On Saturday, Beyoncé headlined the launch of the ritzy ‘Atlantis the Royal’ hotel in Dubai, where the songstress is reported to have pocketed US$24 million for the hour-long set, according to multiple reports, making her one of the highest earners in the lucrative world of exclusive events.
Top 10 most expensive private performances
10. Jennifer Lopez performed at Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko’s and his wife’s joint birthday party in 2007 for a reported $2.8 million, according to Billboard, plus an extra $1.1 million for flights and hotels.
9. Former body armor magnate David Brooks reportedly paid Aerosmith $2.9 million to play at his daughter’s bat mitzvah in 2005, provided they let his nephew play the drums, according to Billboard, though Brooks was later charged with, among other crimes, using company funds to pay the band’s hefty fee.
8. Motorola CEO Greg Brown reportedly paid Bruno Mars $3.2 million to play at his son’s wedding in 2021, reported Fox Business.
7. George Michael raked in a reported $4.2 million after an unnamed Russian mining and lumber tycoon flew him to Moscow to perform at a private party in 2007, according to The Guardian.
6. Beyoncé played at the pre-wedding festivities of Isha Ambani, the daughter of Mukesh Ambani, the tenth richest man in the world, in 2018, reportedly for upwards of $4.7 million, according to the Hindustan Times.
5. In 2005, People reported Andrei Melnichenko, who bankrolled J-Lo’s performance in 2007, paid Christina Aguilera $6 million to sing at his wedding in the South of France.
4. An unnamed patron once allegedly paid the Eagles $6 million to play Hotel California – and nothing else – at a private party in New York City, reports Billboard.
3. In 2011, Billboard reported that Celine Dion played between 2 and 3 private events a year, each for $8.5 million.
2. In 2002, private equity billionaire David Bonderman paid The Rolling Stones $18.7million to perform at his 60th birthday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, citing Rolling Stone’s 2003 Rock’s 50 Richest List, which is no longer available.
1. Beyoncé tops the list after she was paid $24 million to play at the launch of Dubai hotel ‘Atlantis The Royal’ on Saturday, according to tabloid reports including TMZ and The Sun (UK).
According to Rolling Stone, musicians started playing small, exclusive parties for wealthy patrons starting in the 2000’s. Billboard identified several big names that took advantage of private concerts in the 2000’s and early 2010’s, including Miley Cyrus, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, The Rolling Stones, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé herself.
As private parties became more popular, musicians drew increased scrutiny for playing for controversial patrons. In 2011, Beyoncé and Nelly Furtado faced backlash for playing for Libyan dictator Muammar Gadaffi; they eventually donated their $2 million profit to charity.
Private gigs have become more popular and more secretive in the years since they began, according to Rolling Stone. To protect their pay-days, artists will ask patrons to sign non-disclosure agreements, and strictly ban all recordings and photography.
This story was first published on forbes.com