights. However, that figure reportedly declined to around $3-$5 million by 2024 after Nurmagomedov stepped back to focus on his family.

Food Brand Investments

Later in mid-2021, Nurmagomedov launched two new food brands across the UAE. Fitroo by Khabib, focused on nutrition and fitness, and pH Top Water by Khabib. Fitroo sold protein bars, sportswear, and training supplements, while pH Top Water offered a mineral-rich, pH-balanced hydration product. Outside of the UAE, the products were also sold across Russia and parts of Europe. The emphasis was on clean, natural ingredients inspired by Nurmagomedov’s healthy upbringing in the mountainous region of Dagestan, Russia.

Eagle Mobile

After focusing on nutrition, Nurmagomedov expanded into the telecommunications industry in early 2022 with the launch of Eagle Mobile. The mobile network provides nationwide services across Russia and supplements traditional phone plans with exclusive loyalty programs, including discounts on Fitroo products, autographed memorabilia, and fan meet-and-greets.

Khabib Gym

By mid-2023, Nurmagomedov had established the Khabib Gym, a 1,500-square-meter luxury fitness facility in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The gym offers MMA training programs, boxing studios, and functional fitness zones. It was designed as a regional hub for world-class coaching and youth athletic development, continuing Nurmagomedov’s mission to grow martial arts education throughout the Middle East. ​The gym also integrates modern sports science with traditional Dagestani training philosophies.

Two years later, on May 21, 2025, Nurmagomedov opened another gym in his hometown of Sildi, Dagestan. The gym cost approximately $5 million to build, which Nurmagomedov said was funded by the money he earned from his 2018 UFC 229 victory over Conor McGregor, and will be used to develop Dagestan’s next generation of fighters. Since retirement, Nurmagomedov has successfully transitioned from UFC champion to global entrepreneur, building multiple income streams that have significantly increased his net worth.

Introduction

Katy Perry is an American professional singer, actress, and songwriter with an estimated net worth of $330 Million.

Quick Facts

• Over 140 million records sold in the United States
• Earned an estimated $512 million between 2011 and 2020
• Paid $25 million per season to judge American Idol
• Grossed over $330 million in revenue from concerts/tours
• Sold the rights to her music collection for $225 million in 2023
• Ranked 86th highest-paid celebrity in 2020, earning $38.5 million

Net Worth Details

When we first started tracking Katy Perry’s net worth in 2019, she was estimated to be worth $330 million. In 2024, Forbes listed Perry among America’s richest self-made women, with an estimated net worth of $350 million. Since then, her fortune has grown by an additional $10 million, keeping her on the list in 97th place. At the time of writing, Perry is worth approximately $330 Million.

Earnings History

Between 2011 and 2020, Katy Perry was consistently listed among the highest-paid singers in the world, typically earning between $33 million and $45 million annually. In the first four years of the decade, she earned between $39 million and $45 million per year. However, in 2015, Perry experienced one of the most lucrative years of her career, earning an estimated $135 million. This was thanks to the success of The Prismatic World Tour, which reportedly grossed $204 million from 151 shows. That same year, she also performed in the halftime show for Super Bowl XLIX, which had an immediate impact on album sales and streaming revenue.

In 2016 and 2017, her earnings returned to roughly the same level as before, with $41 million in 2016 and $33 million in 2017. However, 2018 was another impressive year for the singer, after negotiating a reported $25 million salary to feature as a judge on American Idol. She also commenced her Witness World Tour, which grossed approximately $124 million between 2017 and 2018.

Overall, between 2011 and 2020, Katy Perry earned an estimated $512 million from all endeavors. However, this doesn’t include her substantial earnings from the 2023 music catalog sale, which reportedly totaled $225 million.

American Idol Salary

Although Katy Perry appeared on American Idol numerous times as a musical guest and judge from seasons eight through eleven, she didn’t reappear until season 16. Reports suggest that Perry signed a contract in 2018 to become a full-time judge on the show, paying her $25 million per year. This equates to roughly $1.32 million per episode. 

Perry served in this role for 7 seasons until the end of 2023, during which she should have earned approximately $175 million. According to reports, she initially asked for a raise to $30 million per season before her departure. 

Music Catalog Sale

In May 2023, it was reported that Perry sold a significant portion of her music catalog to the Carlyle Group-backed company Litmus Music. When Forbes inquired about the deal’s price, the Carlyle Group declined to comment; however, it was estimated that the catalog was sold for approximately $225 million.

The sale includes the rights to Katy’s master recordings and the publishing rights to the five albums released through Capitol Records between 2008 and 2020, which include “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream,” “Prism,” “Witness,” and “Smile.”

Real Estate

Hollywood Hills Compound

In April 2013, Perry purchased a 2.33-acre estate in the Hollywood Hills for $8.2 million. The six-bedroom, 7,418-square-foot Mediterranean-style home, built in 1954, includes a two-story guesthouse. At the same time, she also purchased the neighboring home for $3 million. 

In 2017, she relisted the main property for $9.45 million. It was later relisted at $9.285 million in March 2018 and reduced to $8.95 million in June. According to public records, the house sold in February 2019 for $9.4 million. A month later, she sold the smaller home for $3.3 million.

Combining the two, Perry spent a total of $11.2 million on this compound and sold the properties for a combined $12.7 million. While that equates to $1.5 million in gross profit, she likely walked away with between $300,000 and $500,000 after agent fees and property taxes.

Beverly Hills Mansion

Perry’s most expensive real estate purchase came in May 2017, when she acquired a 5,427-square-foot, seven-bedroom home in Beverly Hills for $18 million. She listed the property for sale in March 2022 at $19.475 million. However, she eventually let it go for $18 million – her original purchase price. Since she paid over $1 million in property taxes during ownership, plus an additional $900,000 to $1.5 million in listing and agent commissions, Perry may have lost at least $2 million on the investment.

Beverly Hills Guesthouse

In December 2018, Perry paid $7.45 million for a 4,410-square-foot, four-bedroom home in Beverly Hills. She initially attempted to sell this property in 2020 for $7.95 million, but removed the listing. In May 2021, Perry sold the house for $7.575 million.

Montecito Mansion

In July 2020, Katy Perry agreed to purchase a 9,285-square-foot, eight-bedroom mansion in Montecito, California, for $15 million. Perry’s business manager, Bernie Gudvi, acting on her behalf, signed the contract, as did the seller. Several days later, the seller decided he no longer wanted to sell, and as a result, both parties filed lawsuits, leading to a three-year legal battle.

In late 2023, a judge ruled that the sales contract must be respected, allowing Perry to finally take ownership of the property. As things stand, she has paid $9 million of the agreed $15 million towards the property. However, the second phase of the trial will determine how much, if any, of the remaining $6 million needs to be paid, depending on damages awarded in Perry’s favor.