The star’s business dealings have been in the news lately, so we decided to break down what moved Ri-Ri into billionaire status.

This story is part of our Start. Build . Grow. series, a celebration of Black business.

Even if you’re in your “abolish all billionaires” bag, it’s kinda tough to apply that to Rihanna: How could you not want to see her win big?

In our on-going series on Black business, we take a look at how Ri-Ri started and built her billions: The Barbadian beauty became the youngest self-made female billionaire and youngest female billionaire in 2022. She’s worth about $1.4 billion today, placing her among the top five richest Black women in the world. Though Rihanna has numerous music accolades – second highest-selling woman artist of all time behind Madonna and nine-time Grammy winner – the music alone didn’t make her a billionaire.

In fact, pop megastars rarely get that wealthy from music — Taylor Swift might be the only living artist who hit the big-B from music alone, thanks to her dumb-successful 2023 “Eras Tour.”

Kanye West, Jay-Z and Dr. Dre each have a boatload of No. 1 singles, but they hit billionaire status with their business ventures and apparel companies. Yeezys, Roc-A-Wear and Beats by Dre provided their bump to the big bread. RiRi got there by launching her Fenty Beauty in 2018, the same year she founded her also-successful Savage x Fenty lingerie brand.

If you’re among those who’ve seen at least five Black women embracing makeup, lingerie, or both, then you’re likely familiar with Fenty Beauty, which soared to become the world’s most prominent celebrity-owned brand by last November.

What’s intriguing is that Rihanna’s music “rival,” Beyoncé, hasn’t yet reached that coveted 10-figure mark (she’s currently valued at “only” about $800 million). Despite her immensely successful tours and record-breaking Grammy runs, she hasn’t quite hit that milestone. Even her Ivy Park brand, though highly anticipated, didn’t quite capture the mass market as anticipated.

But hey, given that Beyoncé is within striking distance of $1 billion, it’s only a matter of time, right? Perhaps her upcoming country album will be the ticket to get her there…?

About a year ago, Rihanna experienced a significant resurgence. It all started with her provocative British VOGUE cover in February 2023, which stirred controversy for depicting her leading her boyfriend A$AP Rocky and their son Star. That same month, after a prolonged hiatus without releasing any albums or singles, she made a triumphant return by headlining the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show and pulling off the most monumental pregnancy reveal in history.

(Strangely enough, that particular career move likely didn’t earn her much upfront cash, as Super Bowl halftime performers typically don’t get paid.)

In essence, if you aspire to join the billionaire club, just follow Rihanna’s lead: Build a massively successful music career, leverage it to create a brand that fills a unique and overlooked niche (like Black makeup palettes!), take a break from the limelight, and then make a dazzling return to remind everyone how it’s done on the world’s grandest stage.

Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

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