Lee Ji-eun, better known as IU, started from rock bottom in the cutthroat K-pop machine. She failed over 20 auditions, crashed in a cockroach-filled room, and got scammed by agencies before landing at LOEN Entertainment.
Now her empire stands at 45 to 55 million dollars, per recent entertainment trackers and fan breakdowns that factor in her dual career as singer and actress. Lower estimates hover at 15 million from older celebrity wealth sites, but those miss her post 2024 surges from tours, dramas, and deals.
Her breakthrough hit Good Day in 2010 topped charts and landed on Billboard’s best K-pop songs of the decade list, kicking off a run of albums that sold millions.
Tracks like Eight, produced with BTS’s Suga, hit number one on World Digital Song Sales, showing her staying power. That foundation turned her into Korea’s top solo act, with annual earnings pushing 10 million dollars from royalties alone, according to industry chatter.
Album Goldmines And Tour Ticket Tsunamis
Music remains IU’s core cash engine. Her discography boasts over a dozen number-one singles and albums that moved tens of millions of copies domestically, plus streaming billions on platforms like Spotify and Melon.
The HEREH World Tour in 2024 ranked sixth on Billboard’s top K-pop tours, selling 92,600 tickets across shows that grossed millions, a feat that boosted her profile ahead of 2025 projects.
While the 2025 tour lists spotlight groups like Stray Kids at 185 million dollars gross, IU’s solo pull remains elite, with fan meets and concerts adding steady revenue.
Songwriting credits for herself and others sweeten the pot. She pens lyrics and produces, claiming full royalties on hits that soundtrack Korean life, from Palette to Love Poem. Real estate plays a role, too. She owns a 10 million dollar luxury villa in Seoul, bought amid her rise, as property trackers note in wealth profiles.
Acting amps it up. Roles in Dream High, My Mister, and the 2025 smash When Life Gives You Tangerines earned Baeksang nods and top actress pay, with per-episode fees rumored near 300,000 dollars for leads. Hotel Del Luna and Broker films added box office backend, pushing her drama income past 20 million dollars lifetime.
Luxury Deals And Brand Power Plays
Endorsements stack the deck highest. IU reps heavy hitters like Estée Lauder since 2021, Gucci for fashion shoots, and jewelry house J.ESTINA, spanning cosmetics, luxury goods, and accessories.
Homegrown picks include Woori Financial, Evezary clothing, Black Yak outdoor gear, Samsung Korea tech, and SK Telecom, deals that net millions yearly through ads, events, and social pushes. Sony rounds it out, tying her to electronics campaigns that leverage her clean image.
IU (Lee Ji-eun) (Credit: NBC)
These gigs fit her six brands across 21 product types, from beverages to retail, positioning her as a safe bet for companies chasing K-culture fans. Philanthropy tempers the shine. She donates big to child welfare and disaster relief, but that does not dent her bottom line.
At 32, IU controls her path through EDAM Entertainment, her own label under Kakao, which cuts out middlemen and maximizes splits on music, tours, and merch. Recent news crowns her the richest K-pop idol, outpacing group members thanks to solo flexibility.
2026 looks stacked. Follow-up tours after HEREH’s success, new albums post her 2024 Palette anniversary hype and drama seasons from When Life Gives You Tangerines could push her past 60 million dollars. Brand renewals with Gucci and Estée Lauder seem locked, while real estate flips and investments grow quietly.
Fans watch her every move, from sold-out Yokohama Dome shows to viral TikTok lives that drive streams. Her model proves soloists can rival boy bands in wealth if they nail music, screen time, and smart partnerships. Property holdings, stock whispers, and variety show residuals keep the machine humming.
Skeptics point to opaque Korean celeb finances, but cross-checks from Billboard, Celebrity Net Worth, and Ranker align on the 40 to 55 million dollar range. IU turned trainee grit into a blueprint for K-pop sustainability, proving one voice can build an empire.
Dwayne Johnson keeps rewriting the rules on actor paydays. Fresh estimates lock his net worth at 800 million dollars, a figure built on blockbuster salaries, smart production deals, and side hustles that outpace most peers.
That number comes from upfront pay plus backend points, a model Johnson mastered years ago.
WWE ties add more fuel. His 2024 board seat at TKO Group Holdings, the UFC and WWE parent, brought 30 million dollars in vesting stock awards split across 2024 and 2025, with potential extensions into 2026 as he stays involved.
Annual earnings hover around 100 million dollars from acting, producing, and endorsements, per multiple finance trackers, setting him up for another monster year.
Tequila Boom And Energy Drink Bets Pay Big
Teremana Tequila stands as Johnson’s boldest business masterstroke. Launched in 2020, the brand exploded to become the fastest-growing tequila on record, with sales hitting 640,000 cases in year one and a company valuation now circling 3.5 billion dollars.
His 30 to 40 percent stake could alone push him past the billion-dollar mark, as recent coverage notes the brand’s sustainable sourcing and aggressive market push have it dominating shelves worldwide.
ZOA Energy, his health-focused drink co-founded with Molson Coors, targets the 50 billion dollar energy sector and ranks as one of the quickest risers, adding millions to his portfolio through retail and distribution deals.
Seven Bucks Productions powers much of the rest. The company, started in 2012 with his ex-wife, has churned out over 4 billion dollars in global box office from hits like Jumanji sequels, Fast and Furious spin-offs, and Netflix tentpoles such as Red Notice, where Johnson pocketed 30 million dollars upfront.
Dwayne Johnson (Credit: BBC)
Older paydays like 23.5 million for Jumanji: The Next Level and 22 million for Jungle Cruise show consistent high seven figures per project, often boosted by profit shares.
Project Rock with Under Armour brought in big endorsement cash, while Acorns investments and Athleticon fitness events round out a diversified machine that turns fame into steady revenue streams.
From $7 in a Pocket to a Billionaire Horizon
Johnson’s path started rough. At 14, he got evicted and had just seven dollars to his name, a story he shares often as the spark for his grind.
Wrestling gave the launchpad, with WWE runs leading to Hollywood, where he flipped early Fast Five pay of 10 million dollars into franchise dominance, totaling over 65 million across the series.
Recent moves like cutting fees to $4 million for The Smashing Machine, a biopic on wrestler Mark Kerr, highlight his producer mindset.
He took less upfront to greenlight passion projects, betting on long-term gains from backend and social media tie-ins that command seven-figure adds. Black Adam’s 22.5 million dollar check, despite box office stumbles, proved his draw even in superhero territory.
XFL ownership adds another layer. As co-owner of a firm valuing the league at 7 billion dollars, Johnson pulls equity from football’s revival, blending his sports roots with business savvy.
At 53, with 2026 slates including Jumanji 4 eyed for December release and potential 20 to 30 million dollar checks based on past entries, his momentum shows no signs of slowing.
Teremana’s trajectory and ZOA’s rise position him as a step from billionaire club entry, a feat rarer for actors than wrestlers turned moguls. Multiple sources peg his 2025 to 2026 haul north of 100 million annually, with business assets appreciating fast enough to eclipse film pay soon.
The real edge lies in control. Unlike peers reliant on studios, Johnson owns production, brands, and IP stakes, turning one man’s charisma into a self-sustaining empire that employs hundreds and spans drinks, films, fitness, and sports.
