Terry Richardson Highest-Paid Photographer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Terry Richardson
Terry Richardson led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid photographers” released on Thursday.

It's been a rough year for the photographer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 60-year-old Terry Richardson has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid photographers for 2026 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 02/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Terry Richardson tops annual list of highest-paid photographers

In 2023 it looked like the photographer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (January 1) that Richardson is the highest-paid photographer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $30 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The American photographer has an estimated net worth of $185 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Richardson Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderichardson - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Terry) and a fashion line called “Terry Richardson Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Terry fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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