There is a lot of money in the music industry. Gone are the days when singers like Lata Mangeshkar had to fight producers for their fair share of remuneration. Even in the West, things have transformed from the days of the blues legends who sold records but never made much money. Today’s singing superstars rake in the moolah by the millions for each gig. And the biggest of them all charges a whopping Rs 200 crore for one single performance.
The singer who charged Rs 200 crore for one performance
In January 2023, Beyonce Knowles, known just as Beyonce, was asked to perform at the grand opening of Atlantis The Royal luxury hotel at Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. The elite invite-only event was attended by some of the richest people in the Middle East and investors from around the world. As per Forbes, Beyonce charged at least $24 million (over Rs 200 crore) for the performance, making it the most expensive private performance in history. Beyonce performed 17 tracks in her ballad-heavy performance at Atlantis, which was her first concert in over four years. Several journalists, influencers, and celebs were also invited to the event, which became a sensation worldwide.
Beyonce’s humble beginnings and riches
Beyonce was born in 1981 in Texas to Tina Knowled, a hairdresser, and Mathew Knowles, a sales manager. Her parents were working class people but Beyonce’s musical talent was visible early on itself. At the age of 8, she became part of a girls’ singing group called Girl’s Tyme. In 1996, the group changed their name to Destiny’s Child and the following year, they released their first single. The group was a huge hit over the next five years, turning Beyonce into a star. In 2003, Beyonce branched out into a solo career and over the years, transformed into a multi-Grammy winning superstar. Today, she has a net worth of $800 million (Rs 6500 crore) and owns, among other things, a private jet.
When Beyonce performed at the Ambani wedding
In December 2018, Beyonce performed at the wedding of Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha Ambani in Udaipur. Beyonce flew down to India and performed a medley of some of her hits at a small private mini-concert that was attended by Ambanis’ closest friends and family as well as a host of Indian celebs. Beyonce reportedly charge somewhere between $3-4 million (Rs 22-30 crore) for her performance, a tag much lower than her Dubai performance four years later.
