Net Worth: $350 Million
Mariah Carey’s net worth of $350 million shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The singer-songwriter, producer, and actress, has spent almost three decades in the music business and she’s sold over 200 million records during that time.
Mariah Carey’s albums and singles have sold so well throughout her career that she is listed among the 15 best-selling musicians of all time. Carey also holds the record for the most #1 songs among female writers/producers in US chart history and she has won five Grammys, 15 Billboard Music Awards, and 10 AMAs.
While not as acting as she once was on the music scene, Mariah Carey’s net worth continues to grow thanks to owning one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, and her ability to continue collection royalties from her extension portfolio of chart-topping hits.
How Much Has Mariah Carey Made From ‘All I Want For Christmas’?
Mariah Carey’s smash hit “All I Want For Christmas” is nearly impossible to escape during the holiday season, and the constant presence of the song has earned Mariah Carey a lot of money.
MarketWatch reports that Mariah Carey’s net worth has increased by $60 million thanks to the song. The song was released on November 8, 1991, and MarketWatch says Mariah is still earning $3 million per year in royalties.
The song also makes additional money from sponsorships that use the Christmas hit and Mariah Carey to sell products. The most recent big-time use of the song was in 2021 when “All I Want For Christmas” marked its 25th anniversary and featured a Holiday-themed advert for Walkers crisps.
Virgin Records Paid Mariah Carey $49 Million For One Failed Record
ChinaImages / Depositphotos.comMariah Carey was on top of the music world in 2021. Mariah’s songs were all but a guaranteed number-one hit when being released and Virgin Records bet big on the superstar, offering her $100 million for a five-album deal.
After signing the deal, Mariah Carey was awarded $21 million with no strings attached. Even if an album was never released, Carey got to keep the money.
Unfortunately for Virgin Records, Mariah Carey’s career started immediately slipping, and she was no longer a sought-after musician.
Rather than cough up the full $100 million for five albums, Virgin Records offered Carey another $28 million to go away. With one failed album for Virgin Records, Mariah Carey earned $49 million.
In today’s money, adjusting for inflation, the contract was worth $150 million, and Mariah Carey took home the equivalent of approximately $73 million.
How Much Did Mariah Carey Make From American Idol?
s_bukley / Depositphotos.comSeason 12 of American Idol featured a special judge when Mariah Carey signed up to be featured for a full season on the show.
At the time, Mariah Carey’s $18 million paycheck made her the highest-paid judge of all time on a talent show. At the time of her deal, CBS News reported that her contract dwarfed other top-paid TV show judges, noting, “Christina Aguilera makes $10 million on “The Voice,” and Howard Stern earns $15 million for his “America’s Got Talent” stint.”
Mariah Carey Has Earned Millions From Her Album Sales
s_bukley / Depositphotos.comWhen you sell more than 200 million albums worldwide, you’re going to make a lot of money for your take on those sales.
The Wall Street Journal estimated that Mariah Carey earned 20 percent of each album sold. If we conservatively estimate that Mariah’s albums were profitable to the tune of $10 per sale, her take of 200 million albums would be around $400 million before taxes, management fees, and other expenses.
Parade also points out that Mariah Carey’s Universal Records contract paid her $7.5 million per album and when the deal went south, they paid the singer $28 million to go away.
If you’re wondering how Mariah Carey could command such a high payout for her work, she had a hand in writing and producing most of her hits. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, Carey was entitled to compensation for each role.
Mariah Carey’s Tours Have Brought In $200+ Million
Jean_Nelson / Depositphotos.comWhile Mariah Carey has racked up more than 200 million record sales, her actual tours haven’t faired as well. In 309 major shows, the singer brought in an estimated $216 million while selling 2,712 million tickets.
In the chart below, we’ve included Mariah Carey’s major tours, her minor tours, and her Las Vegas residence, where she earned approximately $478,250 per show.
| Year | Tour | # of Dates | Gross | Tickets Sold (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Music Box Tour | 6 shows | $2,500,000 | 70,000 |
| 1996 | Daydream World Tour | 7 | $10,000,000 | 200,000 |
| 1998 | Butterfly World Tour | 12 | $20,000,000 | 335,000 |
| 2000 | Rainbow World Tour | 19 | $19,000,000 | 375,000 |
| 2003-2004 | Charmbracelet World Tour | 69 | $40,000,000 | 472,000 |
| 2006 | The Adventures Of Mimi Tour | 40 | $42,500,000** | 420,000 |
| 2010 | The Angel’s Advocate Tour | 26 | $12,000,000*** | 140,000 |
| 2014 | The Elusive Chanteuse Show | 20 | $16,700,000 | 240,000 |
| 2016 | The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour | 31 | $15,300,000+ | 204,767+ |
| 2017 | All The Hits (with Lionel Richie) | 22 | $2,000,000+ | 23,157+ |
| Minor Tours | ||||
| 2009 | Live At The Pearl | 4 | $4,000,000 | 8,000 |
| 2013 | Triumphant Tour Australia | 3 | $4,000,000 | 20,000 |
| 2014-2015 | All I Want For Christmas Is You | 19 | $4,000,000+**** | 37,000 |
| 2015-2017 | Mariah Carey #1’s (Residency) | 50 | $23,912,616 | 176,791 |
| Total | – | 328 | $202,912,616 | 2,512,715 |
Mariah Carey’s Product Endorsements Have Likely Earned Her Millions
Mariah Carey started endorsing products in 2006, and her first big partnership was with the Intel Centrino computer line. She followed that up with an accessory line for Claire’s and The Icing called Glamorized.
Carey then teamed up with Elizabeth Arden to launch a perfume line. Fox Business reports that scene deals range from $3 million to $10 million on average. Carey ended up releasing 14 perfumes, many of which were best sellers. With $150 million in perfume sales, it’s likely that Carey was paid at least $10 million for her brand deal with Elizabeth Arden.
Mariah Carey also became a sponsor for Angel Champagne, an ultra-premium product that sells for $290,000 per bottle.
Other Mariah Carey product endorsement deals include:
- Pepsi
- Motorola
- Gillette Venus
- Jenny Craig
- McDonald’s
- Milk Bar
- HSN
In November 2019, UK chip manufacturer Walker Crisps, which is owned by Pepsi, reportedly added an estimated $11 million to Mariah Carey’s net worth when they had her star in a new Christmas-focused commercial that included her hit song “All I Want For Christmas.
With so many big brand names asking for Mariah Carey’s endorsement, she likely earned at least $20 million for her efforts, and potentially far more given her star status at the time of most of those deals.
