From lucrative celebrity endorsement deals and guest appearances abroad to overseas book sales and concert tours, some of the world’s biggest stars make serious cash beyond America’s shores.
Athletes, authors and actors are members of the global economy, whether they know it or not — and the smart ones not only know it but bank on it. Check out the international celebrities whose stars shine the brightest overseas.
With a net worth of $930 million, rapper, producer and mogul Jay-Z is $70 million short of joining the billionaires’ club. But when you include the $500 million fortune claimed by his wife Beyoncé, they’re a billion-dollar family with plenty to spare.
Jay and Bey’s 2018 “OTR II” tour was the third-biggest tour of the year, racking up $253.5 million over 48 shows, according to Forbes. Those shows included international stops in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome and plenty others.
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Although Deadmau5 didn’t make the 2018 Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid DJs, he’s made plenty of appearances on the list in recent years.
Known for his immersive electronic stage shows, Deadmau5 — who has a net worth of $53 million — is making big bucks overseas. He recently has had stops in the U.K., Spain and Germany.
Robert Downey Jr. is one of the wealthiest celebrities in the world, with a net worth of $300 million. He earned at least $81 million in 2018 alone, thanks in large part to his Iron Man money, Forbes reported. 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” grossed over $2 billion worldwide, with over $1.4 billion coming from foreign box office earnings, according to Box Office Mojo.
One of the biggest touring acts in the world, according to Forbes, is 1980s hard-rock icons Guns N’ Roses. By the midpoint of 2018, Axl Rose, Slash and company had rocked their way to $71 million in earnings. The majority of their earnings came from ticket sales from their 2018 tour, which included a large amount of overseas dates.
Frontman Axl Rose alone has a net worth of $200 million.
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Australian heartthrob Chris Hemsworth made big bucks in the U.S. and abroad in 2018, making him one of the highest-paid celebrities of the year, according to Forbes. He had earned $64.5 million as of July 2018, thanks in large part to his role in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Hemsworth starred in three movies that year: “12 Strong,” which grossed $21.6 million abroad; “Avengers: Infinity War,” which grossed over $1.4 billion abroad; and “Bad Times at the El Royale,” which grossed $14 million abroad, according to Box Office Mojo.
Like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson has amassed a fortune abroad thanks in large part to the popularity of the Marvel movies. She starred alongside the two actors in “Avengers: Infinity War,” which made 67 percent of its gross earnings overseas, according to Box Office Mojo. Her role as Black Widow helped her rack up $40.5 million by summer 2018, according to Forbes, and she’ll cash in again in 2019 with the release of “Avengers: Endgame.” Johansson is also set to star as the titular character in the upcoming “Black Widow” movie.
In 2018, Forbes named Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson the No. 2 highest-paid actor in the world after he earned $124 million in 12 months, which added to the former WWE superstar’s $280 million net worth.
Part of the reason for his success? The Rock is huge overseas. 2018’s “Rampage,” which Johnson starred in, earned more than $428 million — and nearly 80 percent of those dollars came from foreign theaters. Even so, some of The Rock’s movies have been flops.
Marie Kondo has brought her tidying magic stateside thanks to her bestselling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” and hit Netflix show, “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” but she got her start in her native Japan as a “tidying expert” who helped local executives get their lives organized.
Kondo has since expanded her empire to include the KonMari global communications platform and pricey certification seminars for KonMari Consultants. While teaching others the concept of keeping only things that “spark joy,” the clean queen has amassed a net worth of $8 million, a joyful sum indeed.
With a net worth of $150 million, superstar Bruno Mars could afford to slow down — but apparently he isn’t. In 2018, the musician played 100 shows as part of his 24K Magic Tour, which included dates in countries such as Australia, Japan, Norway and Morocco. His concerts grossed $237.8 million in 2018, making it the fourth-biggest tour of the year, according to Forbes.
Marshmello, a superstar anonymous DJ who performs wearing a big white mask, earned $23 million in 2018, making him the No. 5 highest-paid DJ in the world, according to Forbes.
The in-demand electronic musician pulls in six figures a night as part of a relentless touring schedule, making stops in Thailand, Australia, Sweden, Poland, Germany and Ireland. His net worth is $22 million.
Golf superstar Rory McIlroy is well known in the U.S. for his dominance in the major tournaments. But in the off-season, he makes big bucks on the European Tour — and he also cashes in by lending his celebrity to lesser tournaments in faraway lands, such as the Abu Dhabi Championship.
As early as 2012, Business Insider reported that McIlroy, who has a net worth of $130 million, increased his “appearance fee” to $2 million to show his face — and skills — at these kinds of tournaments.
Metallica so thoroughly embodied 1980s metal that the word “metal” is in their name. Fast forward to 2019, and James Hetfield is still touring with his iconic band — and adding to his $300 million net worth — with upcoming dates in countries such as Italy, Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic. The band’s relentless touring schedule helped it to rake in $46 million in the first half of 2018, according to Forbes.
WNBA most valuable player Nneka Ogwumike earns a base salary of $110,000 playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, which is the league maximum.
Like nearly 90 other WNBA players, however, she makes her real money in the off-season outside the U.S. Ogwumike plays for Dynamo Kursk in Russia, where Newsday estimates she could make 15 times her WNBA salary. Her net worth is unknown.
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It seems that heavy-metal god Ozzy Osbourne, who has a net worth of $220 million, isn’t hanging up his leather any time soon. The former Black Sabbath frontman has North American tour dates throughout 2019, and just wrapped up an international leg, which brought him to Germany, the U.K. and Ireland earlier in the year.
Katy Perry is one of the richest women in music, having earned $83 million in 2018, according to Forbes. She grossed over $1 million a night while performing on “Witness: The Tour,” which included international stops. Perry has also cashed in on overseas endorsement deals, recently starring in a Japanese fabric softener commercial for the brand Laundrin’.
Pop star Pink added to her sizable $175 million net worth with her 88-date Beautiful Trauma World Tour in 2018, which is extending through 2019, and includes international stops in Amsterdam, Liverpool, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. The tour earned $180.4 million in 2018, making it one of the highest-grossing tours of the year, according to Forbes.
South Africa. Japan. France. Portugal. Hungary. Iceland. These are just some of the countries that English singer Ed Sheeran plans to visit during his “Divide Tour 2019.”
Sheeran has a $110 million net worth and a schedule so lucrative that he earned the title of the world’s No. 1 touring act in 2018, pulling in $429.5 million over 99 shows, according to Forbes.
Taylor Swift is by any measurable standard a superstar. She has a net worth of $400 million and grossed more than $315 million in concert ticket sales in 2018 alone.
Her “Reputation” world tour was the second-highest grossing tour of 2018, according to Forbes.
Former boy band member Justin Timberlake has done extremely well on his own, accumulating a net worth of $230 million since he burst onto the music scene in the 90s with *NSYNC. His music is not only hugely popular in the U.S., but abroad as well — and his tour earnings are proof of that. Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods” tour was one of the highest-earning tours of 2018, making over $149.3 million, according to Forbes.
Just 21 acts have sold more albums than the 54.5 million U2 has moved over the decades. Bono, who has a net worth of $700 million, and the rest of the group, however, are far from just a studio success.
The band’s 2018 tour was the seventh-biggest of of the year, with 55 shows and $119.2 million in earnings, according to Forbes. Road stops included Berlin, Paris, Lisbon and Madrid.
Tennis great Serena Williams is not only a 23-time Grand Slam winner but one of the highest-paid female athletes on Earth, according to Forbes — and her favorite place on Earth just might be Australia.
When she won the Australian Open in 2017, it represented her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title. She earned $27 million in 2018 — $18.1 million of which came from endorsements — and has a net worth of $180 million.
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All net worth information was sourced from Celebrity Net Worth unless otherwise specified.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 21 Celebs Who Are Doing Business Overseas — and Making a Killing
