Every year, well-known magazines and financial statisticians publish lists of the most successful representatives of a professional group. In addition to many other professions, DJs have also been represented for several years.
Every year, the interested reader is revealed who the most earning and richest DJs in the world are. They sometimes collect unbelievable sums for their performances, but the DJs earn even more money through the productions.
The 15 Richest DJs and Producers Worldwide
15. Judge Jules – 38 Million Euros
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Julius O’Riordan is the name of the DJ whose stage name is Judge Jules. He is a trance DJ and producer from England. Born in 1966, he consistently dominated the top 10 on the DJ Mag Top 100 list between 1997 and 2006.
Above all because of his radio show, which enjoys great popularity in England, he gained enormous popularity in international business. What many do not know: Judge Jules is now not only active as a DJ but is also increasingly active as a lawyer. So the DJ, producer, notary, and lawyer occupies a place in this ranking of the top 15 richest DJs, a real workhorse.
14. John Digweed – 43 Million Euros
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Many will already know this trance/house DJ, who also works as a producer. With his weekly radio show “Transitions” on Kiss100, he hosts the most successful dance show in England. However, he has noticeably taken a back seat to create his own pieces.
This is also reflected in his assets, which he has not been able to increase for a long time, he now prefers a quieter existence. Compared to the previous year, for example, he was not able to noticeably improve his income as a musician and DJ. But that leaves the question of whether you really have to do that with a fortune of an incredible 48 million US dollars.
13. Kaskade – 45 Million Euros
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Kaskade is currently one of the absolute climbers in the DJ scene. With his move to Warner Music, Kaskade, or Ryan Raddon in real life, is now getting a lot of momentum for his activities in the music business. He was ranked 16th in 2014 with a fortune of $34 million. Now he has accumulated another $9 million and is the 14th richest DJ in the world.
Countless remixes helped him because the artist doesn’t generate much of his own music, preferring remaster tracks. But his few singles as a solo also do well. So far he has never gone fully commercial and remains true to the independent flair of Electro-House. This is especially rewarded in the USA, where he is a particularly big star. He’s also one of the first DJs to break into Las Vegas. A place that is really not known for electronic music.
12. Avicii – 45 Million Euros
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Avicii, who left us far too early at the age of 29, was one of the highest-paid DJs in the world at the time of his death. He’s still one of the top richest DJs with a fortune of €45 million and we’ll keep him on this list. Almost every production by Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, became an international world hit.
The track “Lovers on the Sun” he produced for David Guetta is just one example. He played around 80 gigs a year for which he earned an incredible 25 million US dollars. Born in Sweden, he was considered by many to be the world’s most talented producer. A true compliment that sheds light on his incredible net worth.
11. Deadmau5 – 48 Million Euros
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Joel Thomas Zimmerman, born in Canada in 1981, is a DJ and music producer, and an extremely successful one at that. In the scene, he is considered the enfant terrible and a real bad boy. Some popular magazines on the scene refer to him as the rock star in electronic music. He also experiments a lot with new sounds and arrangements, newer vocals, and different styles.
In addition to his high DJ fees ( up to 500,000 dollars per performance), Deadmau5 earns money primarily from the high merchandising sales related to the “Deadmau5” brand. He is also the boss of his own and very successful label: Mau5trap. Interesting fun fact: Deadmau5 is actually a trained software engineer. It wasn’t until 2005 that he started producing electronic music with full focus and appropriate dedication.
10. Armin van Buuren – 50 Million Euros
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The 37-year-old Dutchman Armin van Buuren ensures full floors at his gigs all over the world. He also played in 21 different cities as part of his Intense Tour. In 2014, he released his fifth studio album, Intense, of the same name. The Dutchman gained worldwide fame primarily through his radio show “A State Of Trance”.
Career highlight: In April 2013 he played a concert in the port of Amsterdam together with the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands. The new King Willem-Alexander spontaneously interrupted his tour of the harbor and personally welcomed the DJ and the orchestra on stage. He was also nominated for a Grammy several times. He was able to increase his net worth by 5 million US dollars this year, so he comes to one Total net worth of $55 million.
9. Paul van Dyk – 54 Million Euros
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He is the only German DJ in this ranking. Born Matthias Paul in Eisenhüttenstadt, he can look back on a long and successful career as a DJ and producer. His name is associated with trance, especially in the course of the Love Parade, which was very successful at the time.
He was one of the first DJs to use the Final Scratch (Serato) technique, and his innovative spirit brought him money and fame. Both his radio broadcasts and his gigs enjoy great popularity and the associated audience figures. Above all abroad he is a great and well-known artist. Also in Germany, many people know his name. In just one year, he was able to increase his fortune by $4 million, from $56 million to a whopping $60 million.
8. Afrojack – 55 Million Euros
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Even if his last album flopped in some European countries, such as Germany, he was able to increase his fortune. This is further proof of an otherwise very successful career. Afrojack started playing the piano at the age of five and started working with the program Fruity Loops at eleven. By the way, he still works with it to this day.
According to Afrojack, if you aspire to a career as an internationally renowned DJ, then you should install Fruity Loops. The DJ used to perform as Nick van der Wall but became Afrojack in 2007. Many remixes and own tracks followed. In the same year, he founded his own label, Wall Recordings.
He has worked with artists such as David Guetta, Eva Simons, and Pitbull. The remixes of his songs, which were created by internationally known artists, are legendary. He played 150 shows last year. He is also a resident DJ at Hakkasan Club in Las Vegas. He has increased his earnings by $10 million in the last 12 months. With that annual salary, it’s easy to see why Afrojack is so upbeat and outgoing in interviews and during his public appearances.
7. Paul Oakenfold – 60 Million Euros
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British-born London-born Paul Oakenfold is the trance veteran on this list. He has been active in the music business since 1987. He produced many hits including the well-known film Collateral soundtrack called Ready, Steady, Go. Paul Oakenfold mixed some well-known songs by internationally known artists.
The DJ recorded songs from Madonna, U2, Massive Attack, The Cure, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Simply Red, and The Shamen. Clever move: Many of these songs were then released on his own label, which of course increased the profit. Every year he releases remixes that are often up to an hour long and are eagerly awaited by his fan base. Paul Oakenfold is also a radio DJ. So he could about make $5 million this year.
6. Thomas Bangalter – 63 Million Euros
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Not many will know the name Thomas Bangalter, but his project, in which he takes half: Daft Punk, will. In France, he enjoys a status close to that of a folk hero. His parties in France are always packed with ardent fans. But he didn’t just write music history with Daft Punk, but also with the Stardust project (“Music Sounds Better With You”). He released world hits and generally popular remixes.
The French producer and DJ are credited with inventing the French Filter House, characterized by alternating ups and downs. Fun Fact: Thomas Bangalter is considered to be totally reclusive. He’s been through some sort of therapy so he can easily perform in public, but always with an impressive ensemble of bodyguards. It hasn’t hurt his career, he makes $2 million annually.
5. Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo – 63 Million Euros
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Speaking of which, Guy-Manuel is the other half of Daft Punk. As he is only seen on stage with his business colleague Thomas Bangalter, his net worth is the same as that of his partner. Both have the same advertising deals. By the way, Daft Punk has been around since 1993.
He co-produced and wrote many hits such as “Around the World”, “One More Time” and “Get Lucky”. The sense of business seems to be in the blood of the family. His younger brother is quite successful in the international house scene. With an impressive $70 million in his pocket, he can help his brother out should things change.
4. David Guetta – 70 Million Euros
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Incredibly successful DJ David Guetta has made $15 million in just one year. He releases one world hit after the other and tours across the globe. The French DJ-turned-producer has also had an otherwise great career.
He is one of the oldest DJs in the international DJ business. In 2014 he separated from his wife, Cathy Guetta. The divorce was expensive for the DJ, but at least it doesn’t affect the poor. David Guetta collects up to 175,000 euros fee for performance and makes it way up in our list of the richest DJs.
3. Steve Aoki – 95 Million Euros
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Steve Aoki is also known as the “Crazy” among the world’s richest DJs, or “The Crazy”. Born in Miami in 1977, he grew up in a millionaire family. On average he plays just over 277 gigs a year. He still manages to do it and is known for bringing a new touch to almost every one of his performances. Hardly any other DJ plays as many shows a year as Steve Aoki.
The top earner is a real stage pig and a tireless workhorse. His remix for “Pursuit of Happiness” suddenly made him famous in Germany a few years ago. The track is now considered a modern classic. Mainly because of the film “Project X”, which generally had many influences from electronic music.
According to his own statements, he only sleeps 2 to 3 hours a day. He is also an entrepreneur and owns a number of companies. These have nothing to do directly with music but are connected to the business of his rich parents. He has earned more than $15 million in the past 12 months.
2. Tiësto – 160 Million Euros
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Tiësto is considered the DJ veteran (besides David Guetta and Paul Oakenfold of course) worldwide! The Dutchman is far from being old-fashioned. He found his student in Martin Garrix, he trained the talented DJ and also helped him to fame. In 2015, Tiësto made about $15 million — less than Avicii. Still, it’s enough for second place among the richest DJs because Tiësto has already amassed such an impressive fortune in his lifetime.
In addition, the DJ earned 33 million euros again in 2017. Tiësto plays around 100 gigs a year and is a permanent resident at the Hakkasan Club in Las Vegas. Tiësto also runs his own label and regularly releases his own works, but comparatively less than before. With assets of 135 million euros, you can sit back and relax more often than in previous years.
1. Calvin Harris – 290 Million Euros
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The Scottish DJ and producer Adam Richard Wiles, born in 1984, ranked first in this ranking of the richest DJs. He is better known by his pen name, Calvin Harris. He plays about 125 gigs a year and has been for about 12 years.
He is extremely successful as a producer and as a DJ. Calvin Harris produces and writes hits for Rihanna and other stars, such as the track “We found love”. He also earns a gigantic chunk of money by remastering many well-known songs. He is without a doubt what many up-and-coming DJs dream of, especially considering his comparatively young age. Calvin Harris is a true inspiration for many artists and an electronic music icon.
Earn Money and Get Rich as a DJ
Proving yourself as a DJ is difficult, walking the initially tough path of any artist without solid connections to the top. Some used to clear shelves in the supermarket, today some performers clear up properly.
The most successful representatives of the DJ guild earn tens of millions a year. An almost unbelievable amount of money, the assets are sometimes even in the three-digit million range. In order to generate so much money, many artists create additional income as producers. For example, DJ Antoine has not yet made it into the top 15 richest DJs.
Fees of more than 100,000 dollars for performance are currently common for the absolute top DJs in the business. The performance can last a few hours, some even hang up all day, but then mostly with the appropriate crew. Our list of the top 15 richest DJs shows the sheer wealth of the artists. It is more difficult to calculate the exact annual income in this business.
We determined the values of wealth using earnings in the DJ’s career. Various magazines served as sources for the presented calculations. Music sales, merchandising sales, tour earnings, licenses, real estate, promotional deals, promoters, managers, club owners, and in some cases the artist’s name as a brand were also considered.
What’s interesting is that some artists appear behind others even though they’ve earned more in recent years. The well-known DJ Martin Garrix has a comparatively small fortune compared to our top 15 with a good 25 million euros.
Info For Research
The precision of the lists falters in determining a performer’s exact income for a year. Income is more difficult to determine, especially with tax deductions and business expenses. Various companies claim that their lists are more accurate than the opposing organization’s lists and vice versa.
The annual list of Forbes magazine, for example, is considered to be particularly accurate, but sometimes neglects information about the taxes to be paid. Admittedly, this is a difficult topic, as we are talking about internationally active people with different legal and tax conditions. These DJs are successful worldwide and pay different taxes depending on where they live.
In the Celebrity Networth list, for example, the taxes to be paid in the respective countries of origin were also taken into account. But other important factors have been neglected, for example, of course, general market value also plays a role. That’s why we went on the research for you and the top 15 richest DJs listed here.
