Ed Sheeran, Relieved After Winning Copyright Trial, Is Too Busy Promoting His New Album "Subtract"; What's His Net Worth Now?

One of the most famous pop stars of this generation, Ed Sheeran has amassed a staggering net worth which is higher than the biggest of stars. Going by Spotify streams, record sales, or live event attendance, the star’s success is undeniable. Last year, he won a massive copyright infringement lawsuit that almost ended his music career and now he's touring America to promote his new album "Subtract" and his new documentary, "The Sum of It All".

Last week, Sheeran played at the Chicago Theatre and Soldier Field, and earlier this month, he brought out legendary rapper Eminem as a surprise guest during his concert in Detroit.

What is Ed Sheeran's Net Worth?

Edward Christopher Sheeran, popular as Ed Sheeran, is one of the wealthiest and most successful singers in the world with an estimated net worth of $200 million, according to celebritynetworth.com. As per the publication, the star’s earnings are more than $20 million per year.  The 32-year-old singer’s earnings touched $65 million between June 2019 and June 2020 from his various events and endeavors.

Recent Public Appearance at Chicago’s The Wieners Circle

Ed Sheeran was seen serving hotdogs at Chicago’s The Wieners Circle, which is known for serving high-quality street food with an added twist of insults. Over the weekend, he visited the famous hot dog stand and served food to his fans. “Served hot dogs at @wienerscircle today,” Sheeran wrote while sharing a video from the outlet on Instagram.

Last week, Sheeran performed at the Chicago Theatre and Soldier Field, where he broke the all-time attendance record. The venue tweeted that about 73,000 people attended Sheeran’s shows.

Plagiarism allegations and lawsuit

Last year, Sheeran appeared to testify in a copyright infringement lawsuit before the Manhattan federal court. He was accused of copying his 2014 Grammy-winning ballad, “Thinking Out Loud,” from Marvin Gaye’s song, Let’s Get It On. The heirs of Ed Townsend, Marvin Gaye's co-writer, accused Sheeran of unlawfully copying the “harmonic progressions” and “melodic and rhythmic elements.”

The suit claimed Sheeran copied the elements and repeatedly used them in his album. However, Sheeran denied the allegations and insisted in court papers that the “heart” of “Let’s Get It On” is composed of routine elements of popular song which are not unique or protectable.

Sheeran was accused of copying the musical elements of Marvin Gaye’s song, but not the lyrics or overall feel. The jury weighed in only whether the singer copied Gaye’s elements, which are recorded on sheet music, according to the Associated Press. The suit held such importance to the singer’s career and integrity that he had announced that he will quit making music if he lost the copyright trial.

The copyright-infringement trial saw Sheeran take the stand to defend himself. According to The Guardian, he appeared in court in person and argued  that “most pop songs can fit over most pop songs,” while giving examples such as “Let It Be” by the Beatles and “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley.

The New York Times reported that Sheeran had also brought a guitar with himself to demonstrate the four chord progression that he used in his album “Thinking Out Loud.” It was argued that his second chord is similar to a minor chord played in the same position in the progression of Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”.

 Sheeran was reportedly successful in demonstrating a version with a major chord which he claimed to have played at “every single gig.”  The lawsuit ended with the jury finding that Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye’s song in any unlawful form or manner.