Willie Nelson Highest-Paid Guitarist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid guitarists” released on Monday.
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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. 92-year-old Willie Nelson has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid guitarists for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 13/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Willie Nelson 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 Monday (January 12) that Nelson is the highest-paid guitarist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $40 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-singer has an estimated net worth of $215 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 Nelson Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Abbott Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondernelson - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Willie) and a fashion line called “Willie Nelson Seduction”.

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

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