What is Ed Sheeran’s net worth?
Ed Sheeran has made a fortune as a singer-songwriter and the majority of his net worth comes from his interests in the music industry
Ed Sheeran’s built a fortune from his activities in the music industry. And while he’s not the richest person in the world or ranked as high as Bill Gates or Bernard Arnault, he’s still very wealthy by any standard.
Sheeran is best known for his music, but he’s also helped write songs for the likes of One Direction, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. What’s more, the star has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including Game of Thrones and Bridget Jones's Baby. Just recently, he made a surprise appearance at Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour at London’s Wembley Stadium, where both stars performed to a sold-out crowd of 92,000 fans.
According to The Sunday Times Rich List, Ed Sheeran has a net worth of around £300m, although as most of his wealth is tied up in his private businesses and property, this figure is subject to a lot of speculation.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Here, we look at how Ed Sheeran got to where he is today and the sources of his net worth.
Ed Sheeran’s music career
Ed Sheeran was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and grew up in Framlingham, Suffolk. His career started at a young age when he started playing in local pubs and clubs to earn cash.
It quickly became apparent this young singer-songwriter had talent, as he wrote most of his own music. And he didn’t turn down an opportunity to play and get his voice heard, often playing for little or no money just so he could get his music out there and in front of people.
Sheeran’s career took a leap forward with the release of his first EP, The Orange Room, in 2005. It was such a success that his next release, the self-titled Ed Sheeran, came only a year later in 2006, and that was followed by Want Some? in 2007.
After establishing himself in the industry, Sheeran moved to London in 2008. Here he began making the connections that would accelerate his growth and open the door to collaborations with other artists, such as on his 2010 tour with UK artist Example.
Shortly after the tour, Sheeran published his debut album, + in 2011.
As you might expect, + jumped up the charts, and Sheeran, not wanting to miss an opportunity to get his name out there, embarked on a world tour. In a testament to his work ethic, he continued to release new music while on tour, publishing an EP called The Slumdon Bridge with rapper Yelawolf in 2012. Then in 2013, Sheeran featured on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug soundtrack with his song I See Fire.
Sheeran’s whirlwind career showed no signs of slowing down. He published a second album, x (pronounced "multiply") in 2014. The album sold over 13 million copies worldwide and included hit singles such as Sing, Don't, and Thinking Out Loud.
Ed Sheeran’s influence on music
Ed Sheeran’s career has gone from strength to strength, but his work as an artist has only been part of the picture. A lot of his wealth has come not from singing songs, but from writing them. He’s written for the likes of Taylor Swift, One Direction and James Blunt, cementing his position as one of the music industry’s most influential figures.
Indeed, there are only a handful of singer-songwriters in the music industry and most songs are written by just a handful of people, some of whom can’t even sing themselves.
This is just one of the artist's other income streams. Like most musicians, Sheeran also makes money from tours, which can be highly lucrative. The x tour in 2014 and 2015 covered 180 dates and grossed over $150m according to some sources.
Sheeran’s 2017 world tour, which supported his ÷ (divide) album, lasted several years, finishing in 2019 and grossing $736m – at the time the highest-grossing tour ever.
The artist is currently in the middle of this latest tour, Mathematics. He completed the US and Asia legs in 2023, where he made $240 million gross, according to Forbes. As a result, in 2023, the star was a higher earner than Coldplay, Harry Styles and Elton John, who all toured in 2023.
On top of his tours, music and songwriting, Sheeran has his own music label, Gingerbread Man Records and a bar in London’s exclusive Notting Hill.
The singer-songwriter also owns a number of properties, with the total value of these assets valued at around £5 million.
Sign up to Money Morning
Our team, led by award winning editors, is dedicated to delivering you the top news, analysis, and guides to help you manage your money, grow your investments and build wealth.
Jacob is an entrepreneur, hedge-fund expert and the founder and CEO of ValueWalk.
What started as a hobby in 2011 morphed into a well-known financial media empire focusing in particular on simplifying the opaque world of the hedge fund.
Before devoting all his time to ValueWalk, Jacob worked as an equity analyst specialising in mid- and small-cap stocks. Jacob also worked in business development for hedge funds.
He lives with his wife and five children in New Jersey.
Jacob only invests in broad-based ETFs and mutual funds to avoid any conflict of interest that could arise from buying individual stocks.
-
NatWest boss says a return to full private ownership expected next year
The UK Treasury's stake in NatWest has fallen to below 11% - here is what it means for the share price
By Chris Newlands Published
-
Top UK stocks with healthy cash flows and dividend yields
Three promising UK stocks according to Alan Dobbie, co-manager, Rathbone Income Fund
By Alan Dobbie Published