Codie SanchezFounder @ Contrarian Thinking

How Taylor Swift Became a Billionaire

29 Dec 2023 · 1 min

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YouTube video by Codie Sanchez (uploaded Dec 29, 2023) explaining how Taylor Swift built billionaire-level wealth via a multi-pronged “Swift Satellite” strategy: songwriting royalties (including royalties from original masters she doesn’t own), re-recorded "Taylor's Version" albums which she owns and earns streaming royalties from, massive tour revenue (reported $13 million earned per tour stop), a concert/documentary film that netted nearly $130 million, album sales (23 million in 2020 reported), large merchandise sales (claimed ~200 million sold tied to the Eras tour/era), brand endorsements and social-channel-driven brand equity, and substantial real estate holdings (reported ~$150 million). The video also mentions a claimed cat valuation (~$97 million) as an aside.

Questions this video answers

$13 million per stop.

Nearly $130 million.

23 million (album sales in 2020).

~200 million sold (merch sales claimed).

Approximately $150 million in real estate holdings.

Chapters

Taylor Swift is a billionaire, but don't you want to see exactly how she made all of her money? It's something I call the Swift Satellite. Let's break it down. First, she gets royalties from those old songs, even though she doesn't own them. Second, she created Taylor's version, which means that she gets streaming royalties and ownership of those new albums. Then she's got tours where she pocketed 13 mil per stop. Then she documents those tours. Brilliant. And created a film that netted nearly $130 million. Now she's got album sales, 23 mil in 2020, merch sales, 200 million sold on eras, tour, brand endorsements and partnerships, brand equity with a bunch of huge social channels. But you might not know that she also owns $150 million in real estate and supposedly a cat worth 97 million. The satellite strategy, Anyone can do it, but I think the Swifty version is pretty fascinating.