Net Worth: $400 Million
Katy Perry’s net worth of $400 million comes from a combination of singing, acting, TV show hosting duties, and brand endorsements. The sale of her music catalog in 2023, however, has contributed to more than 50% of her fortune.
Katy Perry’s Catalog Sale Was Massive
In September 2023, Katy Perry’s net worth jumped by $225 million. The famed singer sold the rights to her first five albums, including “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream,” “Smile,” “Witness,” and “Prism.”
Litmus Music launched in 2022, and the company quickly started acquiring the rights to various works from artists in multiple genres. The company’s first acquisition was the music rights to Keith Urban’s music catalog.
The sale comes at a time when Katy Perry has largely pulled back from the industry, focusing on her Las Vegas residency and raising her kids with husband and actor, Orlando Bloom.
Katy Perry’s Album Sales And Streaming Revenue Are In The Millions
Katy Perry is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Wikipedia notes that the singer “has sold 48 million album units and 135 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.”
If we assume a very modest 10% of album and single earnings because of Perry’s work as both a singer and songwriter, it’s likely that Katy Perry’s net worth has increased by somewhere in the vicinity of $50 million to $100 million.
On top of her album sales, Katy Perry’s songs have streamed more than 50 billion times on Spotify. According to the music streamer, at the time of this publication Perry is the 31st most streamed music artist of all time with over 50 billion streams.
To put that streaming number in perspective, when Drake reached 21.5 billion streams, Fox Business estimated that he earned $52.5 million. Based on that estimate, it’s likely Katy Perry has earned close to $130 million from the streaming of her songs. Of course, part of that money is distributed to her label, Universal Music Group, and various other artists, producers, songwriters, and others who contributed to the creation of her hit music.
A Las Vegas Residency Skyrocketed Her Net Worth’
fashionstock / Depositphotos.comKaty Perry started her Las Vegas residency started in 2021 and wrapped up in November 2023.
With her desire to spend more time with family, Perry agreed to just 32 shows at Resorts World.
While the number of shows was limited, Forbes reported that the superstar singer was paid a reported $168 million for those 32 performances. That’s $5.25 million per show.
Katy Perry Earns $25 Million A Season On American Idol
Katy Perry is by far the highest-paid talent on American Idol. Forbes reports that she earns $25 million per season and 2024 is her seventh season since the show rebooted. That means Katy Perry’s net worth has increased by up to $175 million thanks to her hosting duties.
It’s worth noting that Lionel Richie and Luke Bryant are both believed to make $7 million per season, while Ryan Seacrest’s net worth increases by $15 million per season.
Katy Perry’s Tours Earned More Than $300 Million
Katy Perry was one of the biggest entertainers on the planet in the 2010s and she tours the world in support of her music. During her four tours, the singer racked up $389,500,000 in revenue and entertained well over four million people.
| Title | Dates | Shows | Gross | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello Katy Tour | January 23, 2009 – November 28, 2009 | 89 | $1,500,000 | 69,577 |
| California Dreams Tour | February 20, 2011 – January 22, 2012 | 124 | $59,500,000 | 1,069,921 |
| Prismatic World Tour | May 7, 2014 – October 18, 2015 | 151 | $204,300,000 | 1,984,503 |
| Witness: The Tour | September 19, 2017 – August 21, 2018 | 115 | $124,200,000 | 1.134,917 |
| TOTAL: | 479 | $389,500,000 | 4,258,918 |
An artist of Katy Perry’s caliber likely earns 85% of the gross revenue after all expenses are paid. In 2017, The Guardian did a great job of breaking down what artists will typically earn from tour revenue. The newspaper points out that after expenses, there is typically 50% to 70% left over. From that money, 15% goes to the promoter and other parties and 85% will go to the singer.
Assuming a conservative 50% of Perry’s tour was spent on the actual production of her shows and other expenses and that Perry collected 85% of what was left, she has likely earned in the vicinity of $150 million to $165 million.
Katy Perry Has Dipped Her Feet Into Acting And Voice Actor Work
DURAOFOTO / Depositphotos.comKaty Perry has stepped in front of the camera and behind the mic. Perry has made numerous guest appearances on shows such as “Saturday Night Live”, “The Simpsons”, “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Raising Hope,” where she likely earned good money for very little work.
In 2011 the famous singer also voiced Smurfette in the animated family film “The Smurfs.” Perry revised her Smurfette role in “The Smurfs 2” in 2013.
While Perry’s acting and voice work experiences are limited, they’ve none-the-less added to her net worth.
Katy Perry’s Real Estate Investments
| Year | Real Estate Activity | Sale Notes And Legal Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Attempt to Buy a Historical Property in Los Angeles | Negotiated a $14.5 million deal (comprising $10 million in cash and $4.5 million property value) with the LA Catholic Archdiocese for a historical 8.5-acre estate. The deal faced legal hurdles due to a conflicting sale by the residing nuns to Dana Hollister. Katy won the legal battle, but the buying option lapsed in 2019. |
| 2017 | Acquisition and Sale of a Beverly Hills Estate | Purchased a Beverly Hills mansion for $19 million, listed for $19.5 million in 2022, and eventually sold for $18 million. |
| 2018 | Investment in a Second Beverly Hills Residence | Bought an additional residence in Beverly Hills for $7.5 million, initially used by family members, later put on the market for $8 million in 2020. |
| 2019 | Disposal of Two Adjacent Homes in Los Angeles | Offloaded two neighboring properties in the Runyon Canyon area of Los Angeles, securing a combined $12.3 million from the sale. |
| 2023 | Purchase of a Luxury Penthouse in Los Angeles | Invested $11 million in a deluxe three-bedroom penthouse in Los Angeles, featuring sophisticated wood interiors and a home cinema. |
| 2020 | Legal Tussle Over a Montecito Property Purchase with Orlando Bloom | Jointly bought a Montecito property with Orlando Bloom for $15 million from Carl Westcott, who later initiated a lawsuit to annul the sale, citing impaired judgment due to medication. The court decided in favor of Perry in late 2023. |
Katy Perry’s net worth in 2023 has taken a giant leap forward. It will be interesting to see where her fortunes go in 2024 now that her lucrative Las Vegas residency has come to an end and her rights to her music catalog have switched hands. We know one thing for certain, she’ll be at least $25 million richer thanks to her hosting gig on American Idol.
