From a shy girl who loved singing to a multi-award best-selling artist, Rihanna has taken great leaps through her career like how she made that life-changing leap from Barbados to Connecticut. She’s made a name for herself within ten years and has also helped millions of people worldwide with her generosity.
Read on and find out more about her journey to fame and wealth.
Rihanna Net Worth 2018 – $280 million
How did Rihanna make her money & wealth
Her abusive father Ronald struggled with alcoholism and crack addiction which greatly strained her parents’ marriage. At the age of eight she began to have recurring headaches that were thought to be caused by a tumor. She turned to music and singing as the source of her comfort during these troubled times. Her condition eventually improved at 14 and after the divorce of her parents.
Rihanna attended Combermere High School as a tough yet shy girl. She loved to sing and even gathered two of her friends for a musical trio. Despite being bashful Rihanna actually won a beauty pageant where she was crowned “Miss Combermere”. She never got to finish high school as she was more inclined in pursuing a career in music.
Record producers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers heard about Rihanna’s talent through a mutual friend. The 15-year-old singer was then called for a performance that impressed Rogers. The producer invited her to Connecticut to record demo tapes which were distributed to record labels worldwide. Newly-appointed Def Jam CEO Jay Z was captivated by the track “Pon De Replay” that he summoned Rihanna for an audition. At the end of the day she got signed in to the label.
“Pon de Replay” was released as a single four months later and it did well on the charts and on the ears of critics. August 30, 2005 saw the release of her debut album Music of the Sun but to lukewarm critical reception despite selling millions worldwide.
A year later Rihanna released her second album A Girl like Me which contained hits like “SOS” and “Unfaithful”. This one fared better in the charts and critical reception compared to her previous album. Her next album Good Girl Gone Bad was released in May 2007 and earned her seven nominations, and the lead single “Umbrella” won her a Grammy. It was this album that catapulted her to fame.
A string of successful albums followed suit. Rated R was released on November 20, 2009 and contained “Russian Roulette” and “Te Amo”. The next one was Loud on November 12, 2010 with singles “California King Bed” “S&M” and “Only Girl (In the World)”. She surpassed Mariah Carey in the most number of songs peaking on the Billboard charts as “S&M” was her tenth song to peak the list.
Following her tradition of November album releases Talk That Talk hit the shelves on November 18, 2011 and Unapologetic on November 19, 2012. Her latest album Anti was recently released this January 28, 2016. If you’re hearing that catchy line “Work work work work work work” then that’s from her new album.
Rihanna’s businesses and endorsements contribute to her hefty income. Her first endorsement was with Secret Body Spray in October 2005. She would later venture in the world of perfumes starting with the commercially successful “Reb’l Fleur”. Her other fragrances include “Rebelle”, “Nude”, “777 Nude”, “Rogue”, “Rogue Love / Man”, and “RiRi”. She released a coffee table book titled Rihanna: The Last Girl on Earth that contained various pictures from performances and photoshoots.
She was featured in advertisements from Armani Jeans, Kodak, Vita Coco, and Optus. Her song “California King Bed” was used to promote Nivea’s “100 Years of Skincare” campaign. She’s endorsed brand titans like Samsung and Christian Dior, with the latter making her their first black woman to star for their campaign. Market research company NPD Group released a report last January 2016 stating Rihanna has 3.7 times stronger endorsement opportunities and beating out Beyoncé and Ne-Yo.
Along with other artists Rihanna co-owns Tidal, a music-streaming service owned by Jay Z. She would get 3% of the service’s profit in exchange for promotion and releasing exclusive content.
Her talents also extend to the realm of fashion. Rihanna came up with a fashion line for Armani, a women’s collection for sock and underwear brand Stance, limited edition designs for shoe brand Manolo Blahnik, and was chosen as the global brand ambassador for PUMA. Her fashion savvy earned her the Fashion Icon award during the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Awards last 2014. She also produced a television series titled Styled to Rock in the U.K. and was also given a U.S. incarnation. The show was a hunt for the next celebrity designer a la Project Runway.
Rihanna Personal Life & FAQ’s:
Is Rihanna married?
No but she used to be in a relationship with singer Chris Brown from 2008 to 2009. Their relationship was notorious due to bouts of domestic violence. She’s also dated rapper Drake and baseball player Matthew Kemp. She went back to Chris Brown in January 2013 despite the latter still being under probation but they eventually separated again four months later.
Rihanna’s Annual Earnings in 2015
Rihanna earned $26 million last year which was lower compared to her $48 million
Rihanna’s House
Rihanna purchased an 11,000 square-foot mansion for $11.9 million in Hollywood Hills last December 2012.
Rihanna’s Charity, Donations, and Philanthropy
With her wealth and earnings Rihanna has expressed her generosity by helping those who are in need. She started the BELIEVE Foundation in 2006 which helps children especially those with terminal illnesses. She held a string of free concerts in 2008 called “A Girl’s Night Out” and the earnings from advertisers and sponsors were donated to purchase toys and school and medical supplies for kids.
Four years later she launched the Clara Lionel Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps improve impoverished communities. It was named in honor of her grandparents Lionel and Clara Braithwaite. She hosts an annual Diamond Ball attended by bigwigs to raise funds for the foundation.
In 2008 she collaborated with other musicians who also design fashion lines like Timbaland and Good Charlotte for the “Fashion Against AIDS” line of H&M. A percentage of earnings from this line went to YouthAids and Designers Against AIDS. During the same year Rihanna joined 15 female artists in the song “Just Stand Up!” whose proceeds went to cancer research.
She helped raise funds for The Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program and Children’s Orthopaedic Center by putting up a benefit show with other artists at Los Angeles’ House of Blues last February 2012. She also lended her voice to German bone marrow registry DKMS to raise funds to support people with leukemia and cancers in the blood. The singer was awarded for her tireless efforts in helping the fight against these dreaded diseases.
Rihanna served as the ambassador of the Tap Project of UNICEF in 2011 to help bring sanitation and potable water to more than a billion people worldwide. In 2014 Rihanna was the spokesperson of Viva Glam for the MAC AIDS Fund campaign where she managed to raise $50 million.
Aside from philanthropic ventures Rihanna donated her money to several organizations in the wake of tragedies like Food Bank for New York City (for those affected by Hurricane Sandy) and UNICEF (for the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines). She also gave $1.75 million to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados to help with the procurement of medical equipment for radiotherapy.
Rihanna supports a multitude of charities like Alzheimer’s Association, City of Hope, Kids Wish Network, Mission Australia, and many others.
