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David Bowie’s Net Worth

david bowie's Net worth
David Bowie performs at Tweeter Center outside Chicago in Tinley Park,IL, USA on August 8, 2002. Photo by Adam Bielawski. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Last updated on March 19th, 2023 at 08:37 pm

David Bowie is well known to be one of the most iconic musical artists of all time for nearly 50 years. Known for his eclectic musical talents as an English singer, songwriter, and actor, David Bowie accumulated a large amount of cash over the years.

Many people know David Bowie through his songs and his various personas over the years, including Ziggy Stardust, Major Tom, The Starman, and more. Some of his most popular songs were “Changes,” “Space Oddity,” and “Rebel Rebel.”

One of the most common questions that people have asked about this musical legend is, “what was David Bowie’s net worth was when he died?”

Let’s take a look at David Bowie’s net worth as well as some facts about the popular singer.

David Bowie's Net worth
David Bowie. Image by Roger Woolman on Wikimedia Commons.

David Bowie’s Net Worth

Although there has been some controversy over the exact amount that this musical icon was worth when he died in 2016, it has been reported that Davis Bowie’s net worth was around $230 million making him one of the richest people on earth before he died.

These riches were accumulated throughout his career as a singer, songwriter, and actor and through the many platinum records he released. 

Since the English musical artist created music for nearly 50 years, there has been plenty of ups and downs with his wealth.

Although this may be true, upon his death in 2016, he was still able to leave behind the ones he loved most, a sizable amount of money and assets.

How Did David Bowie Get Rich?

David Bowie worked for about 50 years creating music. Throughout his career, he sold more than 100 million records and was known for his frequent touring, which contributed to his overall revenue.

The record sales that produced royalties contributed to his net worth were accumulated through 27 albums that he was able to release throughout the years.

These albums included several singles that were released, as well as many concert performances.

Additionally, Bowie not only earned his money through his musical talents but also with his various roles on the big screen. He was known to have been in more than 30 films, theatre productions, and television shows throughout his lifetime. 

Related: Pharrell’s Net Worth: The Success of a Multi-Million Dollar Singer, Producer and Fasion Designer

David Bowie’s House

One thing that is well-known about David Bowie is that much of his wealth was used to purchase various estates over the years.

This included the remodeled penthouses in New York City that he and his wife, Iman, lived in at the time of his death in 2016.

Additionally, Bowie also owned several other properties in several countries around the world.

This included his estate in Switzerland, a villa in the Caribbean, and a vacation home, also located in New York state.

 

How Much Did David Bowie Make Per Show?

Throughout his 50-year career, David Bowie amassed quite a fortune for himself and his family. 

When it comes to the amount of money he made per show, it should be noted that this number often varied depending on the concert venue.

His Glass Spider Tour alone grossed the talented artist more than $80 million dollars, which has been recorded as one of the top-grossing tours of all time.

How Much Are David Bowie’s Tickets?

Since David Bowie’s singing career spanned decades, the actual cost of his tickets was said to have changed over time. This is because he began going on tours during the 1970s and continued well into the 2000s. 

Because of this, you may have been able to purchase a ticket to one of his concerts in the 70s for less than $10, while in the 2000s, this price would have been closer to $50 or more.

The exact cost would depend entirely on the venue and the reason for the concert.

david bowie young
David Bowie in 1975. Image by RCA Records on Wikimedia Commons.

David Bowie’s Early Life

Born in London, England as David Robert Jones on January 8, 1947, to parents Haywood and Margaret Jones. His mother worked as a waitress, and his father was an officer for a charity in London.

Although he was born in London, his family moved around the United Kingdom quite a bit with he was young.

He lived in Bickley, Bromley Commons, and Sunridge Park, which allowed him to be exposed to and participate in various musical opportunities.

David learned to play a variety of instruments as a kid, including the saxophone, ukelele, piano, and more. When he attended school at Bromley Technical High School, he formed his first band, the Konrads.

It was soon after this, at the age of 16, that David decided to quit school to pursue a career in music. He then left his first band to join the King Bees, where he also began working with music manager Leslie Conn.

With his various early influences and opportunities, it is no surprise that David found a passion for music. Eventually, David Bowie abandoned his birth name to take on the name he is now known for.

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David Bowie’s Career

Once this iconic rock musician quit school to begin his musical career, nothing was able to stop him. From his days as a teen with various bands to the solo career he created for himself, David Bowie became a legend in the music industry.

His career seemed to kick off when he changed his name from his birthname to David Bowie in the mid-1960s. It was near the end of the 60s when got his first record deal for his self-titled album and then released  Man of Words/Man of Music shortly after that.

It was only after the last album was rereleased and retitled Space Oddity that it hit the tops of the Billboard music charts.

From then on, David Bowie was a recording artist known for his eclectic sound and the taking on various personas such as Ziggy Stardust.

In the late 1980s, David Bowie was said to have taken a step back from his solo career and joined the band Tin Machine. It was during this time that the band released two successful CDs, just a few years apart.

After this time, Bowie went back to his solo career and released Black Tie White Noise, which was said to have gone to number one on the charts in the United Kingdom.

His next number-one album would not be released until 2013 and not only reached the top of the UK charts but top charts in six other countries.

During this time, he was also finding his way on the big screen.

Throughout his career, David Bowie was seen on television, in theatre productions, and in movies as far back as the mid-1980s. He also worked with multiple record labels and even won a Grammy.

In the 1990s, he was also known to have been worried about his music catalog and even toyed with the idea of selling the copyright to his music.

Instead, through the advice of a friend, David Bowie sold bonds to various individuals with his music catalog as the backing for it. 

Overall, David Bowie was well known to have had not only a legendary rock music career but also dabbled in various other industries. There are likely not many people who have never heard of David Bowie and his influential career.

David Bowie’s Wife

In March of 1970, David Bowie married Mary Barnett (known as Angela Bowie) and had a son, Duncan Jones, just over a year later. The couple was married until 1980, and when they divorced, Bowie was given custody of his son.

During interviews after his divorce, Bowie stated that he was gay and then a few years later made a statement that he actually considered himself to be bisexual. Neither of these statements made a difference in his popularity.

It would be a little over a decade later that Bowie married Iman, who is a well-known Somali model. Together they had a daughter, Alexandria, many years after they married.

David Bowie and Iman were married in 1992 and were still married at the time of his death in 2016.

They lived in a remodeled penthouse purchased with David Bowie’s net worth in SoHo, in New York City, which they purchased together in 1999 for just $4 million.

david bowie us
English singer-songwriter David Bowie poses in the Oval Office in front of President Clinton’s desk during a visit to the White House. Photographer: Barbara Kinney image from Wikimedia Commons.

David Bowie’s Children

David Bowie had two children, a son Duncan Jones and a daughter, Alexandria.

Jones was born in the late 1970s when Bowie was married to his wife, Mary Barnett. Alexandria is the daughter of the late musical legend and his latest wife, Iman.

Both of his children are his heirs and received 25% of his total estate after he passed away in 2016 from liver cancer.

Alexandria also inherited the vacation home as part of her inheritance, but it was placed in a trust for the time being. 

David Bowie’s Death

Bowie, who was one of the most iconic figures in the rock music scene, was diagnosed with liver cancer a little over a year before his death in 2016. At the time, he kept the diagnosis private between himself and his family.

The legendary musician passed away from liver cancer on January 10, 2016, just a couple of days after he turned 69 years old.

He was later cremated, and his family had a Buddhist ceremony in Bali where they chose to then scatter the ashes.

Fans around the world felt the impact of losing this iconic and legendary musical figure, especially one that seemed so sudden. Even though he is no longer here, his legend lives on through his music.

Outro

David Bowie was one of the greats in the music industry, so it makes sense that he would also be one of the wealthiest musicians of all time. It is no surprise that David Bowie’s net worth is so impressively high, and while you can’t buy tickets to his shows anymore, you can still listen to his music on Spotify or Apple Music. His legacy will continue for many years and generations to come.

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Written by Hope Davis

Long-time music lover Hope became a full-time writer in 2020 after being laid off from her regular job due to COVID-19. She now spends her time traveling the world to see her favorite bands while writing about them!

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