How we estimate net worth

Net worth is never a public, audited number for a private individual. What we publish is an informed estimate, built the same way each time so that our figures are consistent with each other and open to challenge. We would rather be transparently approximate than falsely precise.

The inputs we use

For each person we gather what can actually be documented, then value each piece separately:

• Salary and contracts. Playing contracts, film fees, book advances and reported salaries, taken from league databases, filings and credible reporting.
• Business equity. Ownership stakes in companies, valued from funding rounds, acquisitions or comparable sales where those exist.
• Royalties and catalogue value. Music, publishing and licensing income, plus the sale value of catalogues where transactions are public.
• Real estate. Property valued from county records, listing data and reported purchase or sale prices.
• Endorsements and appearance income. Reported deal values, discounted where terms are private.

The formula

We do not simply add up the biggest number for every asset. Where a stake is private, we apply a haircut that grows with the uncertainty. This is why our figures are sometimes lower than the loudest headline estimate for the same person.

What we exclude

• Rumoured assets with no documentation.
• Gross career earnings presented as current wealth. Money earned is not money kept.
• Family or household wealth that is not the individual's own.
• Projected future earnings from deals not yet signed.

How current the figure is

Each profile prints a last verified date and a next review date in its fact panel. Top profiles are reviewed monthly, public-company figures on each set of filings, active athletes and touring musicians each quarter, and everyone else twice a year. A figure past its review date is flagged for our team internally, never dressed up as fresh on the page.

When estimates disagree

Where respected outlets publish very different numbers for the same person, we show the range and explain the gap rather than quietly picking one. That disagreement is information, and hiding it would be dishonest.

Correcting a figure

If you can show that a number is wrong, we want to fix it. Representatives and readers can reach us through the dispute a figure route. Every material change is logged publicly on our , with the old figure, the new figure and the reason.