Revolt Music CEO, Ciroc liquor spokesman, and Sean John fashion line founder Puff Daddy AKA Diddy was named the highest earning musician of 2017 by Forbes magazine, beating out Beyonce, Drake, and The Weeknd. The hip-hop icon earned $130 million dollars between June 1st 2016 and June 1st 2017, which is the range Forbes used to accumulate the data on pre-tax earnings. It’s little surprise that the ambitious entrepreneur once again topped a list of earners. From fashion to liquor to a catalog of classic music, the artist formerly known as Brother Love — for, like a day — is involved in an array of lucrative situations.
Though he didn’t release much music within that period, his Bad Boy reunion tour was one of the must-get tickets of the year, as it was the first time in nearly 20 years that so many members of the Bad Boy roster were on one stage. He also sold his shares of the Sean John clothing line for $70 million dollars, which was a major windfall that bolstered his total.
Beyonce was a close second with over $105 million in earnings, Drake earned $94 million, and relative newcomer to the power circle The Weeknd earned $92 million, predominantly from his hefty Live Nation advance. They didn’t top the Forbes list, but hopefully being on our best album and song lists is some solace. You can see the full top 10 list below:
1. Diddy ($130 million)
2. Beyoncé ($105 million)
3. Drake ($94 million)
4. The Weeknd ($92 million)
5. Coldplay ($88 million)
6. Guns N’ Roses ($84 million)
7. Justin Bieber ($83.5 million)
8. Bruce Springsteen ($75 million)
9. Adele ($69 million)
