The purported $6 million pay cheque to Rihanna for a 90-minute performance at the pre-wedding ceremony for Mukesh Ambani’s son has left many wondering when was the last time singers were paid huge amounts by billionaires and heads of the state to perform for them.
The Barbadian singer performed for celebrations for Anant Ambani and her fiancée Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, Gujrat on Friday in front of billionaires and movie stars.
“Thanks to the Ambani family, I’m here tonight in honour of Anant and Radhika. Thank you for having me here. God bless your union. I wish you the best. Congratulations,” the 38-year-old singer had said while performing on stage.
The Ambani patriarch, who is the chair of the Fortune 500 company Reliance Industries, has an estimated net worth of $114 billion, according to reports.
But before Rihanna, it was American singer Beyonce who performed at the wedding of Ambani’s daughter Isha in 2018. The lavish wedding, also called ‘mini Davos’, had cost $100 million.
The Halo singer was also paid a hefty amount for a private performance at a luxury resort in Dubai. In January 2023, she was in the UAE city to commemorate the opening of the Atlantis The Royal Dubai, an ultra-luxury resort.
Outlets like Fortune reported that Beyoncé was paid $24 million for one-hour performance. It was a private event, but videos and images from the event showing her performance went viral on social media.
Italian singer Andrea Bocelli is also on the list. He had performed at Kim Kardashian’s marriage with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in 2014 and at her sister Kourtney’s nuptials to Travis Barker in 2022.
In his Instagram post in July 2023, Bocelli said that he was “flattered” that they enjoyed his work.
In July 2013, Jennifer Lopez travelled to Turkmenistan for a private gig for a Turkmenistan leader who was termed a dictator.
Lopez’s publicist had clarified that the China National Petroleum Corporation hosted the event and it wasn’t political in nature.
Lopez was paid between $1 million and $1.5 million for the three-song show, according to Vanity Fair.
Mariah Carey, who is famous for her Christmas song, felt “embarrassed” after appearing in a private concert for family members of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in St Barts.
“I was naive and unaware of who I was booked to perform for. I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess,” Carey said in the statement and added that it was a lesson for all artists to learn from.
She had received $1 million to sing four songs, The New York Times reported.
Nelly Furtado, who has sold over 45 million records, had also performed for the Gaddafi family in 2007. It was a 47-minute performance. But she donated her $1 million pay cheque after facing public backlash.
She also publicly apologised by releasing a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter in 2011.
“In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy,” Furtado wrote. “I am going to donate the $.”
The famous English Rock Band ‘The Rolling Stones’ had also received a huge amount after performing at a Texas billionaire named David Bonderman birthday party in 2002.
Bonderman had invited 400 guests to celebrate his 60th birthday party in Las Vegas, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Although, there was nothing clear about the fee, but CNN reported that the billionaire party cost around $7 million.
The American rock band Guns N’ Roses was paid $1 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter, for performing at a private show in Russia for a chairman.
It occurred in 2010. The band performed for Alexander Chistyakov, then a chairman of Federal Grid Company’s management board, at a movie studio complex.
Miley Cyrus, who rose to fame for her singing and acting skills as a child artist, sang at a Texas law firm’s Christmas party as a teenager in 2008.
The ‘Climb’ singer was 16 years old when she performed at the event with a guitar. The Hollywood Reporter estimated that Cyrus was paid between $200,000 and $500,000.
The article was originally published in Business Insider.
