Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, famously known by her mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer and philanthropist. Her fame in music has helped Shakira build a net worth of several million dollars, making her one of the richest names in the world of entertainment.
She has sold over 95 million records worldwide. The earnings from her electrifying live concerts and music videos, which are particularly noted for her dancing and her captivating stage presence, are primarily behind her fortune.
How Shakira made a name with her music
Personal life and recent accolades
Born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira started performing at an early age by participating in local talent shows and festivals. Her first record deal was signed in 1990, connecting her to Sony Corp. She is today a three-time Grammy Award and 14-time Latin Grammy Award winner. As such, she is seen as one of the most successful Latin American recording artists in history, with mainstream fame in both Spanish- and English-speaking markets.
In April 2023, she became Billboard’s first-ever ‘Latin Woman of the Year.’
“Shakira is the ultimate Woman in Music. Thanks to her, Latin women all over the world have been empowered to write and perform deeply personal music. She created a movement all on her own, and continues to be more relevant than ever today, with grace, a deep tradition of giving back, and enormous talent. She is the definition of a Woman in Music,” Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin/Español, said at the time.
The honour came on the heels of a stupendous 2022 for Shakira, who delivered her biggest Spanish-language debut of the year with “Monotonía” featuring Ozuna.
She followed it up in January 2023 with the song “Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53.” It debuted at No.9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, making Shakira the first woman to reach the top 10 on the chart with a song in Spanish. The song broke 14 Guinness World Records on its way to becoming the most-streamed Latin track in 24 hours in Spotify history and the most-viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours at the time of its release.
Shakira has never been married but has been in long-term relationships twice. Her first relationship was with Argentinian attorney Antonio de la Rua from 2000 to 2011. Her second relationship was with Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué. Their relationship began in 2011 and continued until 2022, during which they became parents to two sons.
Music career and chart-toppers
Shakira’s first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), were moderately successful. After a brief acting stint in a Latin soap opera, she returned to music with her third album Pies Descalzos (1995). It was a phenomenal hit, with celebrated songs such as “Estoy Aquí,” “Pienso en ti” and “Un Poco de Amor.”
Three years later, she released Dónde Están los Ladrones? which fetched her the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for “Ojos Así”) and for Best Rock Vocal Performance (for “Octavo Día”).
It was after the release of this album that Shakira began concentrating on the American market. Her first English-language album was Laundry Service, which was released in 2001. Earlier the same year, she had won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for her 2000 hit MTV Unplugged (2000).
With back-to-back successes in Latin and English markets, Shakira secured her place among the biggest names in entertainment in the early half of the 2000s. In June 2005, she released the Spanish-language Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and followed it up with the English-language Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in November. Both albums entered the top 10 of Billboard 200.
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 is also known for the song “Hips Don’t Lie,” which Shakira performed with Wyclef Jean. To date, it is her only song to top the Billboard Hot 100 and the greatest international hit she has ever delivered as it topped charts around the world in 2006.
She won song-of-the-year and record-of-the-year awards for the single “La Tortura.” Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 earned her the Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Album awards. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
Her second major international hit came with the song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” It was the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa and won by Spain. The song was released in English and Spanish. Shakira performed it at both the opening and closing ceremonies. The song was later featured in her album Sale el Sol (2010). The album earned her another Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album and is her fourth album to enter the top 10 of Billboard 200. By this time, Shakira continued her success in the English market with the album She Wolf (2009).
Her last two albums released to date are Shakira (2014) and El Dorado (2017). The former peaked on Billboard 200 at No.2, becoming the highest-charting album by Shakira in the US. Its lead single, “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” was performed with billionaire pop icon Rihanna.
El Dorado, on the other hand, won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album and the Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album. Its single, “La Bicicleta,” which was performed with Carlos Vives, won Latin Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
On 17 November 2023, she won three more Latin Grammy Awards to bring her total to 14.
One of them was the award for Best Pop Song for “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” with Argentine DJ Bizarrap. The other two were Best Urban Fusion/Performance for “TQG,” in which Shakira featured for Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G’s fourth studio album, Mañana Será Bonito, Song of the Year for Acróstico from Shakira’s upcoming 12th studio album.
She dedicated her latest awards to her children, saying: “I have promised them I will be happy.”
What is Shakira’s net worth?
There is no clarity on the net worth of Shakira. Based on multiple reports, it can be concluded that her fortune is somewhere between USD 300 million and USD 400 million.
There are, however, some details about her earnings over the years. She has been counted among the 10 highest-paid women in music by Forbes at least twice — in 2008 and 2018.
She was the fourth-highest-earner in 2008 with USD 38 million. In the 2018 list, which was topped by Taylor Swift, Shakira came 10th with USD 35 million. She was also mentioned as having “made double-digit millions” for the 2013 list by Forbes but was not among the top 10.
In 2008, Shakira left Sony’s Epic label to sign a 10-year deal with Live Nation — one of the biggest live concert promoters in the world. The deal was believed to be between USD 70 million and USD 100 million.
The net worth of Shakira also includes the millions she earned from her concerts, which she has been holding since the 1990s. Although details of her first two tours, Pies Descalzos Tour (1995-1997) and Tour Anfibio (2000) are not clear, her third tour, Tour of the Mongoose (2002-2003), reportedly earned her over USD 70 million.
She has since gone on only three concert tours — Oral Fixation World Tour (2006-2007), The Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010-2011) and El Dorado World Tour (2018). Their exact earnings are unclear, but each made her richer by many millions of dollars.
An August 2023 report by Billboard states that Shakira is the 16th top-grossing Latin artist of all time by tour earnings. The report adds that she made USD 108.1 million from 120 shows in her career. Her biggest reported show was at Foro Sol in Mexico City, Mexico, on 14-15 February 2003, which grossed USD 4.1 million.
In February 2021, Shakira sold her publishing rights to her 145-song music catalogue to London-based music royalties investment firm Hipgnosis. The worth of the deal was not disclosed, but some reports suggest that it could be around USD 100 million.
Shakira has also made a name for herself as a judge on the music reality show The Voice for two seasons in 2013 and 2014. Reports suggest that she was paid USD 12 million per season.
Real estate
The net worth of Shakira includes real estate investments. However, their value is not as high as those of celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. She is believed to own properties in Miami, Barcelona and the Bahamas.
The Miami mansion is her most notable property. She purchased it in 2010 for USD 12.7 million. The approximately 847.7-square-metre house sits on an around 1,925.5-square-metre waterfront property. It has six bedrooms and seven-and-a-half baths. It also has approximately 30.8 metres of access to Biscayne Bay.
She listed the mansion for sale in 2018 for USD 11.6 million, but it was not sold. She listed it once again in 2021, this time for USD 15.9 million. But after her split from Piqué in 2022, Shakira returned to her Miami house with her sons.
Media reports reveal that Shakira and Piqué would sell the properties they own in Barcelona. One of these is a grand mansion measuring around 379.9 square metres and was put up for sale for USD 16 million.
(Hero and Featured images: Shakira/@shakira/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is Shakira’s net worth in 2023?
Shakira’s net worth in 2023 sits somewhere between USD 300 to USD 400 million, based on multiple media reports.
– Is Shakira a billionaire?
No, Shakira is not a billionaire.
– What is Shakira most famous for?
Shakira is famous for songs in Latin, but internationally more renowned for the songs “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Waka Waka.”
