Rich Dudes│From Mixtapes to Millions, The Weeknd's Net Worth Journey

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, AKA The Weeknd, is more than just a household name. His striking stage persona goes hand in hand with his remarkable bank balance, landing him a top spot on the must-watch and wealthiest artist lists.

Graduating from his roots in Toronto to the main stage at Coachella, The Weeknd's journey to celebrity status is quite remarkable. Endorsements, investments, and a stream of musical hits have contributed to his $300 million net worth.

Born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye had no idea he would one day be known internationally as The Weeknd. From uploading his music on Youtube to streaming his chart-breaking albums to millions of fans globally, Tesfaye's journey to a $300 million net worth is truly inspiring.

Stepping into the music industry in 2010, The Weeknd started small from his apartment room—a shared space where he and his friends bounced off ideas, eager hopefuls creating content amid laughter and dreams. With hard work and a dash of faith, he soon started uploading videos on YouTube—a platform that gave him his first taste of success.

His big break came in the form of a meeting with producer Jeremy Rose. The seeds sown in that humble apartment soon blossomed into a career that has made The Weeknd a household name in the music industry.

Canadian singer and rapper Drake has influenced The Weeknd's early rise in the music scene. Drake first noticed the budding artist in 2010 when he shared The Weeknd's music on his OVO blog. Their numerous collaborations, starting with Drake's 2011 album Take Care, helped propel The Weeknd's career internationally.

The Weeknd's rise from releasing mixtapes to producing chart-topping albums has driven his financial success. His popular albums, including Kiss Land, Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, After Hours, and Dawn FM have raked in substantial earnings and elevated his mainstream appeal. 

He accumulated approximately $92 million from 2016 to 2017 and another $40 million from 2018 to 2019.

In addition to his thriving music career, Tesfaye has augmented his income through collaborations and entrepreneurial pursuits. He has partnered with recognized brands like Puma, H&M, Bacardi, Marvel, Apple Music, A Bathing Ape, and Alexander Wang.

His foray into acting with roles in Uncut Gems and appearances in TV shows like The Simpsons and American Dad further diversifies his income. Adding to his credentials, he also co-created, produced, co-wrote, and starred in the HBO Max series The Idol.

When it comes to living the high life, The Weeknd doesn't miss a beat. His online social media empire churns millions. Look at Instagram: over 61 million followers strong. Turn to YouTube: 23 billion views and counting. All those clicks and views? They print money in advertising dividends and lucrative brand sponsorship deals each month.

Abel’s loaded with cash via Patreon and Twitch subscriptions—fan love flows directly into his pockets. What’s more? Merchandising: a knock on his online store gifts you with official gear. T-shirts, hoodies, and hats are just the beginning. Tally it all up, the total rings up to $1 million each year. The Weeknd, it turns out, doesn't stop playing tunes even when he's making that green.

The Weeknd made history when his After Hours Till Dawn tour generated over $350 million in revenue, ranking it the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist.

The Weeknd's net worth is mirrored in more than just his thriving music career. His penchant for high-performance automobiles and luxe real estate demonstrate a diversified portfolio.

The Weeknd's car haul is as melodic as his chart-topping hits. It reflects his love for speed, aesthetic craftsmanship, and sumptuous living. He boasts not one, but five super machines—all sleek symbols of power, oomph, and luxury.

Sitting proudly on top is his $75,000 Porsche 911 Carrera. This German goddess needs no introduction. It's speculated to belong to the illustrious lineage of the G Series—production years: 1974 to 1989. Its design and resilience are timeless marvels as legendary as its parent country's great composers.

Next up, we unveil his princely orange McLaren P1. How do we know? Just watch Starboy. Yes, the clip where he flaunts this British beast with aplomb. The rumble under its hood: a feisty 3.8L Twin-turbocharged V8 packed beside a potent 131Kw electric motor plant. The mashed-up fury they spew—a wicked 903 horses.

Slipping into third gear, we meet his Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. This Italian maestro of speed screams audacious style and monstrous performance. Concealed underneath its aggressive fascia is a voracious V12 engine. What's its 0 to 60 mph acceleration achievement? A blink-and-you'll-miss-it 2.9 seconds. And the price tag on this vehicular magnum opus? A mouth-watering $517,770.

Transitioning from a land rocket to a plush chariot, we introduce his stately $304,000 Bentley Mulsanne. It's no sharp, quicksilver sports car—it's a luxurious British sedan with an air of aristocracy. The perfect choice for a laid-back, chauffeured ride. Yet, a potent twin-turbocharged 6.75 L V8 under its regal bonnet hums. A not-so-meek 505 horsepower or a beefier 530 horsepower.

Finally, The Weeknd's favorite alpha predator: a Mercedes-AMG G63 takes its rightful place in this pantheon of automotive marvels. The roomy luxury SUV was prominently featured in his song Often. A flagship from the G-Class knights at Mercedes Benz stable. Its heart? A muscular, hand-crafted 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8. The sheer power it spawns? A cool 577 ponies and a mountain-moving 627 lb-ft of torque.

This isn't just a car collection, it's 'The Weeknd's best hits of vehicular pleasure.' A carefully curated selection of pure indulgence that speaks to his penchant for speed, design, luxury, and, most importantly, the sheer love for being behind the wheel.

Life takes a lot of turns, and sometimes it's a slick Porsche 911 that curves by a sweeping driveway to a mansion. So it goes for The Weeknd, the musical prodigy who's threaded a sequence of luxe linings onto his reputation not just with earworms but with real estate ventures.

Take Hidden Hills, California, for instance. Not the best moniker, considering it hosts The Weeknd's hard-to-miss $20 million estate. The three-acre property is set apart with a mansion of grand proportions.

Seven bedrooms and a raft of ritzy amenities: a saltwater pool, an eight-stall barn, fire pits, a patio, a home theatre, and even a basketball court. All this, he waved goodbye to, selling it to the material girl herself, Madonna, for $19.3 million in 2021.

The Weeknd’s saga of city properties drips in ritzy rents. The first was a hip pad in Greenwich Village for a pocket pinch of $16,000 a month. Later, an upscale switch to Tribeca, doling out $60,000 monthly. Inside those 5,004-square-foot walls? Four bedrooms, glitzy bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen built for any Entourage, plus extensive outdoor space.

The industry knew The Weeknd had arrived when he shelled out $21 million for a Beverly West penthouse. Now that's a statement. He took over the 18th floor with private lift access to rule his 8,215-square-foot castle-in-the-air. That penthouse hit the market for $22.5 million in 2022.

His property hopscotch included a touchdown in Davis Islands, Tampa Bay, ahead of the Super Bowl halftime performance in 2021. The $9.1 million mansion provided him solace with its private dock, inviting pool, and sweeping bay view. Stretching across 6,000 square feet, the house offered the perfect backdrop to rehearse his Blinding Lights.

Bel Air, Los Angeles saw The Weeknd's most awesome real estate grand slam: a jaw-dropping $70 million poured into a sprawling mansion overseeing the Bel Air Country Club. This beast of a property dished out more deliciousness across its 33,000 square feet than a Vegas buffet.

Think of a gym, movie theater, music studio, sauna, both indoor and infinity pools with a cascading waterfall, a sports court, and more. This Bel Air spectacle wasn't even on the market, but The Weeknd's Midas touch transformed an off-market property into a done deal.

Each twist and turn in The Weeknd's real estate journey echoes his love for life's finer things. Plush houses, A-list neighbors, and hip addresses. It's as if he's turned luxury living into an art, much like his music.

Channeling funds into more than just killer beats, The Weeknd has invested in the melody-making startup, Songfinch while spearheading Canadian record label XO, which cultivates new talent and addresses global humanitarian needs.

Songfinch 

The Weeknd and a band of wealthy influencers orchestrated a $2 million investment into Songfinch. This isn’t your average song-and-dance company, but a personalized tune factory, turning your life stories into a hit track in a jiffy.

CEO of Finding Legal Tender, Atlantic Records top dog Craig Kallman, School of Rock boss Rob Price, and Recycled Paper Greetings mogul Michael Keiser joined The Weeknd in betting big on this innovative startup. With a business model that aims to turn your life into a Billboard-topping record, this investor supergroup believes Songfinch has found the pitch-perfect business tune.

The Weeknd and Co seem ready to take this harmonious investment to the top charts, echoing, “Blinding Lights? More like Blinding Investment.”

In a nutshell, The Weeknd is banking on the idea that a personal song is worth more than a thousand pictures. Seems like they've found another Starboy in the startup world.

XO

You've heard of BFF necklaces? Well, multiply it with clout and cash, remove the girlish sentiment, and we're skimming the surface of The Weeknd's chief investment: XO.

The Weeknd didn't just jot down 'XO' on a sticky note. He inked it into the veins of his career. There's debate swirling around what XO stands for. Is it a nod to hugs and kisses or an audacious reference to drugs—ecstasy and oxycontin? Cries of "XO 'til we overdose" pepper his music, tilting the scales towards the latter.

This controversial symbol left the realm of conjecture, though, when The Weeknd founded the Canadian record label XO. Grafted from a partnership with his loyal crew—managers Wassim Slaiby and Amir Esmailian alongside creative director La Mar Taylor—it nestles securely in the bigger branch of Universal Music Group, spinning records via Republic Records.

XO is more than a signboard hanging outside a studio. It's a powerhouse nurturing talent—The Weeknd himself, Belly, Nav, and Chxrry22. Their magic formula? A string of projects set to launch to Billboard's number one.

Yet, XO's reach doesn't plateau at music. A magnanimous fork extends its grasp towards a greater cause: The XO Humanitarian Fund. A $5 million commitment shoulders the burden of the world's hunger-stricken populace. Destination: emergency food and nutrition programs in nooks like Northern Ethiopia. A significant act in combating a global food crisis, hand in hand with the UN World Food Programme.

XO is more than an ambiguous symbol or a record label. It's The Weekend's tactical investment—a lucrative business venture, a platform to nurture talents and foster artistic projects.

Essentially, The Weeknd uses his influence as a philanthropic force, orchestrating his largesse towards global good. His multi-faceted investments through XO—encompassing music and entrepreneurship—extend into meaningful contributions to causes like Black Lives Matter, MusiCares, and the WFP.

Utilizing his wealth and fame, he uplifts underserved communities and amplifies marginalized voices, intertwining altruism with his chart-dominating music persona.

From ride-sharing giant Uber to the poster child of plant-based phenomenon Impossible Foods, Abel is sprinkling his dollars like confetti onto thriving businesses. And when he's not hitting high notes, he's nurturing budding talent through his creative incubator HXOUSE.

Skimming through the music charts to the metaverse, The Weeknd has invested in Everyrealm, a metaverse-centric startup firm. Previously known as Republic Realm, the firm has revealed that The Weeknd and other high-profile celebrities have invested in the company.

Everyrealm primarily invests in virtual land plots sold as NFTs in emerging metaverse worlds like The Sandbox and Decentraland. The company holds over 3,000 NFTs across 25 metaverse platforms and has even started developing properties on some virtual lands.

While the company did not disclose the exact valuation of its Series A, it confirmed that the recent round of celebrity investments, including The Weeknd, bumped the final fundraising total to $62.5 million and valued Everyrealm in the “hundreds of millions.”

The Weeknd's investment in Everyrealm aligns with his previous engagements in the NFT space. Last year, he joined the NFT platform Autograph's board of directors and has released his NFTs on multiple marketplaces. As such, his investment in Everyrealm further cements his foothold in the metaverse and NFT industry, illustrating his forward-thinking investment strategy.

The Weeknd's merchandise line, available on platforms from the official The Weeknd Merchandise Store to Etsy, indicates an injection of funds into the retail side of his brand.

This isn't just about slapping his name on a hoodie and calling it a day. The merchandise, with diverse offerings from t-shirts to hoodies to cool accessories, form a critical part of his brand universe where fans can express their love for the artist in more ways than just jamming to his tunes.

His merch investment is not just a revenue generation strategy but also a way to expand his influence among fans, deepen the fandom culture, and promote his After Hours Til Dawn global stadium tour. It's a sleek move where fashion, fan connection, and finance groove seamlessly to The Weeknd's rhythm.

Abel Tesfaye isn't just a successful artist and a top chart mainstay—he's a money-making maestro. Diversifying beyond his studio albums, he's ventured into TV, entertainment, and high-profile investments, pushing his net worth to $300 million.

Let's not forget the sleek rides, plush properties, and his After Hours Til Dawn tour. His playbook? Simple. Don't settle for wearing one Juno award, wear all four. Diversify and conquer. There’s no denying it: this Starboy has turned his story into a catchy number that mixes money, music, and luxury—even his unreleased songs are a hit even a Monday can't beat.

The Weeknd's journey in the industry clarifies that wise investments, when aligned with passion and market trends, can lead to financial success. Even with less than a decade in the scene, The Weeknd's story offers insights into wealth generation, demonstrating the importance of asset diversification, successful ticket sales, and innovative investments in burgeoning fields like the metaverse.

As he scales the heights of music, acquiring three Grammy awards and critical acclaim over the years, Abel Tesfaye personifies a star who has harmonized his melodies with entrepreneurship. His narrative offers a blueprint for artists and investors with increasing music sales over the years.