Surpassing American pop superstar Taylor Swift, The Weeknd has emerged as the highest-earning artist of 2025, with an estimated total income of $298 million from music and related artistic activities.

According to the newly released list of the world’s top 10 highest-paid artists in 2025, The Weeknd claimed the No.1 spot thanks largely to the phenomenal success of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour. The tour has officially surpassed $1 billion in gross revenue, becoming the highest-grossing tour in history by a solo male artist.

Previously, the record was held by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (2018–2023), which earned $939 million. The billion-dollar milestone was achieved after The Weeknd announced additional international dates for 2026, pushing total ticket sales to a historic level.

During the tour, The Weeknd also became the highest-grossing Black male artist in history at several major venues across cities such as New York, Orlando, and Houston.

Launched in July 2022, the After Hours Til Dawn Tour has sold more than 7.5 million tickets across 153 shows in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Australia. Omar Al-Joulani, Chairman of Concerts at Live Nation, said The Weeknd has “redefined what it means to be a global touring artist,” emphasizing that the $1 billion achievement reflects both his exceptional longevity and the extraordinary demand for his live performances.

The tour did face a setback in September 2022 when The Weeknd unexpectedly lost his voice while performing Can’t Feel My Face at SoFi Stadium, forcing him to cancel a show and take a two-month break before returning to the stage.

Beyond commercial success, The Weeknd has also been recognized for his philanthropy. According to Variety, he has donated more than $8.5 million to the XO Humanitarian Fund and Global Citizen. Revenue from his 2026 activities is expected to continue supporting the World Food Programme.

In addition to touring income, The Weeknd signed a major deal with Lyric Capital Group, valued at around $1 billion, earning him approximately $250 million. Instead of selling his catalog outright, he opted for a “share master” model, allowing Lyric Capital to take a minority stake while he retains creative control and most ownership of his master recordings. The deal covers master and publishing rights from the beginning of his career through the end of 2025 and does not affect his existing agreements with XO Records, Republic Records, and Universal Music Group.

Born in 1990, The Weeknd—real name Abel Tesfaye—grew up in Canada and entered the music industry in 2010. He has sold over 100 million records, won four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, and received an Oscar nomination. His best-known hits include Starboy, Save Your Tears, Die for You, and One of the Girls.

Ranking second on the 2025 highest-earning artists list is Taylor Swift with $205 million, largely from multiple versions of her album The Life of a Showgirl and an $80 million documentary deal for The Eras Tour with Disney. Third place belongs to Beyoncé Knowles, who earned $148 million from her Cowboy Carter Tour, a feat that helped place her on Forbes’ list of billionaires.

Other artists in the top 10 highest earners of 2025 include Kendrick Lamar ($109 million), Coldplay ($105 million), Shakira ($105 million), Drake ($78 million), Chris Brown ($74 million), Zach Bryan ($70 million), and Bad Bunny ($66 million).