Introduction

Mick Mars is an American professional musician with an estimated net worth of $70 Million.

Mars is the lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Mötley Crüe, known for his aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs. He dropped out of high school in the early 1970s and began playing the guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues and rock bands.

Quick Facts

• The Mötley Crüe have grossed a combined $367.3 million from touring
• Sold their master recordings music catalog for $150 million (2021)
• Mars filed a lawsuit against the band members over contract disputes (2023)
• Awarded $131,665 in legal fees, but the primary case is still ongoing.

Music Catalog Sale

In December 2021, the Mötley Crüe sold their entire music catalog to BMG for a reported figure of $150 million. The sale included the master recordings for their music portfolio, comprising nine studio albums such as Too Fast for Love, Shout at the Devil, Dr. Feelgood, and Saints of Los Angeles.

This is a stark difference from the $10 million figure that Elektra Records offered them in the ’90s, after the band parted ways with the company. Band member Nikki Sixx has previously commented on the situation in past interviews:

“Elektra wanted to buy our masters for $10 million, but we said no. Everyone thought we were crazy. Today those masters have made us far more than that.”

The $150 million was split four ways, but the band’s manager, Allen Kovac, likely took a small cut off the top. Assuming a typical 10% commission, Kovac potentially profited $15 million, with the remaining $135 million being split equally between the four band members. Thus, Mars potentially received a total payout of between $33 million and $35 million. 

Tour History & Revenue

According to data from Pollstar, the Mötley Crüe grossed a combined $367.3 million on tour up until the end of The Stadium Tour in 2022, which was conveniently Mick’s last tour with the band. While it’s challenging to obtain exact data from their smaller tours, we do have information regarding Mick’s two final tours with the group. 

Between 2014 and 2015, they embarked on The Final Tour, which reportedly sold over 1.35 million tickets across 158 shows. The gross revenue amounted to approximately $86.1 million, averaging $545,000 per show.

The Stadium Tour was the band’s best performing tour in history, spanning just three months between the 16th June and 19th September in 2022. Its success was primarily due to being a combined tour with Def Leppard, with additional appearances from Poison. They performed at 36 shows accross Canada and the United States, grossing approximately $173.5 million. This meant that the average revenue per show was an incredible $4.82 million.

With regards to how much profit the band earned from these tours, that’s an entirely different equation. Net profits can vary wildly from tour to tour. Industry experts often estimate a band’s net earnings at roughly 25% of the total gross revenue. This is the figure after all costs and commissions have been accounted for. Just for arguments sake, if we plug in 25% of $367.3 million, we reach a potential profit of $91.8 million. Since Mick Mars owns a 25% share of the band, this could place his net earnings from touring at roughly $22 million. This figure is a very rough estimate, and unlikely to be 100% accurate.

Mötley Crüe Lawsuit

Since 2023, Mars has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with his former Mötley Crüe bandmates. The issue revolved around his health problems, as Mars has struggled with a spinal condition since the age of 27. Despite being in pain, he continued playing with the band until 2022, when he stopped touring, though he made it clear that he wanted to remain a co-owner of the band.

In April 2023, Mars filed a lawsuit against the remaining band members, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee, although he sought to maintain his share of the business rather than seeking damages. The four members have an equal 25% share of tour revenue, merchandise, media, and real estate investments. Mars’ lawyers say that in October 2022, he was offered an unfair deal which would cut his share of touring profits from 25% to just 5% and then to zero for future tours. He’d also lose the same share for sales of band merchandise using the Mötley Crüe name or logo, though the deal would still let the band use Mars’ name and image. His lawyers said that the band warned Mars that if he didn’t sign the agreement, he would lose his position as an officer and director of the band’s companies.

To make matters worse, he would also have to sell his shares back at book value, a price that ignores the band’s fame and would leave him with only a fraction of what his stake is worth. Mars’ attorneys argued that original contracts, shareholder rights, and his four decades with the band should be enough to protect his stake. In response, Mötley Crüe’s lawyers said that stopping touring was the same as retiring from the band, and he should therefore not be entitled to any further compensation.

Latest Updates

At the start of the dispute, Mars and his lawyers asked the band for routine financial documents, but the band didn’t provide them. As a result, Mars was compelled to file a second lawsuit to obtain access to the records, which he won in early 2024. A judge ordered Mötley Crüe to pay $131,665 in legal fees, as they had failed to provide the documents. However, the larger dispute remains undecided, and the final decision could have significant consequences for both sides.

Real Estate

In 2007, Mick Mars reportedly pursed a 3,603-square-foot home in Malibu, California, for $1.46 million. Additional reports suggest he sold the property for just $1.35 million in 2013. However, we’ve been unable to confirm either of these figures with property transaction records. 

Introduction

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

Before Wealth & Fame

John Deacon joined his first band, The Opposition, as a rhythm guitarist but switched to bass a year later. In addition to being a musician, Deacon also served as the band’s archivist, and he remained with them for four years. 

After that, he earned a First Class Honors degree in Electronics from Chelsea College and saw Queen perform live for the first time. He then became the last member to join when they lost their bassist in early 1971, and he played his first show at the College of Estate Management. 

Deacon didn’t know it then, but he was set to become one of the richest rock stars in the world as a member of Queen. 

Queen

John Deacon was credited on Queen’s first album in 1973 as Deacon John to make him seem more interesting. However, he requested his real name be used in the credits, which was done on all subsequently released albums. 

Deacon started writing for Queen’s third album, Sheer Heart Attack, with the songs “Misfire” and “Stone Cold Crazy.” He also played some of the guitar sections when Brian May was hospitalized with hepatitis during the recording sessions. 

In 1975, his song “You’re My Best Friend,” written for his future wife, was included on Queen’s fourth album, A Night at the Opera. After that, he wrote the wildly popular “Another One Bites The Dust” in 1980, which quickly became one of the band’s best-selling singles. Deacon continued collaborating with Freddie Mercury throughout the 80s, helping the band move their sound towards disco. 

Final Years

John Deacon’s work with Mercury culminated in the band’s 1992 album Hot Space, where he played the opening of “Staying Power.” He also insisted on playing the guitar on “Back Chat,” a song that was his own composition, and May’s style didn’t suit it. However, this album proved to be commercially unsuccessful, and Queen returned to their former sound with their subsequent albums. 

By the mid-80s, Deacon had started working with other bands and artists, including Elton John, Bad Company, and The Pretenders. At this point, he considered his songwriting to be as important as his musical skills, stating he wouldn’t have been satisfied with only playing guitar. 

Unfortunately, in November 1991, Freddie Mercury passed away, and his death upset Deacon so much that his career saw a significant reduction. After playing with Queen three more times, including at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, John Deacon retired from music. 

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 Merucry each reportedly received approximately $300 million from the sale before considering taxes and management fees. This represented, by far, the single biggest payday of Deacons 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)

Retirement

After retiring, John Deacon appeared briefly with his bandmates in 1997 to record Queen’s final song, “No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young).” However, he later spoke unfavorably about Robbie Williams and Brian May’s “We Are the Champions” cover, which was released on A Knight’s Tale.

Since then, he has remained out of the limelight and even chose not to attend Queen’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He also didn’t join the Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration, though May has stated he is involved with the business side of the band. 

In 2014, following the Queen + Adam Lambert North American Tour, May admitted he had no contact with Deacon aside from talking about finances. May spoke to Rock FM Spain in 2022, stating that he didn’t think Deacon would ever perform again and that they still have minimal contact.

Introduction

Jon Jones is an American professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $3 Million.

Jones is a former UFC Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion, with many considering him the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time. While his career has been highly controversial, suffering setbacks from legal issues and suspensions for banned substance use, his only loss in the cage was due to a disqualification from an illegal elbow strike.

Jon was the most dominant UFC light heavyweight champion of all time, winning fourteen title fights over a ten-year period. Despite this, he has never been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame due to his numerous legal issues and controversies.

Quick Facts

• Earned at least $15 million during his UFC career
• Net worth has been negatively affected by numerous arrests/legal issues.
• Allegedly turned down a $30 million offer to fight Tom Aspinall
• Will receive a settlement from the UFC of between $6 million and $7 million
• Highest-recorded purse of $3.64 million against Daniel Cormier (rematch)
• Sold his 4,406-square-foot home in Ithaca, New York, for $713,000

Before Wealth & Fame

Growing up in New York, Jon Jones came from an athletically gifted family. His two brothers, Arthur and Chandler, were both professional NFL players. Jon was the smallest of the Jones brothers, and whilst he played football in high school, wrestling was where he shone the most. He was an NJCAA national champion in college, but later dropped out to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. 

While pursuing his MMA career, Jones worked as a bouncer at Doo-Z’s nightclub in Ithaca, New York, and briefly as a high school janitor.

UFC Career

In 2008, at the age of 21, Jon Jones was signed to the UFC. He won his first two fights against Andre Gusmao and Stephan Bonnar by unanimous decision. After submitting Jake O’Brien in his third UFC fight, Jones then fought Matt Hamill, where he suffered his only career loss due to disqualification for an illegal elbow. 

From 2010 onwards, Jones never lost a fight and officially won the UFC light-heavyweight championship in 2011 against Mauricio Shogun Rua. He defended the light-heavyweight belt numerous times against legends such as Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, and Chael Sonnen.

Stripped of the Belt

In 2015, after winning his first fight against Daniel Cormier, Jones was involved in a hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, New Mexico, injuring a pregnant woman and fleeing the scene. The UFC stripped him of the light-heavyweight title and suspended him indefinitely. 

He won his first fight back in the UFC in April 2016 against Ovince Saint Preux for the interim light-heavyweight belt. However, he was stripped of the belt once again after testing positive for clomiphene and letrozole ahead of his scheduled rematch with Daniel Cormier. A year later, Jones won the second fight against Cormier, but the decision was later overturned due to testing positive for Turinabol. This would be the third time the UFC stripped Jones of his belt.

In 2018, Jones reclaimed the belt after beating Alexander Gustafsson for a second time. He successfully defended the belt three times against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes before vacating the belt in 2020 due to pay disputes with UFC President Dana White.

Heavyweight Division

In 2023, Jones returned to the sport, moving up a weight class to submit Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 and win the UFC heavyweight championship. He recently defended the belt in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. 

Fight Earnings

Jon Jones has been actively competing in the UFC for almost twenty years, during which time the fighter’s pay structure has undergone numerous changes. The UFC is also known for not disclosing individual fighter pay unless the state where the event occurred requires public disclosure. However, in recent years, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the company, leading to the public disclosure of the salaries of several top fighters. This includes that of Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, and Jon Jones.

According to the documents, in 2012, Jones earned $2.28 million for defeating Rashad Evans and $1.57 million for submitting Vitor Belfort. The following year, he reportedly earned $2.75 million from his bout with Chael Sonnen and $1.17 million for defeating Alexander Gustafsson. In 2014, he earned $1.24 million for beating Glover Teixeira. A year later, for his first fight with DC, he was paid approximately $3.64 million, the highest salary of his career to date. Finally, he received $2.68 million in 2016 for defeating Ovince St. Preux.

This amounts to approximately $15.3 million in total, but it does leave a lot to the imagination. Since the St. Preux fight, Jones has fought seven more times for the UFC, likely earning significantly higher sums.

Tom Aspinal Fight Offer

The word on the street is that Jon Jones was offered as much as $30 million to fight the then-interim UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tom Aspinal; however, nothing ever materialized. This was the fight that fans wanted to see, but Jones retired (temporarily) before a matchup could take place. 

UFC Anti-Trust Settlement

At the end of 2025, more than 1,200 current/former professional UFC fighters are set to receive a settlement as part of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the organization over a decade ago. The suit alleged that the UFC violated antitrust laws in the United States by monopolizing the MMA market and intentionally suppressing the pay of its talent. 

Last year, the UFC, without admitting any wrongdoing, agreed to settle the lawsuit for $335 million. This will be split among the 1,200 athletes who competed for the promotion between December 16, 2010, and June 30, 2017. According to reports, Jon Jones is set to receive the second-highest payout (roughly between $6 million and $7 million), behind Anderson Silva‘s $10.3 million settlement.

Individual settlements will vary depending on how active the fighter was during this period and their relative popularity. In other words, champions headlining high-selling PPV events will receive higher compensation per event.

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

Jones has faced numerous legal issues and lawsuits during his MMA career. In May 2012, he was arrested for a DWI after crashing his Bentley Continental GT into a utility pole in Binghamton, New York. Jones pleaded guilty, received a six-month license suspension, was fined $1,000, and was ordered to pay $6,563.62 to the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation for damages to the pole.

Hit-and-Run Arrest

Three years later, in April 2015, Jones was involved in a hit-and-run in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to police reports, Jones ran a red light and hit a car driven by Vanessa Sonnenberg, whose vehicle then crashed into another car. Sonnenberg was pregnant at the time of the incident and suffered a broken arm and other minor injuries.​ After the crash, Jones left the scene, but the next day he turned himself in to the police.​ On September 29, 2015, Jones pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation. The UFC stripped Jones of his light heavyweight title, suspended him, and removed him from the main event at UFC 187. The suspension lasted seven months, after which Jones returned to fight Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 on April 23, 2016.

Battery Arrests

Several years after the hit-and-run accident, in July 2019, Jones was accused of battery. A cocktail waitress at TD’s Eubank Showclub in Albuquerque, New Mexico, alleged that Jones slapped and kissed her and attempted to wrestle her at the bar.​ Jones pleaded no contest to the disorderly conduct charge, meaning he didn’t admit guilt but accepted the conviction and received a 90-day deferred sentence under unsupervised probation.

In another incident in September 2021, just hours after his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, Jones was arrested in Las Vegas. He was staying at Caesars Palace with his fiancée, Jessie Moses, when one of their children asked a security guard to call the police. When the police arrived, Moses was found crying with blood on her face, and so the police arrested Jones for domestic battery. However, Jones then became angry during the arrest, headbutted a police car, and was then charged with tampering with a vehicle. Though the domestic violence charge was dropped, Jones was ordered to pay $750 for damage to the car and agreed to complete anger management counseling.

Alleged Assault

Three years later, on March 30, 2024, Jones was visited at his Albuquerque home for a surprise drug test. When the anti-doping officials arrived, Jones became upset as he struggled to give a urine sample. According to agent Crystal Martinez, Jones took her phone and threatened her aggressively. Martinez filed charges against Jones, and he was summoned to appear in court, where he pleaded not guilty.

The court agreed to a deal where Jones would attend anger management courses, and if he avoided arrest or legal trouble for the next 90 days, the case would be dismissed. Despite his numerous arrests and legal issues, Jones consistently returned to professional fighting, with his net worth remaining largely unaffected by the allegations against him.

Real Estate

In March 2012, Jones paid $644,500 for a 4,406-square-foot, four-bedroom home in Ithaca, New York. The property featured an oversized three-car garage, which Jones used as a home gym. In November 2016, he listed the house for sale at $750,000, which sold in May of the following year for $713,000.