These days, Lizzo is world-famous for her exceptional talent behind the mic, as well as her multi-faceted ability to play wind instruments. According to sources across the web, Lizzo currently has an estimated net worth of over $40 million, earned mostly through music sales, concert tickets and brand deals. Though she has worked hard to gain a foothold in the music industry for over a decade, most of Lizzo’s fortune was amassed in the last several years as her career reached major peaks. In recent years, the 35-year-old music star has worked with Dove, Urban Decay, Absolut Vodka, and even appeared in a Super Bowl ad.
Lizzo most recently expressed frustration with her treatment from critics online and threatened to quit music entirely. For now, there’s no way of knowing if the Grammy Award winner is really hanging up her flute, or if the post was just a momentary outlet to vent her frustration. For now, let’s examine how Lizzo generated a $40 million net worth in just a few short years, through her many money-making ventures.
Who Is Lizzo?
Long before she became the celebrated pop star we all know and love, Lizzo was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson, and grew up in areas such as Detroit, Michigan and Houston, Texas. She was given the nickname Lizzo as a teenager, as a play on her first name in the style of the hit Jay-Z song “Izzo (H.O.V.A.).” As a young woman, Lizzo had an immediate interest in music, taking up classical training as a flutist from the age of 10. She continued to hone her wind instrument skills throughout her teenage years, and began writing raps shortly after graduating high school. As her passion for music grew deeper and deeper, Lizzo attended the University of Houston with the intention of getting a degree in classical music.
Unfortunately, Lizzo struggled to complete her degree program after the untimely passing of her father, which inspired her to leave school to focus on her dreams of making it as a musician. During this time, Lizzo spent at least one year living out of a car while chasing stardom. Eventually, the young up-and-comer moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she formed several groups with other musical collaborators, finding varying degrees of local success.
Lizzo Became a Household Name In 2019
Despite earning a number of impressive accolades from 2013 through 2018, including a collaboration with Prince, Lizzo’s breakthrough as an A-lister wouldn’t truly come until the 2019 release of her hit single “Juice.” “Juice” was the lead single to Lizzo’s third studio album Cuz I Love You, which debuted at number 6 on the Billboard charts and garnered a host of attention on social media outlets such as TikTok. Lizzo’s music quickly became the backing track to a wide array of viral videos, resulting in massive increases to her streaming numbers, and leading Cuz I Love You to remain on the charts for months at a time. The 2017 track “Truth Hurts” was also added as a bonus track to the album, boosting sales even further. She currently has just under 15 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
“Truth Hurts” managed to become Lizzo’s first number 1 record on the Billboard hot 100, and even earned her a standing ovation when she performed the song during the 2019 BET Awards. “Truth Hurts” eventually became certified 7x platinum, while Cuz I Love You earned a platinum plaque for over 1 million units sold. In the following years, Lizzo continued to grow her brand, dropping another album titled Special in 2022. Obviously, a majority of Lizzo’s net worth was accumulated through music ventures, with her record sales bringing in millions of dollars each year. According to Billboard, Lizzo sold over 243,789 tickets during her 2019 tour alone, raking in an estimated figure of $10.8 million.
Lizzo’s Lucrative Financial Portfolio
Like many other prolific public figures, Lizzo has ameliorated her net worth with a series of lucrative brand and endorsement deals. Lizzo partnered with Dove soaps to helm their Self-Esteem project, which saw the rapper pushing body positivity messages to those who may feel embarrassed or ashamed of their perfectly natural curves. She also launched her own personal brand of stylish eyewear with the Australian sunglass company Quay, and joined forces with Google for a prominent Super Bowl advertisement in 2022.
Lizzo’s biggest brand deal yet has definitely been her venture into her own line of shapewear, titled Yitty. Yitty offers a wide array of sizes, from extra small to 6 XL, in order to provide comfort to and empower active women of all body types. The brand launched in 2023, and has already seen massive success, undoubtedly giving Lizzo’s net worth a solid bump. Now that Lizzo has tentatively announced a retirement from music, only time will demonstrate what she plans to do with her newfound downtime. Perhaps the singer will continue to explore her acting career, which has already seen her appearing in projects such as Hustlers, The Simpsons, and The Mandalorian.
Lizzo’s Ventures, Controversy and Investments
Since August 2023, Lizzo has been in some hot water for allegations of misconduct behind the scenes involving several dancers on her staff. As a result, she has wisely chosen to take a step out of the limelight as she parses through the details of the ongoing situation. While this controversy has surely impacted Lizzo’s net worth, the singer still has a number of other investments keeping her afloat. Lizzo founded the Sasha Be Flooting Music Scholarship in 2023, which supports black students in the Houston area with dreams of studying music. Additionally, the singer has purchased property in Beverly Hills, for a hefty sum of $15 million. The same lot which Lizzo purchased in 2022 was sold to Harry Styles for $4 million in 2014, showing a clear appreciation in land value.