American Rapper Lionel Richie Earnings From His Career: His Net Worth In 2018

Bibs Thu May, 2018

Born Lionel Brockman Richie Jr., the American rapper, songwriter, and record producer, is widely known as Lionel Richie. Aged 68, Richie has sold over 90 million records worldwide which makes him one of the best-selling artists of all time. A five-time Grammy Award winner, recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award, and a successful artist in general, Lionel Richie has managed to win the hearts of many people of our generation.

Entertaining many fans worldwide through his albums and sales, Lionel Richie has secured more money than we can imagine. The word 'money' sure has piqued your interest, hasn't it? But as momma said, eat your veggies before you get your hands on dessert.

Lionel Richie's Career

Richie in the R&B group Commodores

During his student years in Tuskegee, he formed a group Commodores in which he was a rapper and a saxophonist. The group signed a contract with Atlantic Records for one record.

After that, they moved on to Motown Records. Soon, they became a popular soul group which made funky sounds such as Machine gun and Brick House.

CAPTION: Lionel Richie in The Commodores
SOURCE: Billboard

Still associated with Commodores, Lionel Richie began accepting songwriting commissions from other artists. In 1981, Richie sang the theme song for the film Endless Love, a duet with Diana Ross.

The song topped many music charts and inspired him to pursue a solo career. He parted ways with Commodores and was replaced by Skyler Jett.

Going Solo: His Growth as a Solo Artist

In 1982, Lionel Richie released his debut album. The album shared his name and consisted of three hit singles: Truly, You Are, and My Love. This album sold 4 million copies and motivated him to release his second album Can't Slow Down.

This album did even better than his first. The 8 million copies, earned him two Grammys and recently hit double platinum.

CAPTION: Lionel Richie at The Grammys
SOURCE: Fuse

Dancing on the Ceiling, his last popular album consisted of five US and Uk hits. In his later years, he took a relaxed approach to music and kept live performances to a minimum.

In the 1990s, Richie released two more albums: Louder Than Words and Time. Despite being full of aesthetic artistic talent, the two albums were unable to reach the heights that his previous albums attained.

Lionel Richie's Riches: His Net Worth

From all his albums and tours, Lionel Richie has assembled a lot of affluence. In 2013, he bought two cars: a Mercedes S550 and Ferrari Scaglietti. The same year he appeared in the promotional campaign for Tap King beer through which he earned $1.5 million.

He owns Italian Rennaisance Revival Mansion in Beverly Hills which is worth $11.4 million. Currently, he is a judge for American Idol which is a part of his total income.