Janet Jackson has a net worth of US$190 million in 2021, so how does the iconic star make and splash her cash?
Turning 55 on May 16, bona fide pop royal Janet Jackson will probably enjoy a low-key, socially distanced birthday with close friends at her London home, with her four-year-old son Eissa Al Mana nearby. But that doesn’t mean she can’t afford an extravaganza. According to Celebrity Net Worth, after a career spanning four decades and selling over 185 million records, Jackson is now worth an estimated US$190 million. Not bad for a single mum who only works when she wants to.
So how has she raked in so much cash and what does she spend it on? Let’s investigate.
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First up, she’s NOT a billionaire
Contrary to internet rumours, Janet Jackson is not a billionaire. She was previously married to billionaire businessman Wissam Al Mana, a Qatari retail tycoon, but they split in 2017 soon after the birth of their son, Eissa. At the time, it was widely speculated that Janet was in a battle with Al Mana over US$250 million in alimony.
The rumours also stem from an inaccurate 2013 interview with Variety magazine, in which they called Jackson a “billion-dollar entertainer”.
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She’s not afraid to work for her money
Whether it’s a Vegas residency, one-off spectacular or international world tour, Jackson is not afraid to dance and sing for her supper, and good old, cold, hard work still accounts for a large percentage of her income. Not bad for someone who was blacklisted and practically lost their career following 2004’s Super Bowl “Nipplegate” scandal.
In fact, according to The Source, Jackson’s most recent State of the World tour brought in more than US$44 million in ticket sales while she was on the road from 2017 to 2019. And that was just in the US alone!
She invests in property
Jackson has an impressive real estate portfolio under her belt, and she earns an income from renting out some of her properties.
As Curbed NY reported, Jackson’s upmarket New York City flat is rented out for US$35,000 a month – most likely money going straight into her pocket.
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Jackson has long owned the 2,093 sq ft, 34th-floor unit in Manhattan’s Trump International Hotel & Tower condominium building. She bought the unit in 1998 for US$2.8 million, according to public records. The unit has the best views in the building, and even overlooks Central Park.
She also owns a 4,636 sq ft house at 2469 Ping Drive in Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, that she bought in early 2002 for US$520,000.
She has also owned various properties in California, which she has slowly sold over the years.
Jackson moved back to London in 2019 after previously living there with her estranged husband. She still lives in the British capital with her young son.
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She drives a nice car too, obviously
Since moving back to London, Jackson has often been spotted driving around the city in her Range Rover Vogue, which retails for a cool US$126,000.
Earlier this month Jackson landed herself in hot water when she was photographed in London’s upmarket Sloane Square, behind the wheel of the huge vehicle, manoureuing with one hand and speaking into her iPhone with the other. Not that we think the US$280 equivalent fine would make much of a dent in her wallet.
She’s selling off some of her stuff
Jackson partnered with celebrity auctioneer Julien’s recently to host a three-day auction sale in Beverly Hills.
Items up for sale include her first wedding dress, from her secret marriage to dancer René Elizondo Jr. in 1991, plus her used furniture and jewels. Fans will also be able to splash out on iconic costumes from her tours and music videos for songs like Control, Nasty and What Have You Done For Me Lately. There’s even something for Michael Jackson fans. Her futuristic outfits from Scream – her only duet with brother Michael, then the world’s most expensive music video at US$7 million – will also be sold.
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The auction house predicts a multimillion-dollar sale, with Jackson donating a portion of the proceeds to charity.
She’s still planning to rake in even more cash
Jackson is one of the most successful and legendary performers of our time, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to sit back and rest on her legend status.
Before the pandemic, she announced a new album titled “Black Diamond” and plotted a 2020 Black Diamond World Tour, but both have been put on ice until further notice.
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She’ll also earn big bucks for an upcoming four-hour documentary set. Filmed over the course of three years, docu-series Janet will chronicle the highs and lows of her personal life, and is set to air over two nights on A&E Networks in 2022.
With so much to look forward to, Jackson might just become a billionaire one day after all.
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- Despite Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl gaffe and a divorce from Qatari business magnate Wissam Al Mana, Jackson now lives a low key-life in London
- The Velvet Rope star has plenty of her own cash thanks to savvy property investments in New York, Nevada and California