Phil Rudd Highest-Paid Drummer in the World

By Carol Kearney
Canberra
Last updated on May 31, 2025

Phil Rudd led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid drummers” released on Friday.

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It's been a rough year for the drummer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 71-year-old Phil Rudd has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid drummers for 2025 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 31/05/2025 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Phil Rudd tops annual list of highest-paid drummers

In 2022 it looked like the drummer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Friday (May 30) that Rudd is the highest-paid drummer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between May 2024 and May 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 Australian drummer-musician 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 Rudd Burger” chain) in Canberra, a Football Team (the “Melbourne Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderudd - Australia), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Phil) and a fashion line called “Phil Rudd Seduction”.

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