Forbes names Jay-Z the richest musician in America

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Jay-Z is now the richest musician in America, according to an update of Forbes’s annual ranking of celebrity wealth.

Appearing behind George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan, with a net worth of $900m, the hip-hop mogul saw the biggest dollar gains out of anyone else on the list, Yahoo News reports, quoting The Independent.

Thanks to his stakes in various companies, including entertainment giant Roc Nation, his streaming service Tidal, and alcohol companies including Armand de Brignac and D’Ussé, he has overtaken rapper Diddy, who previously held the title.

Star Wars creator George Lucas, who sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, has helped boost his own wealth by transitioning the original film trilogy into an empire of merchandise, tie-in games, novels and comic books. Lucas’s fortune is estimated to be roughly $5.4 billion, over a billion dollars more valuable than Spielberg, the closest to him in terms of wealth, so it may be some time before someone surpasses him.

Rolling Stone notes that Jay may struggle to hold onto his crown as the richest musician, as Dr Dre reportedly had an estimated net worth of $770m earlier this year. That figure is likely to have climbed after his exit from Apple earlier this year.

America’s Wealthiest Celebrities of 2018

1. George Lucas (net worth $5.4 billion)

2. Steven Spielberg ($3.7 billion)

3. Oprah Winfrey ($2.8 billion)

4. Michael Jordan ($1.7 billion)

5. Tie − Kylie Jenner ($900 million)

5. Tie − Jay-Z ($900 million)

7. David Copperfield ($875 million)

8. Diddy ($825 million)

9. Tie − Tiger Woods ($800 million)

9. Tie − James Patterson ($800 million)