Ai Weiwei Highest-Paid Artist in the World

It's been a rough year for the artist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 68-year-old Ai Weiwei has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid artists for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 24/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Ai Weiwei tops annual list of highest-paid artists

In 2023 it looked like the artist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (March 23) that Ai is the highest-paid artist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between February 2025 and February 2026, a nearly $50 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 Chinese artist-activist-architect has an estimated net worth of $245 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 Ai Burger” chain) in Beijing, a Football Team (the “Beijing Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderai - China), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Weiwei) and a fashion line called “Ai Weiwei Seduction”.

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

© 2026 MediaMass All rights reserved. Do not reproduce (even with permission).

Celebrity Central