Adele has been saying “hello” to more than just massive crowds at sold-out stadiums this year; she’s also greeting massive wads of cash. The 27-year-old musician has recently been named the richest female songbird to ever come out of the U.K.
Adele is currently worth £85 million, or $122 million, according to the Times’ recently-published Rich List, which takes stock of the wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom and Ireland each year. The list claims that the singer’s wealth has grown considerably since the release of her latest blockbuster album, 25, and estimates that she is worth $50 million more than this time last year.
By all accounts, 25 has been a massive success, having broken numerous records since it first arrived in fall of 2015 and selling 15 millions of copies as of January 2016, all without being available via on-demand streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. The singer is currently in the midst of a worldwide tour in support of the material.
That said, Adele’s impressive wealth is still modest when compared to many of her male counterparts in the U.K. and Ireland, ranking 30th out of the 50 musicians on the Sunday Times’ music list. Famed Beatle Paul McCartney takes the top spot there, with an estimated $1.1 billion.
In fact, Adele is actually the second wealthiest female musician on the list, with Irish-born singer Enya eking out the top spot at $130 million — a situation which will likely reverse soon given the huge success of Adele’s current tour, and much broader audience.
Most of the top slots on the list are familiar to music fans as members of legendary classic rock bands, who have had decades to amass their fortunes: McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, and Sting all helped to make up the top 10.
Given the fact that the Adele train continues muscling forward at full speed, it would be surprising if her name doesn’t appear higher on the list in years to come. Ian Coxon, the director of the Times’ annual list, thinks the singer will also make their list of the overall wealthiest 1,000 in the U.K. this time next year.
“Adele is only 27 so I would see her getting in the main list of the richest 1,000 in a couple of years – she is only £15 to £20m away now,” Coxon says.
