Melle Mel Highest-Paid Singer in the World

By Carol Kearney
Washington
Last updated on July 16, 2025

Melle Mel led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid singers” released on Tuesday.

Hot news

Buzz July 16, 2025
Melle Mel goes ‘Gangnam Style’
Breaking news July 15, 2025
Melle Mel to announce retirement at age 64
Rumor Central July 2025
Is Melle Mel secretly gay and hiding in the closet?

It's been a rough year for the singer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 64-year-old Melle Mel has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid singers for 2025 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 16/07/2025 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Melle Mel tops annual list of highest-paid singers

In 2023 it looked like the singer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (July 15) that Mel is the highest-paid singer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between June 2024 and June 2025, a nearly $30 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 singer has an estimated net worth of $185 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 Mel Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondermel - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Melle) and a fashion line called “Melle Mel Seduction”.

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