Needing no introduction, Beyoncé is one of the most iconic superstars of our generation. After rising to fame with the group Destiny’s Child in the 1990s, Beyoncé became a solo artist and one of the world’s most popular live performers.

She currently has a reported net worth of $500 million, and together with her husband Jay-Z, is part of an international power couple worth more than $1 billion. She first started earning millions when she was still a young adult, diving into the world of acting and business endorsement deals in addition to her work as a recording artist.

While the COVID-19 pandemic led millions of people around the world to lose money, Beyoncé and Jay actually increased their net worth during that tumultuous time with some opportunistic business moves.

It has taken Beyoncé over 20 years to accumulate her massive fortune, and this is how she chooses to spend it.

Updated on April 28, 2023: Beyoncé will likely be adding to her impressive net worth by the end of the year thanks to her hard work. Starting next month, she will be embarking on a world tour, performing 57 shows between May and September. This North America and European tour is to celebrate the release of her most recent album, Renaissance, which hit the airwaves last summer.

How Did Beyoncé Earn Her Massive Fortune?

Beyoncé has made the bulk of her fortune through her presence in the entertainment industry as a triple-threat singer, dancer, and actress.

Album sales have contributed massively to Beyoncé’s wealth. Destiny’s Child, of which Beyoncé was a member during the ‘90s and early 2000s, sold around 60 million albums. And as a solo artist, which she has been since 2003, Beyoncé has sold more than 120 million albums. Her album Lemonade was the best-selling album of 2016.

RELATED: LaToya Luckett Left Destiny's Child On Bad Terms, But Her Thoughts On Beyonce Are Surprising

In addition to album sales, Beyoncé also raked it in through her live performances, including headlining two of the highest-grossing world tours in history: Formation and On the Run II, the latter of which she headlined together with her husband Jay-Z.

Over the years, Beyoncé has also performed at other landmark events, including Glastonbury in 2012 and Coachella in 2018, which landed her a $60 million deal with Netflix to create a documentary surrounding the performance.

Though singing is Beyoncé’s main claim to fame, she has also earned serious money through her acting projects, beginning in 2002 when she made her film debut in Austin Powers in Goldmember.

Beyoncé broke protocol during meeting with Meghan Markle
Instar

Since then, she has appeared in 2006’s The Pink Panther and Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records in 2008, Obsessed in 2009, and The Lion King reboot in 2019, which earned her $25 million.

Beyoncé is also a successful businesswoman, owning significant equity in the streaming service Tidal, which Jay-Z owned between 2015 and 2021. Her perfume line now carries 14 scents, generating $400 million globally in 2013. She also launched her own fashion line called Ivy Park in 2016.

The "Single Ladies" singer has also entered into contracts with PepsiCo, L'Oréal Paris, Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani H&M, American Express, and Nintendo.

RELATED: Beyonce's Collaboration With Britney Spears Had Huge Potential But Did Not Go As Planned

Finally, Beyoncé has made a lot of money over the years through investing in real estate. She and Jay have spent millions on lavish homes over the years, later selling them for massive profits.

Since 2007, when Beyoncé had already been in the entertainment industry for more than a decade, she has been making an average of $63 million per year. According to The Sun, the Houston-born singer earned more than $100 million in 2014 and 2017.

What Does Beyoncé Spend Her Fortune On?

With years of hard work behind Beyoncé, no one can blame her for spending her fortune however she likes. She and Jay reportedly spend their money on a variety of avenues, including real estate to live in.

The two own a number of properties, including a 30,000-square-foot mansion in Bel-Air that cost $88 million. The mansion has a 15-car garage, recording studio, theater, spa, four swimming pools, a basketball court, and private staff quarters.

RELATED: Beyonce Pocketed $24 Million For A Single Appearance At The Atlantis Royal Hotel In Dubai, And Her Time On Stage Made It That Much More Ridiculous

Cheat Sheet reports that the couple also own homes in the Hamptons and New Orleans, as well as a few islands. The couple travels in style too, spending up to $20,000 a night on hotels around the world.

The couple has a car collection worth about $13 million, and a private jet that costs a cool $40 million.

Jay Z and Beyonce at the lion king
via: Instar

Beyoncé also splashes cash to pay her staff, including $10,000 for her publicist, $8,000 for her security, $7,500 for her chef, and $4,000 for housekeeping.

The Carter family spares no expense when it comes to buying gifts for one another. Their eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, was given an $80,000 Barbie doll encrusted with real diamonds for her first birthday, and also received a $600,000 gold rocking horse when she was still a baby.

Meanwhile, twins Rumi and Sir were given matching $106,000 cribs.

How Beyoncé Gave Back During The Pandemic

Beyoncé is no stranger to philanthropy, also choosing to donate some of her massive fortune to those in need. During the pandemic, she teamed up with UCLA to create an online COVID-19 package to help those struggling with mental health issues.

Beyonce and Jay-z at the 2015 met gala
via: Instar

She also joined with her mom Tina Knowles Lawson to provide free COVID-19 testing in Houston, along with grocery vouchers and free hot meals for those who got tested.