John Legend Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is John Legend’s net worth?

With a net worth of $100 million, John Legend is a multifaceted American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and philanthropist. This amount represents the combined wealth he shares with his wife, supermodel Chrissy Teigen, since their marriage in 2013. While John Legend contributes the bulk of their financial success, Chrissy has consistently earned at least $10 million annually from modeling, endorsements, and television projects since 2018.

Beginning his career in the early 2000s, John Legend collaborated with renowned artists such as Kanye West and Alicia Keys. His debut album, “Get Lifted,” released in 2004, was both a major commercial hit and critically acclaimed, winning him his first Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album and Best New Artist. This marked the start of a distinguished career extending nearly two decades.

Over the years, John Legend has produced several albums that garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success, including “Once Again” (2006), “Evolver” (2008), and “Love in the Future” (2013). His most famous song, “All of Me,” from the “Love in the Future” album, became a sensation on the charts and an anthem for weddings globally. In 2018, he achieved EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) by winning an Emmy as a producer for “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.” This exceptional accomplishment made him the first African-American male and among the youngest artists to secure all four major entertainment awards. Alongside his musical achievements, John Legend has actively engaged in philanthropy and social activism, advocating for various causes, including education, criminal justice reform, and human rights.

Early Life

Born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio, John Roger Stephens is the son of Phyllis and Ronald, who had a total of four children. His mother, a seamstress, was also the church choir director and a singer. John’s father was a drummer working at an International Harvester factory, while his grandmother served as the church organist. John embarked on his musical journey by performing with the church choir at the age of four and was homeschooled thereafter. He began piano lessons at seven and demonstrated exceptional academic abilities by skipping two grades. By the age of 12, he enrolled in Springfield North High School and graduated as the salutatorian at 16. He gained acceptance to prestigious schools such as Harvard, Morehouse, the University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown, ultimately choosing to attend UPenn.

During his time in college, Legend served as the musical director for Penn’s co-ed jazz and pop a cappella group, The Counterparts. The group’s rendition of Joan Osbourne’s “One of Us” was featured on the 1988 Best of Collegiate a Cappella compilation CD. It was also during college that he met Lauryn Hill, who later recruited him to play piano on her song “Everything is Everything” from her acclaimed album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

In 1999, John Legend graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in African-American literature from the University of Pennsylvania.

Early Career

Following his graduation, John Legend worked as a management consultant while simultaneously writing, producing, and recording his own music. He released a self-titled demo in 2000, followed by “Live at Jimmy’s Uptown” in 2001, which he issued independently and sold at his performances. Around this time, he started to circulate his demo to various record labels. In 2001, Legend met Kanye West, a rising hip-hop artist at the time, who enlisted him to perform hooks in his songs and subsequently signed him to his label.

The stage name Legend was inspired by a comment made by poet and songwriter J Ivy, who suggested that John’s music had a timeless quality, akin to that of a legend. Following this, he started using the name John Legend, a title that Kanye West also adopted when referring to him. Eventually, Legend embraced this new identity.

as a video model in one of his music videos.

Success

In December 2004, Legend’s debut album, “Get Lifted,” was launched under Kanye West’s GOOD Music label, charting at number seven in the U.S. The album garnered the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2006. Furthermore, he received nominations for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best New Artist. Four singles emerged from this album, including one co-written by Legend for Janet Jackson titled “I Want You,” which earned a nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005. Over the ensuing years, Legend collaborated with several artists, making guest appearances on albums by musicians such as Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, The Black Eyed Peas, and Stephen Colbert.

Before his death, Legend was collaborating with Michael Jackson on an album, with only one song completed at the time of Jackson’s passing.

During the pregame show of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan, in February 2006, Legend performed, alongside his appearance at the NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas.

In the summer of 2006, he performed “It Feels Good When You Sing a Song” alongside Hoots the Owl on “Sesame Street.”

Released in the fall of 2006, “Once Again,” Legend’s second album, reached number three on the charts, debuting atop the R&B/Hip-Hop charts. For his song “Heaven,” he won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and a Grammy for his collaborative effort on “Family Affair.” His third album, “Evolver,” came out in October 2008, featuring the single “Green Light” with Outkast’s Andre 3000, which achieved the highest ranking on the charts since “Ordinary People.”

In 2010, Legend teamed up with the Roots to produce “Wake Up!” In 2011, he claimed three Grammy Music Awards: Best R&B Song for “Shine,” Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Hang On in There,” and Best R&B Album.

His 2013 album “Love in the Future” attained number two status in both the U.S. and U.K. The third single, “All of Me,” became a global hit, dedicated to his wife Chrissy Teigen, and was performed at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. By 2014, “All of Me” was recognized as the third best-selling song in both the U.S. and U.K.

The album “Darkness and Light” saw its release in 2016, followed by “A Legendary Christmas” in 2018.

On May 21, 2019, Legend became the winning coach on “The Voice,” guiding his artist Maelyn Jarmon to victory.

In 2020, he participated in a special Quarantunes benefit concert, and in May of that year, he unveiled his seventh studio album, “Bigger Love.” In July 2020, he performed Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” alongside Andra Day at a fundraiser supporting Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

After concluding a 17-year contract with Sony Music, Legend signed with Republic Records in November 2021. Then in September 2022, he released his eighth studio album, “Legend.”

Personal Life

In 2006, Legend met model Chrissy Teigen when she appeared as a video model in one of his music videos.

in the music video for his song “Stereo.” Engagement for the couple took place in December 2011, followed by their marriage on September 14, 2013, at Villa Pizzo in Como, Italy. Their family grew with the arrival of a daughter in April 2016, a son in May 2018, and another daughter in January 2023, all of whom were born through vitro fertilization. A fourth child, a son, was welcomed via surrogacy in June 2023.

People‘s Sexiest Man Alive was an honor bestowed upon Legend in November 2019.

During an appearance on Dax Shepherd’s podcast “Armchair Expert” in the summer of 2020, Legend revealed his past infidelities with girlfriends, particularly during his 20s. He mentioned being two years younger than his peers in high school and college, which led to limited attention from women. When he did receive attention, he took advantage of it in an irresponsible manner. However, he emphasized that everything shifted for him upon meeting Chrissy Teigen. His wife, skilled at trolling on Twitter, playfully responded with a tweet, “Especially…the other sh*t is the 10s and 30s, so better be talking the tens, idiot.” Their meeting occurred when Legend was 28.

Following the death of civil rights legend John Lewis in July 2020, Legend was among the celebrities who expressed their condolences and admiration on social media. He tweeted: “Thank you, John Lewis, for being a warrior for justice. Thank you for loving us so much that you devoted and risked your life to bring us closer to freedom. As we mourn and remember his incredible life, let’s rededicate ourselves to carrying on his legacy.”

Real Estate

In January 2016, John and Chrissy purchased a mansion in Beverly Hills for $14.1 million that was formerly owned by Rihanna. After buying the property in 2009 for $6.9 million, Rihanna discovered several structural issues, particularly that the home would “flood” in even slight rain. She sold it in 2012 for $5.2 million. In 2021, John and Chrissy listed the home for $22 million and ultimately accepted $16.8 million a few months later. A video tour of this residence can be viewed below:

In April 2020, Legend and Teigen acquired a modern contemporary property in West Hollywood, California, for $5.1 million—not far from their 2016 Beverly Hills residence purchased for $14.1 million. Their real estate investments also encompass two penthouses in New York City, with one purchased in May 2018 for slightly over $9 million and the other acquired in April for $8 million.

In September 2020, John and Chrissy spent $17.5 million on a mansion in Beverly Hills.

In January 2022, they listed a New York City duplex apartment for $18 million. Originally being two separate apartments, John and Chrissy obtained the first in 2018 and the second in 2020, collectively investing $16.70 million in the properties.