Bruce Springsteen Says Forbes Is Wrong: 'I'm Not a Billionaire'

Earlier this year, Forbes announced that Bruce Springsteen is a billionaire after his $500 million catalog sale. But The Boss disputes that claim, saying the outlet “got that real wrong.”

In a report back in July 2024, Forbes “conservatively” estimated The Bosses' six decades of work to be worth $1.1 billion. Forbes says that figure accounts for his 21 studio albums, seven live albums, and five EPs, which have collectively sold over 140 million albums globally. The accounting includes his bestselling memoir and 236 sold-out Broadway performances. The $500 million catalog sale to Sony in 2021 is part of the foundation, but Springsteen's world tour in 2023 sold 1.6 million tickets and generated $380 million in revenue, per Pollstar data.

“I'm not a billionaire,” Bruce Springsteen recently told The Telegraphdirectly refuting claims made by Forbes' estimates. “I wish I was, but they got that real wrong. I've spent too much money on superfluous things.” Springsteen says he wanted to enjoy his good fortune because he put the work in across several decades.

“That's usually where people go south,” Springsteen says of those who praise money as the end goal. “If I had failed at that, I would have failed at everything, in my opinion.” Springsteen says part of his reasoning for not being a billionaire on paper Forbes estimates is that he compensates his E Street Band very well.

“I pay them a tremendous amount of money,” Springsteen said at a recent showing of his new documentary in London. “That greases the wheels pretty good. And then I'm a pretty nice boss. The truth is you need to cast your band well. If you get the art right, the music right, and the band right, you go out and play every night like it's your last night on Earth. That was the serial philosophy of the band, and we're sticking to it.”

So while The Boss may be being modest about his net worth here, it's probably no surprise that he's not exactly clocking the billionaire marker for himself. He's bought properties, kept the E Street Band happy, and continues to tour. A biopic about his life will be released sometime in 2025 with Jeremy Allen White tapped to portray the New Jersey native.