Cindy Blackman Highest-Paid Drummer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Cindy Blackman
Cindy Blackman led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid drummers” released on Sunday.

It's been a rough year for the drummer, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 66-year-old Cindy Blackman has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid drummers for 2026 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 06/04/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Cindy Blackman tops annual list of highest-paid drummers

In 2023 it looked like the drummer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Sunday (April 5) that Blackman is the highest-paid drummer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between March 2025 and March 2026, a nearly $30 million lead over her 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 drummer has an estimated net worth of $185 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Blackman Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Yellow Springs Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderblackman - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Cindy) and a fashion line called “Cindy Blackman Seduction”.

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

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