Billy Joel Net Worth: How Much Did He Lose in Three Failed Marriages? How Does Billy Joel Make His Money?

Billy Joel. You know him, love him, and maybe even wish to be him. One thing we know about the guy, besides being a talented artist, is that he sold more copies of his songs than you can count.

You’re probably curious how much he’s made throughout the years. Well, I’m here to answer that question for you.

In this post, I’ll tell you how much Billy Joel’s net worth is, covering his record sales, touring money, real estate investments, and divorce expenses. Let’s get right to it!

How Does Billy Joel Make a Living?

Determining a celebrity’s net worth is all about How they make their money and how they spend it. I’ll cover those two right here.

Recording Music

Billy Joel is one of our most influential singers/songwriters. With over 160 million sold records worldwide, only a few musicians can compete with his numbers.

He’s not just famous for making catchy music with witty lyrics, though. The guy had a knack for storytelling, the ultimate sign of talent in music.

Let’s see what the piano man’s career was like.

Early Music Life

You could tell Joel was set up to become a musician from the get-go. How many kids do you know start taking piano lessons at four?

Over time, he developed a passion for all things music-related. So, he joined his first band, the Echoes, when he was 14, but he left it four years later for the Hassles.

Joel did much better with the Hassles, recording four singles and two albums, but they all went under the radar. So, he left and formed a duo with the band’s drummer Jon Small.

Can you guess what happened to this partnership? Yes, it didn’t last long, either. Why?

Ready for some gossip? Joel had an affair with Small’s wife. That led to a big fight, and the two decided to separate.

Going Solo

You’d think that working solo would allow Joel to show his natural musical talents, but no. His first album as a solo artist, Cold Spring Harbor, was a technical and commercial failure.

However, Columbia Records was interested in him, and the producers realized his incredible potential. So, they signed him in 1972, and that was when he finally released hit albums, right?

No, not quite. Joel released Piano Man, Streetlife Serenade, and Turnstiles with Columbia Records. These were all great albums that received good ratings, but they didn’t hit as hard as you might think.

Shocking, right? Most Joel fans think “Piano Man” is his signature song. Who would’ve thought it’d go unnoticed? No one can predict how people would react to a song.

It wasn’t until his fourth solo album that Joel finally gained global attention. Introducing songs like “Just the Way You Are” and “She’s Always a Woman,” The Stranger was a massive success, selling over 10 million copies.

“Just the Way You Are” secured him his first Grammy, and Rolling Stone labeled the album as the 70th best album of all time.

Finding Success

Riding the momentum of The Stranger, Joel kept climbing the success ladder. Albums like Glass Houses and An Innocent Man only solidified his name as a talented musician.

The guy went on to win six Grammys and become a Songwriter Hall of Fame member. What more is there to achieve?

Joel never revealed how much he made from selling these albums, but it doesn’t take a mathematical genius to guess it’s within the millions.

Music Tours

Musicians don’t just make money from selling their records. A good chunk of their pay comes from touring, and let me tell you, Billy Joel’s tours are nothing to scoff at.

They’re electrifying, enchanting, and, overall, out of this world. The thing about our singer is that the more he succeeds, the more ambitious he gets.

In 2014, Joel announced his concert residency at Madison Square Garden, hosting a monthly live concert. How many artists do you know can do that?

So, how much did he make from these concerts? At first, he charged $2 million a show, but he upped it to $3 million later. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but can anyone blame him? Reports show that this residency grossed over $200 million. So, of course, he’ll get a lot of money out of it.

Real Estate     

Besides his astounding music career, Billy Joel has made a few impressive real estate investments. Let’s start with his masterpiece, the Middlesea.

It was initially a 14,000-square-foot mansion that he later expanded to 20,000-square-foot with additional purchases. He bought that monstrosity of a house in 2022 for $22.5 million and listed it for sale in 2023 for $49 million. If that’s not a lucrative deal, I don’t know what is.

In 2015, Joel bought another 13,000-square-foot mansion for $11,8 million and listed it for sale in 2018 for $16.9 million.

Unfortunately, not all of Joel’s investments paid off. For example, in 2006, he paid $5.9 million for a townhouse in New York, but his ex-wife, Katie Lee, won it in the divorce and sold it in 2011.

How Much Money Did Billy Joel Lose in His Marriages?  

Yes, “marriages.” Plural. Do you remember when Joel kept moving from one band to another at the start of his career? He did that with his wives, too.

Joel got married three times before settling with his current wife. Maybe he was a fan of Ross Geller. What does this have to do with his net worth? Well, these divorces didn’t end peacefully.

Elizabeth Weber

Joel’s first wife was Elizabeth Weber, the same Elizabeth he had an affair with while she was married to Jon Small. When they were together, Weber handled Joel’s finances.

Here’s the problem: She hired her brother, Frank, to help her, and everything seemed to be going great.

Unfortunately, the couple didn’t last long and decided to get divorced in 1982. Years later, Joel realized Frank had stolen $30 million from him, leaving him in a financial crisis. That wasn’t quite the story-book ending.

Christie Brinkley

Joel and Brinkley got married in 1985 and welcomed their daughter soon afterward. However, the piano man had to go on tour all the time to make up for the money Frank had stolen from him.

We’ve all seen movies. We know how that can make any couple grow distant. The straw that broke the camel’s back came in 1993 when Joel decided to stay at a hotel after a show instead of going home.

One of his bandmates told his wife he was having another affair. Although Joel denied it, the marriage didn’t last long after that. You can probably say the divorce took a financial toll on our man.

Katie Lee

Joel’s third marriage was by far the most controversial one. Why? Because Katie Lee was 33 years younger than him. The couple didn’t care, though. They realized they had a special connection and decided not to let people ruin this opportunity.

So, in 2004, they announced their marriage and lived happily ever after—until. After five years, the age gap became more prevalent in the relationship, and both parties realized they wanted different things.

When Joel suggested going to couples therapy, Lee didn’t seem interested. That was when he knew the marriage was over, which marked another financial loss.

How Much Is Billy Joel’s Net Worth?

Billy Joel’s net worth is around $225-250 million, which isn’t surprising, given that he’s one of the best-selling musicians in history.

Final Thoughts

Now you know that Billy Joel’s net worth is nothing to scoff at. After selling millions of copies and touring worldwide, the singer accumulated a massive wealth.

Unfortunately, that wealth took a big hit after spending a fortune on three failed marriages. He probably should’ve prepared a prenup.