Musicians make more money in various ways and build good net worth. However, some of them vanish from the limelight due to controversies and disputes. Robert Kelly has a multitalented personality and earned more income when he was at his peak. He is a successful celebrity who attained popularity in the music field in a short period. Moreover, he amassed more wealth because of his music career. At the same time, he faced many legal issues and financial disputes that caused him to lose his net worth.
Who is Robert Sylvester Kelly?
Robert Sylvester Kelly, shortly known as R. Kelly, is a famous singer, creator, producer, and songwriter. He is also a multi-instrumentalist and is considered one of the best R&B artists of all time. Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He entered the Kenwood Academy, where he started his music career. Furthermore, he created a music group called “MGM” in 1989 with his friends and launched their first debut single.
How did Robert Kelly become popular?
Robert Kelly performed on Chicago streets and entered the music field as a singer in 1991. He worked with Jive Studios after signing a contract, and he released his debut album in the same year. The singer was extremely popular in the 1990s, and many of his albums sold millions. He earned huge money through royalties and new album releases.
How did Robert Keey earn money?
1. Album sales and songs
Kelly released a collection of songs that became a huge hit among music lovers in the US, and his albums sold nearly 40 million in the US. As a solo artist, he released more than a dozen studio albums. Most of his albums have been listed in the top 10, and some of them have acquired the number one position.
2. Songwriting credits and production
Kelly is a songwriter, and he worked with famous singers, which enabled him to earn more money. Aside from that, he is a music producer and has collaborated with other musicians on various projects. His wealth increased through songwriting credits and music production. He knows how to make everlasting songs that have established him as an all-round musician.
3. Business ventures and record labels
Kelly started a business apart from his music field to earn more money. He launched his own music studio and earned money through recordings.
4. Live music performances
Live performances enabled Kelly to increase his net worth, and he made good earnings in the music industry.
5. Streaming services
Robert Kelly worked with Spotify and other streaming services to play his album songs, which let him get high amounts. His net worth increased a lot, which allowed him to become a rich person.
What is the net worth of Robert Kelly?
Robert Kelly established himself as one of the most acclaimed hip-hop and R&B artists from 1985 to 2010. He received many awards, including Grammy nominations, making him the greatest music artist. R. Kelly net worth was around $100 million in 2009 during his successful career, and started to lose money thereafter. He spent most of his earnings on legal cases in court, which made him a pauper.
The downfall of Robert Kelly
Robert Kelly’s wealth took a hit in 2009 because he had to face several allegations and legal disputes. He has paid tens of millions of dollars to women who have accused him of sexual abuse. Furthermore, he faced various problems that made him lose his wealth completely.
The IRS revealed that Kelly has an outstanding unpaid tax of nearly $4.8 million. As a result, he was forced to borrow several millions of dollars from his label to pay bills. Moreover, he can’t tour other countries due to his controversy. Also, Spotify and other streaming services stopped playing his album songs, which led to his downfall.
In January 2019, building inspectors searched his studio after they’d received a report that he had undergone multiple renovations without a permit. Besides, the building owner filed a case against him for not paying the rent for several months because he did not own the studio.
His record label, RCA/Sony, terminated all his future music releases and refused to pay money for his new music videos. Besides, his mansion property in Chicago underwent foreclosure proceedings when he had not made mortgage payments for over a year.
What happened to Robert Kelly and his net worth?
Robert Kelly was arrested in 2019 for new charges such as sexual crimes, human trafficking, and obstruction of justice. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. In 2022, he faced another trial for sexually abusing three minor girls.
He got a jail sentence of 20 years for a second time. R. Kelly net worth started to decrease after 2009 due to various court cases and other disputes. Kelly struggled a lot to manage his finances and problems because of his bad reputation in the music industry.
What is the net worth of Robert Kelly in 2024?
Several resources reveal that Robert Kelly net worth 2024 will be -$2 million. This is because he spent more money on his legal cases, which made him a loser.
The personal life of Robert Kelly
Robert Kelly married twice, and his first marriage was with Aaliyah in 1995. However, it lasted only for one year, and Aaliyah was a minor girl. He married dancer and actress Andrea Lee in 1996 for the second time, and they lived as a couple until 2009. Kelly had to spend most of his earnings after divorcing Andrea Lee, which decreased his net worth.
Conclusion
Robert Kelly started his music career at a young age and attained fame quickly. He earned more income in various ways, which made him a millionaire. However, his bad reputation affected his whole career, and he spends his life in jail now for several charges. Although he built his millionaire empire through different activities, his net worth declined. The musician has to face various cases in court that have impacted his life.
Source: Cosmo Politian
