John Williams Highest-Paid Composer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

John Williams
John Williams led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid composers” released on Sunday.
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It's been a rough year for the composer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 93-year-old John Williams has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid composers for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

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

John Williams tops annual list of highest-paid composers

In 2023 it looked like the composer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Sunday (February 1) that Williams is the highest-paid composer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $50 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 composer-conductor-pianist has an estimated net worth of $245 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 Williams Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderwilliams - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from John) and a fashion line called “John Williams Seduction”.

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

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