What Is Usher's Net Worth?
Usher is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor who has a net worth of $180 million. Usher has been entertaining audiences since he was a kid, first performing with a group of pre-teens and then appearing on "Star Search" at age 13. His "Star Search" appearance led to a meeting with L.A. Reid and LaFace Records, and the rest is history.
Before Usher had even completed high school, his debut album had sold 500,000 copies. His second album, "My Way," was released the year he turned 19. It was a massive success, spawning a #1 single and going 7x Platinum in the U.S. The album has remained popular to this day. Since then, he has released a steady stream of successful albums and tracks, including "8701", "Confessions," "Here I Stand," "Raymond vs. Raymond," "Versus," and "Looking 4 Myself." His album "Confessions" achieved Diamond status, which means more than 10 million copies sold.
In addition to his very successful music career, he's also had a better-than-average film and television career, appearing in guest-starring and supporting roles in such projects as, "Moesha," "The Faculty," "She's All That," "Light It Up, ""In the Mix," and "Killers." He has also spent time as a judge on "The Voice."
To date, Usher has sold around 80 million records globally, which is enough to make him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He is also the co-founder, with Scooter Braun, of RBMG Records, Justin Bieber's record company. In 2024, Usher headlined the halftime show at Super Bowl LVIII.
Early Life
Usher was born Usher Raymond IV on October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas. He was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Usher's mother, Jonetta, and his father, Usher Raymond III, recognized his vocal talent at a very early age. They pushed him when he was nine to join the local church choir in Chattanooga. In order to help develop his music career, the family moved to Atlanta, where Usher began recording professionally and making guest vocal appearances. He attended North Springs High School.
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Career
Following a performance on "Star Search" when Usher was 13, a rep from LaFace Records arranged an audition with the co-founder of the record label. They signed Usher on the spot after he auditioned with Boyz II Men's "End of the Road." Usher's mother left her job in order to manage his career. As he was preparing his debut album, he was going through puberty and experiencing difficulties in adjusting his singing voice. The label put his record on hold and sent Usher to New York in 1994 to live with Puff Daddy as a singing/coaching "camp." On August 30, 1994, Usher's self-titled debut album was released. He was just 16 years old. It peaked at #25 on the "Billboard" charts.
Usher's second album, "My Way," was released in September 1997. The lead single, "You Make Me Wanna…" reached #1 in the U.K. It became his first Gold and Platinum-certified single in the U.S. "Nice & Slow" peaked at #1 in January 1998. The album has been certified six-time platinum. Usher's third album, "8701," was released in August 2001 with the leading singles "U Remind Me" and "U GotIt Back" topping the "Billboard" Hot 100. Usher was awarded a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "U Remind Me," and he won the same award the next year for "U Don't Have to Call."
"Confessions," Usher's fourth album, came out in March 2004. It sold 1.1 million units at its debut, making it the highest first-week numbers ever recorded by a male R&B Artist. The first single, "Yeah!," dominated at #1 for six weeks. "Confessions" earned Usher tons of awards and accolades, including three Grammys.
Usher went on to release five more studio albums: "Here I Stand" (2008), "Raymond v. Raymond" (2010), "Looking 4 Myself" (2012), "Hard II Love" (2016), and "Coming Home" (2024). All five albums reached the top five on the "Billboard" 200 chart. Usher also collaborated with Zaytoven on the 2018 album "A." In 2019, he announced he was working on "Confessions II" for a future release.
Several of his albums debuted at the #1 position on the "Billboard" 200 chart. Six of his albums have been certified Platinum or higher by the RIAA, with "Confessions" selling over 10 million copies and achieving a Diamond certification in the USA. His ten #1 singles include "U Remind Me" ("8701"), "OMG" ("Raymond v. Raymond"), and "Yeah!" ("Confessions"), which reached #1 across nine countries and became the best performing single of 2004 in the USA. He continues to wow audiences with his high energy and creative live performances. He is considered by many to be legendary in R&B and has made many top lists of the best R&B vocalists of all time. He's served as an inspiration and influence for a whole new generation of R&B artists. Usher has also enjoyed partnerships and endorsements through the years with big names such as Samsung, Mastercard, and Pepsi, turning him into a household name.
Usher has contributed to many other songs and albums besides his own, having been featured in songs such as "How Much" (Mariah Carey, "Rainbow"), "Same Girl" (R. Kelly, "Double Up"), and "First Dance" (Justin Bieber, "My World"). Among his awards are eight American Music Awards, eight Grammy Awards, and 18 "Billboard" Awards.
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Other Ventures
As an actor, Usher has made appearances in many notable titles, including "Moesha," "The Faculty," "She's All That," and "In the Mix." Usher's side projects include US Records, which he established, co-ownership of the professional basketball team the Cleveland Cavaliers, and co-ownership of Tidal.
In 2022, Usher partnered with Remy Martin and starred in commercials to promote their champagne.
RBMG Records
In 2008, Usher and music manager Scooter Braun co-founded a record company called Raymond Braun Media Group, also known as RBMG Records. They created the company in conjunction with Island Def Jam specifically to debut teen singer Justin Bieber. Braun discovered Bieber on YouTube and brought him to Usher in Atlanta for a tryout. Usher then had Justin audition for Island Def Jam honcho LA Reid. A deal was quickly signed.
Philanthropy
Usher founded a non-profit charity that aims to "provide young people with a new look on life through education and real-world experience" called New Look. He's launched chapters in many major countries across the U.S. Usher was given the Freedom Award for his work with New Look by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. This award is reserved for people who have worked tirelessly for justice, equality, and civil and human rights.
After Hurricane Katrina, he launched Project Restart to help more than 700 families with finding or rebuilding housing. Because of his monumental efforts, Usher was given the key to the city of New Orleans in 2008 and the mayor of the city proclaimed a day in his honor, Usher Day.
He teamed up with other artists in 2015 to donate over $500,000 in scholarships for students attending historically black colleges. He partnered with UNCF to create the Usher Raymond Scholarship Program and gave a student a $100,000 scholarship to Tuskegee University.
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Personal Life
Usher dated TLC member Chilli Thomas from 2001 to 2003. He married stylist Tameka Foster in 2007. Upon their marriage, he became a stepfather to her three sons from a previous relationship. The couple also has two sons together.
Usher and Foster divorced in 2009, and a highly publicized child custody dispute followed. It was not resolved until 2012 when a judge gave Usher primary custody of their two sons.
Usher married long-time girlfriend and manager Grace Miguel in September 2015. In December 2018, Usher filed for divorce. In 2019, Usher started seeing music executive Jenn Goicoechea, and in September 2020, they had a daughter. In September 2021, the couple had their second child together. Usher and Jenn married in February 2024.
In 2023, Usher received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.
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Real Estate
In 1998, Usher paid $1.2 million for a 10,000-square-foot mansion in Alpharetta, Georgia. He sold this home in 2018 for $1.5 million. He at one time was hoping to fetch $2.5 million for this property. He actually first came upon this home in 1991 while still a teenager. At the time, it was owned by music industry titan LA Reid. He bought the home seven years later when he was just 20 years old. The seller was Reid's ex-wife, Perri "Pebbles" Reid – creator of the girl group TLC.
In 2007, Usher paid $3.04 million for a 13,000-square-foot palatial estate in Roswell, Georgia. He sold this home in 2013 for $2.2 million. Also in 2007, he purchased a 2,908-square-foot home in Atlanta for $970k but sold it at a loss in 2019 for $775k.
In 2015, Usher bought a home in the Hollywood Hills above the Sunset Strip for $3.37 million. He listed the home at one point for $4.2 million but ultimately settled for $3.3 million when he found a buyer in November 2018. In 2022 he bought another Hollywood Hills home, this time paying $3.4 million. He sold this home in July 2024 for $3.8 million.
