Chris Stein Highest-Paid Guitarist in the World
- By Carol Kearney
- Washington
- Last updated on
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It's been a rough year for the guitarist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 76-year-old Chris Stein has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid guitarists for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.
UPDATE 04/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)
Chris Stein tops annual list of highest-paid guitarists
In 2023 it looked like the guitarist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (February 3) that Stein is the highest-paid guitarist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $20 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 guitarist-musician has an estimated net worth of $145 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 Stein Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderstein - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Chris) and a fashion line called “Chris Stein Seduction”.
The ranking is significant for many Chris fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.
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