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Throughout their careers, Beyoncé and Rihanna have made a considerable number of money moves across music, fashion and even film. The stars raked in a lucrative profit from all of their hard work and sweat equity, and now both of the singers are being celebrated by Forbes.
On Dec. 6, the coveted business magazine dropped its annual list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and Rih and Bey earned a lucky spot. According to the list, Rihanna was placed the highest at No. 73 for her buzzing Fenty Beauty empire. The 34-year-old’s net worth currently sits at $1.4 billion thanks to her Fenty Beauty cosmetics line and her bustling lingerie brand Savage X Fenty.
In 2017, Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in collaboration with French luxury retailer LVMH. Since the company’s inception, the “Umbrella” singer has pulled in an impressive amount of revenue. In 2020, Fenty Beauty celebrated a milestone when it generated more than $550 million in sales.
Savage X Fenty has also soared since its debut in 2019. Last year, the sexy lingerie brand made headlines after it raised money at a $1 billion valuation. Thanks to all of her hard work and hustle, Rihanna is now the 2,031st richest person in the world.
Beyoncé made a ton of money from touring & concerts, according to Forbes
Beyoncé was placed a few notches below Rih at No. 80, but don’t get it twisted. They don’t call the Houston native “Queen Bey” for nothing. The 28-time Grammy award winner has pulled in a lot of cash from touring and her exciting concerts.
According to Forbes, the 41-year-old star grossed roughly $5 million per night during her On The Run II stadium tour alongside her husband Jay-Z. The couple generated more than $250 million from the lucrative tour run. Her groundbreaking 2018 Coachella performance also amassed a pretty penny, although the publication did not cite earnings. Still, with a net worth of $450 million, Bey is doing just fine.
Here are seven more powerful Black women who graced the list.
1) TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett
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In addition to Bey and Rih, TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett also graced Forbes’ annual list. Duckett joined the retirement and financial services company in 2021 and has made significant strides ever since.
Before joining TIAA, Brown Duckett cut her teeth at JPMorgan Chase, where she served as CEO of Chase Consumer Banking. The financial guru oversaw a giant network with more than $600 billion in deposits and 50,000 employees. Earlier in her career, Brown Duckett worked at mortgage giant Fannie Mae where she helped increase homeownership rates among Black and Hispanic Americans. Brown Duckett earned the 37th spot on the list.
2) Kamala Harris
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In January 2021, Harris made history when she became the first Black woman and the first South Asian-American to become the vice president of the United States.
The historic feat came a few years after the Democrat became the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the United States Senate.
Before stepping into her coveted seat in the White House, Harris served as California’s attorney general. The 58-year-old Oakland native became the first African-American and first woman to hold the seat when she was elected in 2010.
Forbes listed the political star at No. 3.
3) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
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In March 2021, economist and international development professional, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
Okonjo-Iweala has worked in finance for more than 30 years helping to build sustainable economic solutions for people in Asia, Africa, Europe and more.
The revered economist served two terms as Nigeria’s Finance Minister from 2003-2006 and 2011-2015. She also briefly acted as the country’s Foreign Minister in 2006. Okonjo-Iweala was placed at No. 91.
4) Mo Abudu
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Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu made the 99th spot on the list.
In 2006, Abudu started Ebonylife TV, a buzzing network that now airs in more than 49 countries across Africa, as well as in the UK and the Caribbean. Over the years, Abdu has inked major partnership deals with global entertainment brands like Sony Pictures, AMC Networks and Netflix.
According to Forbes, the 58-year-old made history when Ebonylife TV became the first African media company to sign a film and TV agreement with Netflix.
5) Mia Mottley
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Mia Mottley was elected as Barbados’ Prime Minister in 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the coveted seat. The Barbados native was honored with the 98th spot on the list.
Since taking office, the 57-year-old has become a global leader on the issue of climate change.
In 2021, she gave an incredible speech to the UN General Assembly calling for action on the issue. Later that year, the United Nations Environment Programme named Mottley a “Champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership.”
6) Shonda Rhimes
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No one has done it quite like Shonda Rhimes in the entertainment industry. The 52-year-old showrunner came in at No. 93 on the list for her impressive TV and streaming portfolio.
Rhimes is the creator and executive producer of several popular ABC shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, all of which were created courtesy of her production company Shondaland.
According to Forbes, Shonda earned $10 million per year after she signed a lucrative four-year deal with ABC. In 2017, the big-time showrunner raked in nearly $150 million after she signed a five-year production contract with Netflix. Shonda made history after she became the first showrunner to ink an inclusive deal with the streaming giant.
7) Linda Thomas Greenfield
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Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, came in at No. 82. The 70-year-old diplomat previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2013 to 2017. During her tenure, she helped to build strong political relationships between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa.
From 2012 to 2013, Thomas-Greenfield was the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources. Earlier in her career, the political star led the Africa practice for the strategy and diplomacy firm at Albright Stonebridge Group. In 2017, Thomas-Greenfield returned to public service after retiring from her long career with the U.S. Foreign Service. She was 64.
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