How Much Money Does Mariah Carey Really Make Every Christmas Season
Mariah Carey may be known as the Queen of Christmas, but the singer actually has a long list of accolades unrelated to the holiday season. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Carey is reportedly worth $320 million, and she's one of only 15 artists in the world to sell 200 million albums (and counting). She has more number one songs than any other female artist in the United States, has won multiple Grammys, and that's just noting a few of her incredible accomplishments!
Carey is no stranger to this level of success. Her first album was released in 1990, and since then, she's hit the top of the charts time and time again (per Talk About Pop Music). While the star is building profits year-round from her music endeavors, she also brings in money from her book, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," as well as her line of handbags and shoes (via Distractify). The real money making, however, occurs during Christmas time.
Her hit song, "All I Want for Christmas is You," is played on nearly every radio station starting shortly after Halloween (per Time). How much does Mariah Carey really make during the holidays, though?
Mariah Carey is truly the Queen of Christmas
It may be hard to believe, but according to USA Today, "All I Want for Christmas is You" debuted over 27 years ago. Since then, Mariah Carey has cemented her place as a Christmas icon. Not only does she bring fans her hit song every year, but she's recently done some incredible Christmas specials as well. In 2020, she released "Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special," which brought some much needed light to an otherwise dark year. In 2021, she returned with "Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues," which featured a very special surprise: A new song called "Fall in Love at Christmas" (via Vogue).
With so much Christmas spirit — even her Instagram is full of holiday-inspired posts — it makes sense that Carey would make a chunk of her income during the holidays. According to the Economist, "All I Want for Christmas is You" has earned the singer $60 million between 1994 and 2016 in the United States alone. The singer also earns royalties for the song in the U.K., and through streaming services as well. If you don't want to do the math, this comes out to a little over $2 million per year for just one song! If you factor in her Christmas specials and other holiday performances, Carey's Christmas crown is very much deserved.