Billy Joel Net Worth (Money & Salary)

The net worth of Billy Joel

Billy Joel, the American singer, and songwriter possess a net worth of $250 million. He stands as one of the prolific music artists who has sold over 160 million records globally. Billy Joel’s prime time was in the ’70s and ’80s when he released a series of successful albums and singles that have now become classics.

Known for his storytelling prowess, Joel has a talent for creating memorable pop songs. Some of his major albums include “The Stranger” (1977) with hits like “Just the Way You Are,” “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” “Only the Good Die Young,” and “52nd Street” (1978), which bagged the Grammy for Album of the Year, featuring the hit single “My Life.” Moreover, “Glass Houses” (1980) holds the number one hit “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” and “An Innocent Man” (1983) pays tribute to various music styles from the ’50s and ’60s.

Among his cherished songs is “Piano Man” from the 1973 album of the same name, known widely as his signature song, beautifully blending relatable narratives with engaging music.

Earnings of Billy Joel

From June 2017 to June 2018, Billy Joel garnered $45 million, and between 2017 and 2019, he earned $50 million.

During his residencies such as the multi-year Madison Square Garden shows, he effortlessly earns $2-3 million per show. His New Year’s Eve show in 2019 alone raked in $4.6 million. From the initiation in 2014 until the conclusion of 2019, the MSG residency brought in $150 million for Billy.

Revenue from MSG Residency

Over a decade finishing in July 2024, Billy Joel played monthly at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. After showcasing 104 concerts to two million spectators, the shows accumulated gross revenue of $260 million just from ticket sales.

Early Days

Born in the Bronx, New York City, on May 9, 1949, William Martin Joel had a father from Germany who was both a businessperson and a pianist. Fleeing from the Nazis, his family went through Switzerland and Cuba before settling in the US. Joel’s mother’s ancestry was from Kent, England. His parents met during a Gilbert and Sullivan performance at the City College of New York in the late 1930s. Joel grew up in Hicksville, Long Island, with his younger sister, Judy. After his parents’ separation in 1957, his father went back to Europe and later settled in Austria, remarrying there. Alexander Joel, Joel’s half-brother from his father’s side, also pursued a musical career, becoming the chief musical director of the Staatstheater Braunschweig from 2001 to 2014.

At the age of four, Joel started taking piano lessons at the behest of his mother, which led him to develop a profound love and admiration for classical music that persists till today. This passion for music inspired him to join his first band, The Echoes, at the tender age of fourteen. He attended Hicksville High School but left without graduating due to insufficient credits. Preferring to kickstart a full-time music career rather than complete his studies through summer classes.

Professional Journey

Joel left The Echoes in 1967 (renamed The Lost Souls) and teamed up with the Hassles. The Hassles signed with United Artists Records and released numerous singles and albums, albeit without much success. Joel and the band’s drummer, Jon Small, departed in 1969 to form the duo Attila. Their self-titled

Joel partnered up with Small to release an album in July 1970. However, their collaboration was short-lived due to Joel having an affair with Small’s wife, Elizabeth.

Going solo in 1971, Joel inked a deal with record company Family Productions and presented his debut solo album, “Cold Spring Harbor” (1971). Despite not being a hit, the album caught the eye of Columbia Records, who signed him in 1972. With Columbia, he launched albums like “Piano Man” (1973), “Streetlife Serenade” (1974), and “Turnstiles” (1976). However, it was his fourth solo album, “The Stranger” (1977), that propelled him into mainstream popularity, selling over 10 million copies. The album spawned hit singles such as “Just the Way You Are,” “Only the Good Die Young,” and “She’s Always a Woman.” Joel’s subsequent albums included “52nd Street” (1978), “Glass Houses” (1980), “The Nylon Curtain” (1982), “An Innocent Man” (1983), “The Bridge” (1986), “Storm Front” (1989), and “River of Dreams” (1993).

Billy Joel’s worldwide record sales have exceeded 150 million units, making him one of the best-selling artists in history. He boasts 23 Grammy nominations, six Grammy wins, and memberships in the Songwriter Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joel stepped back from active recording in 1993, except for the release of the album “Fantasies & Delusions” in 2001. This album, diverging from his usual style, features classical piano compositions performed by his long-time friend and pianist, Richard Hyung-ki Joo.

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Joel sporadically embarks on tours by himself and with artists like Elton John. He holds a monthly residency at Madison Square Garden since 2014 and completed his 72^nd consecutive show there on January 25, 2020. Joel’s compilation album “Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2” (1985) soared to become one of the top-selling albums in the US. He was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.

He announced the conclusion of his Madison Square Garden residency in July 2024, marking his 100th performance in the series and his 150th lifetime performance at the venue.

Business Manager Lawsuit

In 1989, Billy filed a $90 million lawsuit against his former manager, Frank Weber, who was also his ex-brother-in-law. The lawsuit alleged that Weber mishandled $30 million of Joel’s money, seeking $60 million in damages. Weber then filed for bankruptcy. Joel also sued his accountants and lawyers, ultimately settling for a reported sum of $8 million.

Other Projects

Joel penned the autobiography “The Book of Joel: A Memoir” (2011) with assistance from Fred Schruers. Apart from his music career, he owns the Long Island Boat Company and a custom retro-styled motorcycles shop in Oyster Bay, Long Island. In 2014, the biography “Billy Joel” was published, based on extensive personal interviews with Schruers.

Personal Life

Joel’s first wife was Elizabeth Weber Small. Their relationship initially began as an affair, as she was still married to Jon Small, one of Joel’s musical partners. Eventually, Joel and Small tied the knot in 1973, andIn 1982, they went through a divorce, leaving Billy nearly broke due to the loss of roughly $30 million in mismanaged funds by Elizabeth’s brother Frank and a multi-million dollar divorce settlement. As he entered his second marriage to American model Christie Brinkley, he was financially unstable and had to constantly tour to generate funds, which led to a major rift and allegations of infidelity. Billy and Christie were married from 1985 to 1994 and had a daughter together, Alexa Ray Joel. His third marriage was to chef Katie Lee from 2004 to 2009. His fourth wife is Alexis Roderick, whom he married in 2015 after being together since 2009. They share two daughters, Della Rose Joel and Remy Anne Joel.

Billy Joel did not receive his high school diploma in 1967 due to insufficient credits. However, 25 years later, he wrote essays to the school board of Hicksville High School to make up for the missing credits and was awarded his diploma in 1992. He has also received honorary doctorates from institutions like Fairfield University, Berklee College of Music, Syracuse University, the Manhattan School of Music, and Stony Brook University.

Regarding real estate, Billy Joel has bought and sold several impressive properties over the years in locations such as Florida and Long Island, New York. Notably, in 2002, he purchased a mansion called Middlesea on Centre Island in Oyster Bay, New York, for $22.5 million. The property, which now extends to 26 acres, includes a helipad, a beach house, and two pools. In May 2023, he listed this property for sale at $49 million.

In 2014, Billy acquired two adjacent properties covering 4 acres in Manalapan, Florida, for just under $12 million. He later listed the combined compound for sale at $29 million, ultimately accepting $10.3 million in January 2020. In January 2015, he bought another waterfront estate in Manalapan for $22.495 million and listed it for sale at $55 million in January 2024, later reducing the price to $50 million in March 2024.

Additionally, Billy purchased a New York City townhouse for $5.9 million in 2006, which was later received by his ex-wife Katie Lee in their divorce and sold for $12.9 million in 2011.

Data is from 2023 and 2024 and forecast data is for 2025 and 2026. Expanding the forecast data to 2027 and 2028 is also included.

* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:

Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.

Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.

Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.

Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.

Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.

Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.

Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.

Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.

Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.

Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.

Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.