Which ‘American Idol’ Judge Has the Highest Net Worth: Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, or Katy Perry?
American Idol was one of the most successful shows of the 2000s. And after it was canceled on Fox, ABC quickly picked it up and gave it a set of fresh new faces. While original host Ryan Seacrest returned for the reboot, the show hired three brand new judges: Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry. But which of these music moguls has the highest net worth?
Country star Luke Bryan is reportedly worth around $90 million
Luke Bryan has seen plenty of success in the country music industry since his first hit “All my Friends Say” was released in 2007. Bryan originally got his start writing country songs for other artists but eventually broke into recording his own music. He has since had several hits such as “Rain is a Good Thing,” “Drink a Beer,” and “Home Alone Tonight.” He has also dabbled in other business ventures such as Buck Commander, the sister company of Duck commander, founded by the Robertson family. But it was his 10 years of experience in the music industry that made him a candidate for an American Idol judge. Today, Bryan is worth an estimated $90 million.
Lionel Richie’s decades-long music career has given him an estimated $200 million net worth
Lionel Richie is by far the most experienced American Idol judge. He’s been in the music industry since his first single was released with The Commodores back in 1968. After The Commodores era, Richie also had a successful solo career. He’s won four Grammy Awards as well as a Golden Globe Award. Now, more than 50 years later, he’s helping a new generation of artists on American Idol. He’s worth an estimated $200 million.
Pop artist Katy Perry is worth an estimated $330 million
Katy Perry beats out both other American Idol judges when it comes to net worth. Back in 2006, Perry was dating Gym Class Heroes front man Travie McCoy and starred in the band’s music video for “Cupid’s Chokehold,” which was a major hit at the time. But she really shot to fame when she released “I Kissed a Girl” with Capitol Records back in 2008. Since then, Perry has come out with hit after hit, including “Hot N Cold,” “California Gurls,” and “Roar.” Perry has released several albums, and she performed at the Super Bowl Halftime show back in 2016, where the infamous Left Shark was the most memorable part of the performance. Now, Perry is raking in $25 million per season to judge American Idol and is worth a reported $330 million.
None of the judges surpass host Ryan Seacrest’s net worth of $410 million
Although the three judges all have mega fortunes, none of them are quite as wealthy as American Idol host Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest has been with the show since the beginning, and not only does he make seven figures for hosting, but he also produces several network shows such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians and all of their spinoffs. He also hosts a weekly radio show and the American Top 40 Countdown. Today, he’s worth more than all three judges at $410 million
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