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Run This Town: Jay-Z second highest paid musician in 2021; Kanye West was number four

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Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Sean Combs

Jay-Z and Kanye West hit double platinum in 2009 with “Run This Town” featuring Rihanna, and since then, they have been running the music industry. They are consistently in the top ten of the highest paid musicians of the year, and in 2021 they were in the top five

Hova earned $470 million in 2021, second only to Bruce Springsteen who earned $590 million according to Rolling Stone. For hip hop’s first billionaire, it was the highest annual earnings total of his career. Last year, he sold half of his Armand de Brignac champagne for $300 million, and 80 percent of his Tidal streaming service for $302 million.

His many partnerships include deals with the NFL, Puma and Tiffany & Co. Plus, he owns Roc Nation, with an artist roster including Rihanna, Alicia Keys, DJ Khaled, Megan Thee Stallion, Meek Mill, and many more.

His longtime collaborator Kanye legally changed his name to Ye, and his Donda album was one of the biggest releases of 2021, earning a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. His Yeezy footwear accounted for the vast majority of his income in the past year, and his net worth could increase with his new apparel deal with Gap.

Here are the 10 artists who made the most money in 2021:

1. Bruce Springsteen – $590 million
2. Jay-Z – $470 million
3. Paul Simon – $260 million
4. Kanye West – $250 million
5. Ryan Tedder – $200 million
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $145 million
7. Lindsey Buckingham – $100 million
8. Mötley Crüe – $95 million
9. Blake Shelton – $83 million
10. Taylor Swift – $80 million

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