It’s no secret that the big names in music make an absolute fortune! This is no different for DJ’s who have become incredibly popular as they tour the world’s major clubs, release popular remixes and collaborate with your favourite musicians such as Sam Smith and Rihanna. So which DJ’s are making the big money? Take a look at the top 10 richest DJ’s in the world!
Hardwell
One of the big DJ names, Hardwell started out as a DJ in just 2006 but it was in 2009 that he gained wide recognition for his skills. The 27-year-old from the Netherlands was voted the world’s number one DJ by DJ Magazine – not just once but three consecutive times. Such is his popularity, he’s headlined huge music festivals such as Tomorrowland and has pocketed as much as $9.5 million.
Skrillex
Skrillex is Sonny Moore, an American DJ and music producer. It was in 2008 that he found stardom after leaving post-hardcore group First to Last, where he began his new project Skrillex.
Having won a total of six Grammy awards and been awarded MTV’s Electronic Dance Music Artist of the Year, it’s fair to say he’s made quite the success of himself. In fact, he’s made a cool $15 million in just a few short years.
Deadmau5
Well known for his popular shows, Deadmau5 is a Canadian DJ who has won multiple Juno awards and been nominated for a Grammy on six occasions. His rather unusual artistic name is inspired by a dead mouse that he found in his computer as a teenager. Deadmau5 is now very recognisable for the mask-helmet that supports this name.
His tracks have featured in various compilation albums and his efforts have earned him as much as $18 million over the years – much of which comes from his Mau5trap label.
Kaskade
Not to be confused with the dance music act Cascada, Kaskade has been on the music scene since 1989 and is one of the most experienced DJ’s on our top 10 list. Yet like many DJ’s, it was the revival of house music in 2008 that saw his real rise to fame. The Chicago-born DJ has built up a reputation for providing excellent live shows – and he does many of them every year. Kaskade has consistently been voted one of the best DJ’s in various polls, including that of DJ Magazine. Also, the American has been nominated for four Grammy awards over the years. Luckily for him, this success has brought its fair share of cash – as much as $20 million.
Afrojack
There are so many excellent Dutch DJ’s and Afrojack is certainly one of the very best. Reportedly worth as much as $20 million, Afrojack is actually relatively new on the DJ scene in comparison to a few other names on this top 10 list. 2007 saw his first recording under his current artistic name. But it was three years later in 2010 that he became internationally successful with his song Take Over Control, which charted in 10 countries. Following this, Afrojack has featured on some huge hits including Pitbull’s Give Me Everything and Beyonce’s Run the World (Girls).
It’s safe to say that although he doesn’t yet have the experience of some other top DJ’s, he’s only going to get better.
David Guetta
Whether you’re into dance music or not, almost everybody has heard of David Guetta. The French born DJ is one of the older DJ’s on our list but he’s arguably enjoying the best years of his career now. This is highlighted by the fact that he’s made over $30 million from his catchy tunes and collaborations with big-name stars. He actually started out very early though and was a regular DJ in the clubs of Paris as a teenager. Yet it wasn’t until 2009 that he really made an international breakthrough. Since then some of his biggest hits have featured the likes of Madonna and The Black Eyed Peas. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying he’s been hugely successful.
Armin Van Buuren
With two decades of experience as a popular DJ, Armin Van Buuren has managed to pocket over $40 million. Particularly popular in Europe, the Dutch DJ actually made his name thanks to A State of Trance – his weekly radio show –which he has hosted since 2001. Such is its success; it now has 20 million listeners worldwide. This popularity has been reflected in numerous awards including being voted the greatest DJ in the world by readers of DJ Magazine – not once, but five times. Such is his popularity; Armin Van Burren is one of very few trance artists to have received a Grammy nomination, rightfully making him a legend in his own right.
Calvin Harris
Chances are you’ve probably heard quite a lot of music by Calvin Harris. The DJ from Scotland is reportedly worth $46 million, making him the 3rd richest DJ in the world. Much of this has come from live performances where he has been known to make hundreds of thousands of dollars per gig. His career really began after being discovered on the social network Myspace, which was followed by the 2007 debut album titled I Created Disco, which sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone. Since then the British DJ has written, produced and remixed songs for some of the most famous pop stars in the world, including the likes of Rihanna and Cheryl Cole. What’s more, he holds the record for the most top 10 hits on one album.
Avicii
Swedish DJ Avicii exploded onto the scene in 2007 and has made a cool $48 million since. However it wasn’t until 2011 that the 26-year-old really made a name for himself. The self-taught DJ’s 2013 track Levels reached the top 10 in charts around the world and was used as a sample in Good Feeling, a song by America rapper Flo Rida. Avicii has followed this up with hits including Sunshine (with none other than David Guetta), Wake Me Up, Hey Brother and Addicted to You. Although he’s one of the youngest top DJ’s around, he’s already been nominated for two Grammy awards and been ranked 3rd in DJ Magazine’s top 100 DJ’s in 2012 and 2013.
Tiesto
This particular DJ needs little in the way of introduction. One of the most famous DJ’s in the world, Tiesto has earned himself an incredible $75 million since his rise to fame at the start of the 21st century.
The 46-year-old from the Netherlands is formerly known at DJ Tiesto, and it was in 1997 that he formed his very own record label known as Black Hole Recordings. It was his 2000 remix of Delerium’s Silence that brought him to mainstream attention. Needless to say, the Dutchman has won countless of awards over the years. Notably, he was voted the best DJ on earth by DJ Magazine three consecutive times in the early 2000s. It’s this sort of recognition that has helped him become the highest grossing DJ around. Most recently Tiesto won a Grammy for his remix of John Legend’s All of Me, proving that he’s still very much at the top of his game.
