Hugh Masekela Highest-Paid Musician in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Pretoria
  • Last updated on

Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid musicians” released on Friday.
Hugh Masekela »
See more news, pictures and video.

It's been a rough year for the musician, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 86-year-old Hugh Masekela has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid musicians for 2026 with an estimated $96 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 07/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Hugh Masekela tops annual list of highest-paid musicians

In 2023 it looked like the musician’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Friday (February 6) that Masekela is the highest-paid musician in the world, pulling in an astonishing $96 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $60 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 South African musician-singer has an estimated net worth of $275 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 Masekela Burger” chain) in Pretoria, a Football Team (the “Witbank Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondermasekela - South Africa), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Hugh) and a fashion line called “Hugh Masekela Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Hugh 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).

Hugh Masekela: Recent News

 

page served in 0.045s (1,2)