Billy Idol Net Worth

How much is Billy Idol worth?

Net Worth:$30 Million
Profession:Professional Musician
Date of Birth:November 30, 1955 (age 67)
Country:United Kingdom
Height:
5 ft 8 in (1.75 m)

About Billy Idol

Billy Idol, born William Michael Albert Broad, is an English musician and rockstar who first rose to fame in the 1970s, storming on to the British punk rock scene. First being a member of the popular Generation X, Idol found more fame as a solo artist, which helped him find success overseas with the help from what’s known as the “second British Invasion.” The singer was also known as being a tyrant, playing up to the cliches that were expected of him as a rockstar by hosting wild parties in hotels. Some of the rockstar’s most famous songs include “Rebel Yell”, “Eyes Without A Face”, and “White Wedding”.

Idol had formed several different bands before he eventually learnt that he would find more fame as a solo artist. The first band he was a part of was the punk rock band Chelsea, in which he joined as a guitarist in 1976.

But it wasn’t Long until he and bandmate Tony James left to start their own band, Generation X. With James, Idol found a ton of success, only this time Idol was the lead singer. Generation X were massive in the UK, and though they didn’t break the US, they had released three albums by 1981, mostly to commercial success. However, after the commercial failure of their third record, Kiss Me Deadly, Idol called it quits and left the band to finally pursue his solo career.

English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor Billy Idol has an estimated net worth of $30 million dollars, as of 2023. His real name is William Michael Albert Broad and he epitomizes what was coming out of England’s punk rock scene in the ’80s.

When it came to approaching his solo career, Idol packed his bags and left London for New York, which is where he recorded his eponymously titled debut album. Billy Idol was a massive hit, and it featured the huge singles “Dancing with Myself” and “White Wedding”. And with the rise of MTV in the early 80s, Idol had timed its release perfectly, becoming a staple of the TV station thanks to his rockstar attitude, dashing good looks, and commercial sounding punk music.

The singer’s music video for “White Wedding”, which featured a motorbike crashing through a stained glass window of a church, was one of the most popular videos on MTV. Idol struck while the iron was hot, as he quickly followed up the debut’s success with his sophomore effort, Rebel Yell, which was an even bigger hit than Billy Idol. The album included the songs “Eyes Without a Face” and “Flesh For Fantasy”.

Three years later, Idol’s third album, Whiplash Smile, was released, then Charmed Life in 1990, and the futuristic concept album, Cyberpunk, in 1993. But during this time he was less in the public eye for his music and more for his personal life. His rockstar lifestyle couldn’t keep up with him, and it all piqued in 1994 when the singer collapsed outside a night club in Los Angeles after taking GHB, a drug that was usually used by weight lifters.

At this point, Idol had an awakening and decided to quit drugs and focus on fatherhood. Between raising his children and battling with his record label, Idol wouldn’t release another record until 11 years later, but in the 2000s, he had a huge, long overdue comeback. In 2005, Idol released Devil’s Playground, and then Queens of the Underground in 2014.

Most of Idol’s wealth comes from his huge amounts of record sales. Though his debut record was successful, it was his second album, Rebel Yell, that really turned him in to an international rockstar and got him all of the financial success that comes with it. Rebel Yell sold two million copies in the US, and it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. And even though he had finally broke America, it was Canada that truly loved him, as the record sold five million copies there. In total, throughout his whole career, Idol has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.

Outside of album sales, Idol continues to see monthly payments for his music from streaming platforms such as Spotify. The rockstar’s music is evidently still extremely popular, as he has almost six million monthly listeners on the streaming service and most of his songs have had tens of millions of plays. On top of that, the musician has dabbled in acting, taking checks for tons of cameos, which account for huge amounts of cash with very little work necessary. He has also earned millions in royalties, as his music can be heard all over TV and movies, and he even wrote the song “Speed” for the Keanu Reeves movie of the same name.

Idol was born to be a rockstar, and though punk rock wasn’t necessarily the genre that wannabe rockstars would flock to, Idol’s strong cheekbones and glistening smile made him standout from his less than thrilled peers. It led to many criticizing Idol for commercializing the genre and bringing it in to the mainstream, a lot of that criticism may have largely been based on jealousy and fizzled out as fast as it flared up. On top of that, he has a signature sneer that few other singers can replicate and throws his fist in to the air.

His adrenaline charged audiences love his performances.

Most of Idol’s success came down to his image, as he became a sex symbol with the attitude of Johnny Rotten and the charisma of Elvis Presley, but his branding also greatly helped. Nobody would every become a rockstar with a name like William Michael Albert Broad, which is why the singer changed his stage name to Billy Idol. Though there have been different stories behind the origin of the name, the musician has said that teachers continuously wrote “idle” on his school report card, which is what he wanted his stage name to be, but fearing it was too similar to the Monty Python actor Eric Idle, Billy changed it to Idol.

Idol’s Total Net Worth

Billy Idol has earned estimated total career income of $65 million dollars. He has sold more than 10 million albums and earned far more money besides, from his concerts and tours.

As Idol has lived between the state of California and London, England, as well as earned through some high tax years, he will have had to pay around 51% in taxes on his career income. After tax, it is estimated that his career earnings are at around $31.85 million dollars, having paid $33.15 million dollars in taxes.

Idol has never been married, but he has had a longterm relationship with English dancer and singer Perri Lister. They have one child together, Willem Wolf Broad. Idol also has one child, Bonnie Blue, with Linda Mathis.

In his personal life he has likely spent $6-7 million dollars of his career earnings but also earned $5-6 million dollars from his investments. He will have also had to pay around $2-3 million dollars in business related costs.

As he also owns assets, not including real estate, valued at around $2-5 million dollars, it is estimated that Billy Idol has a net worth of about $30 million dollars.

Summing-Up

Being the enfant terrible of punk rock music in England led him to becoming a chart topping international superstar, and Idol’s image and brand is mostly what has earned him so much success. With so many record sales under his belt, along with cameos and soundtracking dozens of movies, Billy Idol now has an estimated net worth of $30 million. Most recently, Billy Idol worked with Miley Cyrus and he has a duet with her on her upcoming new album.

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