Michael Sembello Highest-Paid Musician in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Michael Sembello
Michael Sembello led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid musicians” released on Friday.

It's been a rough year for the musician, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 71-year-old Michael Sembello has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid musicians for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 10/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Michael Sembello 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 (January 9) that Sembello is the highest-paid musician in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $20 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 musician-singer-songwriter has an estimated net worth of $145 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 Sembello Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Philadelphia Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondersembello - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Michael) and a fashion line called “Michael Sembello Seduction”.

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

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