What Was 'Queen of Urban Pop' Aaliyah's Net Worth At The Time Of Her Death?

Aaliyah is estimated to have posthumously sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

PUBLISHED OCT 26, 2023

American R&B singer Aaliyah poses for a photo backstage at Madison Square Garden for Lifebeat's Urban Aid benefit concert | Getty Images | Photo by Catherine McGann

Name	Aaliyah
Net worth	$8 million
Salary	N/A
Annual income	N/A
Sources of income	Music, Acting
DOB	16 January 1979
Age	22 years (at the time of her death)
Gender	Female
Nationality	United States of America
Profession	Singer, Actor

What was Aaliyah's net worth?

Late singer and musician Aaliyah had an estimated net worth of $8 million at the time of her death, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Aaliyah had a promising career in music releasing several hits and earning titles like "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". Her final album “Aaliyah” was released a month prior to her death in August 2001. She is estimated to have posthumously sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

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A post shared by Aaliyah Haughton (@aaliyah)

Sources of Income

Career in Music

At the young age of 12, Aaliyah signed with the "Blackground Labels" which was owned by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. She was introduced to producer and recording artist R. Kelly, who has now been convicted as a sex offender. Kelly became her mentor and worked as the lead songwriter for her first album, "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number". At the time of recording, Aaliyah was 14 years old.The album was certified Double Platinum for sales in the US and Canada and sold over 74,000 copies in the first week charting 24 on the Billboard 200, per Celebrity Net Worth.

In 1996, Aaliyah joined Atlantic Records and released her second studio album, "One in a Million", working with record producers, Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The single, "If Your Girl Only Knew," topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Aaliyah was then asked to feature on Timbaland & Magoo's debut single, "Up Jumps da Boogie".

Acting

In 1997, Aaliyah landed a role on television series police drama, "New York Undercover". She did her first feature film "Romeo Must Die" in 1999. The film went on to gross $91 million on a budget of $25 million. Her next film, "Queen of the Damned" grossed $45 million.

Jet Li and Aaliyah in "Romeo Must Die." | Getty Images | Photo by Kharen Hill 2000 Warner Bros.

As per Celebrity Net Worth, she made about $1.5 million for "Romeo Must Die” and she was paid about $5 million for "Queen of the Damned".

Personal Life and Death

Aaliyah had an illegal marriage with R. Kelly. A marriage certificate was found which stated Aaliyah had married illegally in 1994 to R. Kelly. The Vibe magazine later discovered that she had lied about her age on the wedding certificate, claiming to be 18 while in reality she was 15 years old. As per BBC, the marriage was annulled in 1995, but the couple claimed that there was no marriage.

R. Kelly forced Aaliyah’s family to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement following annulment of their brief marriage 😳‼️ pic.twitter.com/USCgUIGvVi
— RapTV (@Rap) January 5, 2023

In 2000, Aaliyah reportedly started dating Damon Dash and the two met through their accountant. They dated until her tragic death in 2001.

Aaliyah and Damon dash at the premiere of 'Planet of the Apes,' | Getty Images | Photo by Steve Eichner

Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas on August 25, 2001 at the age of 22. After her death, Aaliyah’s estate is owned and run by Aaliyah LLC, operated by her mother, Diane, and her brother Rashad Haughton. However, a majority of Aaliyah’s music is owned by her uncle Barry Hankerson. Aaliyah’s estate has been fighting for years to keep Aaliyah’s music private and away from streaming platforms.