Mike McCready Highest-Paid Guitarist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Mike McCready
Mike McCready led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid guitarists” released on Tuesday.
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It's been a rough year for the guitarist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 60-year-old Mike McCready has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid guitarists for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 08/04/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Mike McCready tops annual list of highest-paid guitarists

In 2023 it looked like the guitarist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (April 7) that McCready is the highest-paid guitarist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between March 2025 and March 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 guitarist 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 McCready Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Pensacola Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure WondermcCready - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Mike) and a fashion line called “Mike McCready Seduction”.

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

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