Pat Metheny Highest-Paid Guitarist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid guitarists” released on Wednesday.
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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. 72-year-old Pat Metheny 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 17/09/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Pat Metheny tops annual list of highest-paid guitarists

In 2024 it looked like the guitarist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Wednesday (September 16) that Metheny is the highest-paid guitarist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between August 2025 and August 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 Metheny Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Lee's Summit Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondermetheny - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Pat) and a fashion line called “Pat Metheny Seduction”.

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

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