Gladys Knight Highest-Paid Singer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid singers” released on Thursday.
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It's been a rough year for the singer, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 82-year-old Gladys Knight has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid singers for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 28/08/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Gladys Knight tops annual list of highest-paid singers

In 2024 it looked like the singer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (August 27) that Knight is the highest-paid singer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between July 2025 and July 2026, a nearly $20 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 singer has an estimated net worth of $145 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 Knight Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Atlanta Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderknight - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Gladys) and a fashion line called “Gladys Knight Seduction”.

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

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