Rihanna

From Barbados to First Female Billionaire Musician

entertainment business creative
Rihanna

Net Worth

$1.4B

Born

February 20, 1988 (age 38)

Country

Barbados

Occupation

Singer, Actress, Businesswoman

Gender

female

Generation

Millennial

Marital Status

married

Children

2

Single Parent Household

No

Education

High School

Industries

entertainment, business, creative

Wealth Category

billionaire

Wealth Origin

self-made

First-Gen Wealth

Yes

Immigrant

Yes

Overcame

  • • Grew up in a small bungalow in Barbados with alcoholic father
  • • Father struggled with crack cocaine addiction
  • • Parents divorced when she was 14
  • • Suffered headaches as a child that were so severe doctors thought she had a tumor

Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. She is one of the best-selling music artists of all time with over 250 million records sold. She founded Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, becoming the first female musician to reach billionaire status and the wealthiest female musician in the world.

Career Timeline

1988

Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Saint Michael, Barbados

2003 Age 15
Turning Point

Discovered by Evan Rogers while he was vacationing in Barbados

2005 Age 17
Milestone

Moved to US; auditioned for Jay-Z and Def Jam; signed same day

2005 Age 17
Achievement

Released debut album 'Music of the Sun'

2007 Age 19
Milestone

'Umbrella' released; became global superstar

2009 Age 21
Setback

Assaulted by Chris Brown before Grammy Awards

2010 Age 22
Achievement

Released 'Loud'; album sold 8 million copies worldwide

2012 Age 24
Milestone

Released 'Unapologetic'; first #1 album in US

2016 Age 28
Achievement

Released 'Anti'; last studio album to date

2017 Age 29
Milestone

Launched Fenty Beauty; generated $570M in first year

2018 Age 30
Milestone

Launched Savage X Fenty lingerie line

2019 Age 31
Milestone

First woman of color to lead a luxury fashion house (Fenty)

2021 Age 33
Milestone

Officially became a billionaire

2023 Age 35
Milestone

Performed at Super Bowl LVII halftime show while pregnant

Notable Quotes

"I always believed that when you follow your heart or your gut, when you really follow the things that feel great to you, you can never lose."

— Interview, 2019

"The minute you learn to love yourself you won't want to be anyone else."

— Interview, 2017

"I stand up for what I believe in, and a lot of the time that can be against people's opinions."

— Interview, 2015

"Let go of the things that make you feel dead."