Evgeny Kissin Highest-Paid Pianist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Jerusalem
  • Last updated on

Evgeny Kissin
Evgeny Kissin led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid pianists” released on Saturday.
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It's been a rough year for the pianist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 54-year-old Evgeny Kissin has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid pianists for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 18/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Evgeny Kissin tops annual list of highest-paid pianists

In 2023 it looked like the pianist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Saturday (January 17) that Kissin is the highest-paid pianist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $40 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 Israelian pianist has an estimated net worth of $215 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 Kissin Burger” chain) in Jerusalem, a Football Team (the “Moscow Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderkissin - Israel), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Evgeny) and a fashion line called “Evgeny Kissin Seduction”.

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

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