MARKETREALIST.COM / NET WORTH

From Calvin Harris To David Guetta, 10 Richest DJs of the World

While an average club DJ makes around $100 to $200 per night, you might be surprised how much some of the celebrity DJs are pulling in.

BY SUNAYNA KANJILAL

PUBLISHED AUG 24, 2023

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Jan Kruger | Clive Mason

These wealthiest DJs are wealthier than you think

The term "DJ", which stands for disc jockey was coined by Walter Winchell during a radio commentary, referring to the phonograph records and jockey, the operator of the machine. What started out as simple beatmatching at nightclubs in the 1960s has now evolved into a full-blown music genre Electronic Dance Music or EDM. While an average club DJ makes around $100 to $200 per night, you might be surprised how much some of the celebrity DJs are pulling in. Here's the list of the wealthiest DJs in the world right now.

1. Calvin Harris: $300 Million

Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer, and also a DJ who is stinking rich. He is currently the richest DJ in the world and has a net worth of $300 million. In a typical year, his earnings fall somewhere between $30-$40 million. In October 2020, Harris sold his entire catalog for a whopping $100 million which included over 150 Harris-produced songs.

2. David Guetta: $200 Million

The French house producer and DJ, David Guetta is one of the most popular DJs in the world and is called the "grandfather of EDM." Guetta has collaborated with a number of pop stars over the years and is especially popular in the UK. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he earns somewhere between $20 Million to $30 million per year. Like Harris, he too sold his music catalog rights for an estimated $100 million.

3. Gianluca Vacchi: $200 Million

The Italian social media star, DJ, and entrepreneur-turned-author has a whopping net worth of $200 million. He has various streams of revenue and is a large stockholder in an Italian manufacturing business called IMA. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he earns millions in dividends every year. One particular holding (Cofiva) earns him around $50 million per year in pre-tax dividend distributions. The man became a DJ at the age of 46 when he decided to leave the business and shift his focus towards DJing.

4. Tiesto: $170 Million

DJ Tiësto, the Dutch DJ has been dubbed as the "Godfather of EDM" and is an extremely famous DJ and record producer. He reportedly earns somewhere around $40 million per year from merchandise, album sales, licensing, and touring. Born in Breda Netherlands, he started DJing when he was just 14 years old. He was voted World No.1 DJ in 2002, 2003, and 2004 back to back and was also named the "best DJ of the last 20 years" in 2013.

5. Steve Aoki: $120 Million

Steve Aoki is an American electro-house musician, DJ, and record producer who has an astounding net worth of $120 million. Born in Miami, Florida, Aoki established a big following while he was in college. He still performs more than 250 times each year. Aoki also started his own label, Dim Mak Records in 1996. He has remixed many famous songs by many famous artists. Apart from this, he also has his own clothing line called The Dim Sak Collection.

6. Swedish House Mafia: $100 Million

This trio, originating from Stockholm, Sweden in 2005 consists of members Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. However, the trio disbanded in 2013 and today the three members each with more than $30 million earn tens of millions of dollars per year from live performances.

7. Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo: $90 Million

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo is a French musician, composer, producer, and DJ who is known for being a member of the French legendary duo Daft Punk. With Thomas Bangalter, he created some iconic electronic soundtracks. The two spit up in 2021. The French artist is known for dressing as a robot and has concealed his face from the audience his entire life. Apart from being a great DJ he is also an amazing guitarist and played the guitar for a rock back before he formed Daft Punk.

8. Thomas Bangalter: $90 million

The second member of Daft Punk is also a French musician, producer, composer, and DJ. He is best known for being part of the duo and has created many memorable tunes in the last two decades. Apart from being a part of this duo, he has also released solo music and also owns a record label called Roulé. He has also collaborated with a range of different artists belonging to many different genres, provided music for films and also has credits as a director.

9. Alex Pall: $80 million

Alex Pall, the American musician and DJ, has a net worth of $90 million and is one of the two members of the duo The Chainsmokers. Alex Pall, born in Westchester County, New York, is a popular DJ and is known for collaborating with many popular artists over the years. The duo grossed a combined $45 million between 2017 and 2018. Their debut album "Memories...Do Not Open" was released in 2017 and reached #1 in the US and Canada.

10. Andrew Taggart: $80 million

The other half of the popular DJ duo The Chainsmokers, which was formed in 2012, is extremely popular. He is known for famous songs like "Don't Let Me Down," "Closer", "Paris", "Something Just Like This," and more. The duo earned a whopping $70 million between 2019 and 2020 and a stunning $38 million between 2018 and 2019. Outside of music, Andrew Taggart is one of the largest investors in the Tequila company JaJa Tequila.