In the hit song Take Me Back To London, Ed Sheeran sings ‘Grossed half a billi on the divide tour. Yes I ain’t kidding what would I lie for’. So it’s clear the British singer-songwriter is wealthy but is he part of the billionaire club?
Ed Sheeran is not a billionaire, but he’s well on his way to becoming one. According to Wealthy Gorilla, Ed’s net worth is currently $160 million. His money primarily comes from touring, between 2017 and 2019 Ed embarked on the highest-grossing tour of all time, earning him $775 million.
Ed has certainly come a long way since he was busking on the streets of London as a fresh-faced 16-year-old. For more on Ed Sheeran’s net worth, read on below.
The Millionaire Mindset
I know what you’re thinking, “if Ed made $775 million on his Divide tour, why is his net worth only $160 million?” The answer lies in Ed’s approach to money.
Ed is extremely charitable, and isn’t the type to hoard money. In the past, he has even stated that he believes money is the root of all evil. Speaking to OK! Magazine he said:
“It’s like earn a penny, spend a penny with me. As soon as it comes in, it goes out. I don’t have much value on it. I have more value on my friends and family being OK. A lot of my money goes to charity or to children’s hospitals near where I live.”
Over the years Ed has donated to a whole host of charities, including East Anglia Children’s Hospital, Children’s Cancer Association, and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Following in the footsteps of billionaires such as Bill and Melinda Gates, it seems that Ed is committed to donating the vast majority of his fortune.
Music
So how does Ed Sheeran primarily make his money? According to The Sunday Times Rich List, in 2020 Ed became the wealthiest British musician under the age of 30. He beat the likes of Harry Styles, Sam Smith, and Dua Lipa to the title.
Ed has 4 studio albums: + (2011), x (2014), ÷ (2017), and No.6 Collaborations Project (2019). The most popular of which, X, has sold over 7.9 million copies and is certified 13x platinum by BPI.
Shape of You, the lead single from ÷, continues to be Ed’s most popular song. The music video has over 4.8 billion views on YouTube, and in 2018 it won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance.
Touring
While making music is Ed’s true passion, touring the world is the real money-maker. The ÷ tour, which started in March 2017 and ended in August 2019, is the highest-grossing tour of all time.
Earning an impressive $775, the ÷ tour far surpassed the previous record set by U2 in which they made $736 million between 2009 and 2011.
Ed performed 260 shows in 96 different countries across the span of two years, in the process selling more than 8.9 million tickets. Of the news, Ed told Pollstar:
“I just found out the Divide tour is now the highest-grossing tour of all time, this is amazing! I feel very lucky to have experienced all of the wonderful countries and crowds over the past 2 ½ years. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made it possible”.
The ÷ tour was Sheehan’s third headline tour. Before this, Ed served as the opening act on Snow Patrol’s Fallen Empires Tour (2012) and Taylor Swift’s The Red Tour (2013).
Song-writing
Being the generous person that he is, Ed Sheeran doesn’t just make music for himself. Here’s a list of some of the songs Ed has written for other artists:
- One Direction – Little Things
- The Weeknd – Dark Times
- Justin Bieber – Love Yourself
- Rudimental – Lay It All On Me
- Major Lazer – Cold Water
- Olly Murs – Love Shine Down
- Hilary Duff – Tattoo
- Robbie Williams – Pretty Woman
For each of these smash hits, Sheeran receives royalties every time they’re bought, paid, streamed, or performed. So it’s no wonder he’s so rich!
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