What is Elton John's net worth? 'Rocket Man' singer among world's richest artists
The Elton John biopic "Rocketman" is launching to theaters this weekend, and film producers, including the singer himself, hope the musical fantasy will be a box office hit.
In the U.S., "Rocketman" is expected to hit $20 million in sales over its opening weekend — well behind "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," which is currently tracking for more than $50 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While he's known for his popular tunes, Sir Elton John is no stranger to the movie scene. He shares an Oscar and Golden Globe with lyricist Tim Rice for Best Music for the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" featured in the 1994 animated hit "The Lion King." He also received two other nominations that year for music featured in the film.
Elton John, who serves as one of the executive producers for "Rocketman," has at least 10 other producer credits.
So when it comes to sharing his life story on the big screen, Elton John is likely not in it for the money. Instead, Elton John said he wanted to give his fans a transparent look into his past.
“Some studios wanted to tone down the sex and drugs so the film would get a PG-13 rating. But I just haven’t led a PG-13 rated life,” Elton John wrote in an article published by The Guardian on Sunday. “I didn’t want a film packed with drugs and sex, but equally, everyone knows I had quite a lot of both during the ’70s and ’80s, so there didn’t seem to be much point in making a movie that implied that after every gig, I’d quietly gone back to my hotel room with only a glass of warm milk and the Gideon’s Bible for company.”
"When my career took off, it took off in such a way that it almost didn’t seem real to me. I wasn’t an overnight success by any means ... But when it happened, it went off like a missile."
Some studios wanted to make a more "straightforward" biopic — a suggestion the 72-year-old said he swiftly rejected.
"When my career took off, it took off in such a way that it almost didn’t seem real to me. I wasn’t an overnight success by any means – I’d been slogging around the clubs, making records, writing songs with Bernie and trying to sell them to people who weren’t interested for four or five years before anything big happened. But when it happened, it went off like a missile," he added.
In 2018 alone, Elton John earned $46 million, landing him No. 57 on Forbes' top 100 celebrity earnings list. In 2014, CNN Business named the British musician among the top 10 richest musicians with an estimated net worth of $450 million.
Sir Elton John is now worth an estimated $500 million. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The singer, known for smash hits such as "Rocket Man," "Tiny Dancer" and "I'm Still Standing," now has a net worth of about $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He recently landed on The Sunday Times' 2019 "Rich List."
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And his savings account is expected to skyrocket, especially after he launched his farewell tour, "Farewell Yellow Brick Road," in September. In total, Elton John will perform in over 300 shows that will span three years. The world tour is forecast to reach more than $400 million in ticket sales.
With an executive producer title in "Rocketman," Elton John will also probably get a decent cut from profits — though it's not currently clear exactly how much he'll receive.