What is Musician Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Net Worth?

Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Net Worth

British singer-songwriter Yusuf/Cat Stevens is known for covering a lot of different genres, including folk, pop, rock, and traditional Islamic music. He rose to fame in the late 60s and cemented his position in the industry in the 70s. Stevens converted to Islam in 1977 and left music. However, he made a comeback in the 2000s. He is known for his songs like, "Wild World," which became an international hit in the 70s. As of 2023, Yusuf/Cat Stevens' net worth is around $10 million, as per Celebrity net Worth.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Sources of Income

Most of his net worth is attributed to his illustrious music career. It was reported in 2007 that he gets around $1.5 million per year from royalties alone. While he had largely left his career behind. he still got residual income from royalties and other dividends from his albums. At the time, he stated that he would be using this money for philanthropic purposes.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Early Life and Career

Steven Demetre Georgiou was born in London, England on July 21, 1948. His parents ran a restaurant near Piccadilly Circus. They got divorced when he was 8, but they continued to run the business as a family. He was inclined towards music from a very young age and started teaching himself chords on the piano when he was only 10. In his teens, he started exploring the guitar and learned it. He got interested in the sounds plays as he lived near the Soho theatre district. 

He spent a little time in Sweden with his mother and learned to draw, he later excelled in drawing but was not as good in other subjects. He later even considered a career as a cartoonist but soon realized that he was more interested in music. He started performing under the stage name "Steve Adams."

After renaming himself Cat Stevens, he started his solo career, and at the age of 18, he recorded the hit single "Matthew and Son," which improved his career. He later released more singles like, "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun" and more. He reached this peak in the '70s and released the famous album "Tea for the Tillerman." He became extremely successful in many countries including the United States and continued to record more songs in the coming years. In the late '70s, he decided to convert to Islam and took a break from music. After a long time, he returned to the music scene and started singing under the new name of Yusuf Islam. 

Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Personal Life

He was briefly engaged to Louise Wightman, who was a dancer, but later married Fauzia Mubarak Ali after converting to Islam. They tied the knot in 1979 at Regent's Park Mosque in 1979. The two share five children and have nine grandchildren. The couple currently lives in London. 

Controversies

In 2004, Yusuf/Cat Stevens was denied entry into the United States as there were allegations that he was funding the separatist/terrorist group Hamas. While he denied the claims, he was still put on the watch list made by the Department of Homeland Security.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Social Media

FAQs

Did Yusuf/Cat Stevens Give Money to Hamas?

While he denied the claims, the Israeli government claims that in 1988, he delivered tens of thousands of dollars to Hamas.

Why Did Yusuf/Cat Stevens Abandon His Music Career?

He converted to Islam in the year 1977 and believed that being a pop musician was against the religion of Islam.