The 10 Richest DJs in the World
Have you ever visited an entertainment joint and wondered who is behind the excellent music flow? Then that is a DJ. Disc Jockeys, popularly referred to as DJs, are music persons who play recorded music to a set audience for a given purpose. Since the concept of DJ was introduced after the second world war, the performance of DJs has evolved as they continue to match the ever-changing market demands. Initially, DJs would only play music, but now they can even produce and sing. DJs used to perform mainly in clubs, but they now have their Tv and Radio Shows. The business of being a DJ is paying, and for this purpose, we invite you to look at the 10 richest DJs as of 2022.
10. Paul Oakenfold ($65 million)
Paul Oakenfold has won the Grammy Awards three times. The DJ was born in London, UK, on August 30, 1963. He studied at the Archbishop Lanfranc School and later enrolled in the military. In the 1970s, the DJ met Trevor Fung, who introduced him to music. His breakthrough was in 1990 when he performed before a crowd of 90,000 people at Glastonbury Festival.
In 1993, he was hired by U2 to replace BP Fallon, who had left the band. This would play a massive role in his singing career. Among his famous songs are Lemon (1993), Ready Ready Go (2002), Gem Em Up (2002), and Beautiful Goal (2005). If you are looking for his services, you can book him on Celebrity Talent and ensure that you have at least $75,000 in your account.
9. Andrew Taggart ($70 million)
He performs alongside DJ Alex Pall and has a net worth of $70 million. Together they formed the Chainsmokers in 2012, and their debut album was “Do Not Open,” which was released in 2017 and managed to rank the best on Canadian and American music charts. They also have some great singles behind their names;” # Selfie,” “Roses,” “Pari,” and “Do not Let Me Down,” among others. Taggart was in Portland, Maine, on December 31, 1989.
He started devoting himself to music at an early age, which made his patients move to Los Angeles, where there were better music schools. Taggart has no family, but in different years, he has had different women; he dated Haley Rowe, a model, in 2016-2017, Christine Burke in 2018, and Chantel Jeffries in 2020 before they broke up. He also spends some good money on his personal life, and in 2018, he bought a 10K square home for $12 million.
8. Alex Pall ($80 million)
According to various sources, the net worth of DJ Pall is $80 million. He started his career in 2012 and has accumulated such wealth in the last seven years. Born on May 16, 1985, in New York City, NY, US, his father was William Blatt Bill Pall and Margaret Olivia D’Agostino. Together with Andrew Taggart, they formed the Chainsmokers in 2012, and since then, it has grown to become one of the top music acts in the world.
The two earn an average of $39-$56 million annually. Every year, they get at least $5.4 million from YouTube. The DJ has more than half a million Instagram followers, and he charges between $1,056 to $1,811 per post. When the Las Vegas shooting took place in 2017, he donated $100,000. The DJ spends well on himself, having spent $40 million to purchase his home and owning a fleet of expensive cars.
7. Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo ($90 million)
Kwon as “Guy-Manuel,” the DJ was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, on February 8, 1974. He performs alongside Thomas Bangalter, with whom they formed the famous “Daft Punk.” Among their famous habits is that they used to dress as robots when getting on stage, and they would hide their faces from their audience. He started showing interest in music at seven years. He would play guitar and piano.
At 14 years old, he knew how to play an electric guitar. When he joined high school, he met Thomas, who recruited Laurent Brancowitz and formed a band-The Darlin’. During one of their raving nights, they met with Stuart Macmillan, a record label owner, who gave them a demo tape. From that time, they produced massive hits such as “Alive” and “around the World.” In 2021, he broke up with Thomas, and many fans interpreted this as the end of his career, but that is not the case. The DJ lives a very private life and rarely gives interviews.
6. Thomas Bangalter ($90 million)
He was born on January 3, 1975, in Paris, France. The DJ is married to Elodie Bouchez, and they have two children. Besides being a DJ, he is a musician, songwriter, singer, Composer, DJ, Record Producer, and film director. Many people know him through the music duo of “Daft Punk.” The group specializes in electronic music, and it took the world by storm in the late 90s and the good part 0f the 2000s.
He has also worked with other groups such as Together and Stardust. His career started when Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo demonstrated a great passion for music. The DJ lives with his family in Beverly Hills and is actively involved in Hollywood filmmaking. Thomas has provided movie scripts for films such as Irreversible, and he also works as a cinematographer and a video director.
5. Steve Aoki ($120 million)
Steve Aoki is one of the richest DJ is in the world, according to Wealthy Gorilla, which ranks his net worth at $120 million. He has several tags- a record producer, an electro house musician, a DJ, and a music executive who hails from Miami. He has a massive following in the Northern part of America. He has collaborated with the likes of Afrojack, Linkin Park, and Iggy Azalea, among others, in his works.
Born in Miami, Florida, in 1977, his parents, Rocky Aoki and Chizuru Kobayashi, were Japanese. He took over his “Benihana” restaurants after his father’s death. He learned music at the “Music is Revolution Foundation” in 2006, and in 2008, he released his first mix album, “Pillowface and his Chronicles.” He released his first album, Wonderland, at the start of 2012. In an active year, the DJ performs almost 200-250 shows; out of them, he earns $30-40 million each year. Aoki has invested in Uber, SpaceX, esports Rogue and a clothing company, Vision Street.
4. David Guetta ($150 million)
David Guetta is the leading French DJ and House producer. The Celebrity Net worth ranks his wealth at $150 million. Up to now, he has sold over 50 million copies of albums. Every year, he earns an average of $30 million. He is a great philanthropist who raised above $1.5 million for different COVIOD-19 charities. He was born in 1967 in Paris, France. David started his music career by learning how to spin tubes at the famous Broad Club, Paris. After several years, he perfected his art and could host personal club music Giggs.
In 2001 he established Gum Productions, where he released his first single,” Just a Little More Love.” In 2002 he released his first album, which sold out more than 300 000 records. He continued releasing different albums until 2009, when he became a world-famous DJ. He has worked with Kelis Rogers, Flo Rida, Black Eyed Peas, and many others. At the 2016 Euro, he was the competition ambassador. David was married to Cathy Lobe, whom they divorced in 2014, and they had two kids at that time.
3. DJ Tiesto ($170 million)
Born as Tijs Michiel Verwest on January 17, 1969, in the Netherlands, Tiesto started showing interest in music at school parties when he was 14 years old. At that young age, he played the new beat, acid house, and Madonna Songs. His first music release was in 1994 when he used the names DJ Limited and Da Joker. Up to today, he has released seven studio albums, the main ones being “Just Be “-2004 and “Elements of Life”-2007- which topped the Netherlands music charts.
The “DJ Magazine” ranked the best DJ in the world for three consecutive years from 20002 to 2004. In 1997, he started the Black Hole Recordings with Arny Bink 1997. The studio is known for the “Magik” and “In Search of Sunrise” CD series. He married Annika Backes, a model, on September 21, 2019. In 2006, he was appointed the ambassador of “The Dance for Life” foundation
2. Gianluca Vacchi ($200 million)
Vacchi is one of the DJs who know how to celebrate his hard-earned money. According to the Techie + Gamers, the Italian DJ was born in Bologna on August 5, 1967, to wealthy parents. Marco Vacchi, his father, served as the chairperson of the Bank of Bologna. He studied at the University of Bologna, where he graduated with a B.A in Economics and Business. He later joined his family’s business at 25 years old, which helped mold his career.
He is a majority shareholder at IMA, and his principal concern is the stock market. In 2006, ToyWatch founded a company that specializes in designing watches. After one year, he sold the company, although it was growing quickly. He lost interest in business when he was 45 and ventured into music playing in 2013. A video he shared dancing with Giorgia Gabriele made him famous among his supporters. He commands a high following on social media 2ith over 232 million followers.
1. Calvin Harris ($300 million)
On January 17, 1984, Calvin was born to his parents David Wiles and Pamela Wiles, in Scotland. In the 1990s, he started playing music in his bedroom and worked in a local supermarket to purchase musical instruments. His first songs were “Brighter Days” and “Da Bongos,” which he released in 2002. After the songs, he went to London to pursue his career.
After his London schooling, he started posting music mixtures on Myspace. From this site, he was discovered and signed by EMI and Sony BMG. He would later release his first album in 2007, entitled “I Created Disco.” In 2009, he released his second album, Ready for the Weekend. In 2014, he gained high-level music status, which helped push his then album Motion. To map it all, in 2016, he released a collaboration with Rihanna, “This is What You Came For.”
He is a proud winner of a Grammy Award and four MTV Video Music Awards. In several interviews, he has named Fatboy Slim and Jamiroquai. He is among the most paid DJs per show with the Guardian reporting that he is paid more than $400,000. Out of these payments and show appearances, he has a net worth of $300 million.
What Are Qualities of the Good DJ?
There are some characteristics they must exhibit. Other than the money, these DJs have:
- Top-notch quality equipment and sound systems. Many will come with theirs if you hire them.
- They have demonstrated love and passion for music.
- They understand the dynamic of live performance.
- High level of interpersonal skills.
- Constantly updated on the music trends and music genres.
- Very kind and professional. A good DJ will require that you sign a performance contract before the start of performing.
- Must demonstrate much enthusiasm towards life and music.
In Conclusion
DJs enrich recorded music with the tables. Without them, the music industry would perhaps not be where it is today. Corporations have played their role in awarding them by giving them endorsements. The DJs discussed above have demonstrated to the young that talent pays if you put in hard work. The advantage of all these DJs is when you hire them, they will not only also play the music of other artists. To join this club, they must be proven crowd movers. For their fans, they should keep on supporting them by listening to their music or attending their shows.