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John Legend performs at the 66th NBA All-Star Game on February 19, 2017. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
John Legend started his career in modest, providing background vocals for the likes of Jay-Z (“Lucifer”), Kanye West (“I’ll Fly Away”), and Alicia Keys (“You Don’t Know My Name“). Since his solo debut in 2004, however, the singer born John Roger Stephens has come into his own as a bonafide musical star. He’s released seven studio projects to date, landed a number of acting roles in Hollywood, and continued to collaborate with a range of pop stars like West, Sam Smith, Rick Ross, and Meghan Trainor.
Tonight he will appear at the 2017 Academy Awards, where he will perform the songs “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” and “City of Stars” from the critically acclaimed film La La Land (2016). Between this professional success and his publicly-championed marriage to supermodel Chrissy Teigen, Legend has solidified himself as one of R&B’s most talented and commercially-savvy figures. But how does does the “All of Me” singer have in the bank? According to Celebrity Net Worth, John Legend has an estimated net worth of $20 million.
Read on to learn how he makes his money and how he enjoys spending it.
1. His Wife Chrissy Teigen Has A Net Worth of $2 Million
Legend and Chrissy Teigen first met on the set of his 2007 music video “Stereo.” The model was initially cast as Legend’s love interest, but the pretend-romance spilled over into real life, and the couple was married four years later. In that time, Teigen has became a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, building her resume with magazine shoots, public appearances, and hosting gigs on MTV, Fuse, and the Cooking Channel special Chrissy Teigen’s Hungry. According to The Richest, Teigen has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
In 2016, Legend and Teigen moved into a lavish mansion in LA’s Beverly Crest neighborhood. The 8,520-square-foot home cost a whopping $14.1 million, and came complete with five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and a swimming pool. The move came shortly after the couple welcomed their first child, Luna Simone Stephens.
2. He’s Sold Eight Million Albums Worldwide
Like most singers, the bulk of Legend’s net worth is based on his musical output. His 2004 album Get Lifted was a surprise success when it released, selling three million units worldwide and earning platinum certification. Similar numbers were struck with the sophomore effort Once Again (2006), which also went platinum, sold a million copies, and spawned the Top 20 R&B/Hip-Hop singles “Save Room” and “Heaven.” Subsequent albums Evolver (2008) and The Roots collaboration Wake Up! (2010) pulled in slightly less substantial numbers, but still resulted in popular singles like “Green Light” featuring André 3000 and “Wake Up Everybody,” featuring Common and Melanie Fiona.
Legend’s greatest chart success, however, would come with Love in the Future (2013), the album that contained the global smash “All of Me.” Inspired by his marriage to Chrissy Teigen, the tender ballad skyrocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts and became the second best-selling single of 2014 with 4.67 million copies sold. According to The Richest, Love in the Future earned Legend an estimated $800,000.
To date, Legend has sold well over eight million albums worldwide, proving himself as one of the genre’s most successful artists. His seventh studio album, Darkness and Light, was released on December 2, 2016.
3. He Partnered With Pepsi’s LIFEWTR In 2017
Earlier this year, Legend joined forces with Pepsi’s latest product, LIFEWTR. The premium water brand felt that Legend had the right mixture of class and cutting edge to promote their product, and the singer responded by starring in their Super Bowl ad. The 30-second spot shows Legend crooning a specially recorded version of “All of Me” amidst an array of bold and colorful designs. Legend explained his reason for taking the endorsement deal with Vibe Magazine, saying “It’s all about creativity, it’s all about inspiration, and it’s all about art,” adding “the combination of that and imagery looked really beautiful together.”
Over the years, Legend has also endorsed brands like Gap Jeans, Hint Water, Lexus, and Chevrolet Impala. The latter consisted of stylish black-and-white visuals, where driving footage was intercut with footage of Legend working on his 2013 song “Made to Love” on the piano. Check out the 90-second clip below.
4. He Donated $500,000 to Springfield City School District
Legend hails from Springfield, Ohio, where he first became interested in making music. He graduated salutatorian from the Springfield City School District in 1996, and two decades later, donated a whopping $500,000 to their arts program. The charitable sum was used to renovate an auditorium within the Springfield Center of Innovation, and was officially opened to the public in September 2016. Legend, whom the auditorium is now named after, performed a charity concert that can be watched in its entirety here.
Legend is widely know for his charity work, and he is also a board member for the Education Equality Project, the Harlem Village Academies, and Stand for Children. When asked why he feels so compelled to make a difference, Legend told Vibe that “there’s going to be good things that happen to us personally and for humanity, but there will be challenges. Sometimes the best art comes from those challenges.”
5. He Has Won Many Awards
Legend has always been a critical darling. The singer earned a staggering eight nominations at the 2006 Grammy Awards, winning Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the single “Ordinary People.” The latter category has been particularly kind to Legend over the years, as he’s also taken home the award in 2007 (“Heaven”), 2009 (“Stay With Me”), and 2011 (“Hang On In There”). In addition to his ten Grammys, Legend has won two Billboard Music Awards, two BET Awards, five Soul Train Music Awards, and two NAACP Awards.
Legend has also found success at the Academy Awards with “Glory,” the equality anthem that features fellow actor/musician Common. The single appeared on the soundtrack for Ava DuVernay‘s historical drama Selma (2014), and while the film failed to win Best Picture, “Glory” proved victorious as the Best Original Song. In his acceptance speech, Legend spoke of the song’s importance: “We know that right now the struggle for freedom and justice is real. When people are marching with our song, we want to tell you that we are with you, we see you, we love you, and march on.” Watch the full acceptance speech above.
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