Mariah Carey Has Been Cashing In On Christmas Since 1994—And It's Paid Off Big Time

Mariah Carey Has Been Cashing In On Christmas Since 1994—And It's Paid Off Big Time
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."

It's been 28 holiday cheer-filled years since Mariah Carey released her iconic holiday single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994. And every year it rising swiftly on the Billboard Hot 100, reminding everyone that she's the queen of all things Christmas.

And in case you're wondering, Mariah has fully embraced the hold she has over everyone during the holidays.

"It's so exciting because it’s at Christmas, which is my favorite, but it's also like, what a validating thing to have happen [to] my first Christmas song that I ever wrote," she told Billboard. "How did I know that that was going to become a thing every year? I couldn’t have known it. And I've grown to love it more...it makes me happy every year."

Speaking of holiday spirit, Mariah's been cashing in on Christmas for decades. So much so that her current net worth is a merry amount of money—to the tune $340 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.

Here's how the pop star made all that (Christmas cookie) dough:

Mariah's made millions off of her iconic holiday hit.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Mariah is the best-selling female artist of all time when it comes to albums. She has sold a total of 72 million albums, which means she likely sees a few dollars off every album sold, after earning out her advance against royalties.

In 2017, The Economist reported that Mariah earned $60 million in royalties for "All I Want for Christmas Is You" alone. But last year, she was estimated to have made an additional $12.5 million, which brings her total up to $72 million—and that's not including what she'll make this year, per Forbes. (P.S. The #iconic holiday song apparently took only 15 minutes to write!)

Peep Mariah's new music video for "All I Want For Christmas Is You" below:

She's also raking in the dollars from book deals.

In 2015, Mariah released a children's book with Doubleday Books for Young Readers at Penguin Random House, titled All I Want for Christmas Is You. (Starting to see a theme here?) It's about "a young girl whose greatest Christmas wish is for a new puppy," giving new meaning to the song.

She also released a memoir written with Michaela Angela Davis in 2020, per Variety. That fall, her book topped the best seller charts for nonfiction, per Billboard. "Wow. Stunned, humbled & grateful. Writing this memoir nearly consumed my life for the last three years," she wrote in a tweet.

In November 2022, Mariah added to her author status with her debut children's novel, The Christmas Princess. She best described the book as, “fairytale for holiday lovers of all ages” made for “all children, especially those who feel like outsiders or ‘others,’ striving to believe in themselves,” per Vibe.

Mariah's made bank from multiple TV appearances.

in 2019, Amazon released a documentary detailing the origins and massive success of "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Fun fact: Mariah says she decorated the studio with Christmas decorations even though it wasn't the holidays.

And remember when she signed on to judge American Idol in 2013? Apparently, her contract was worth $18 million for one year with an option to renew, according to People. She also had an eight-episode reality series, Mariah's World, with E! from 2016 to 2017, per Variety.

And for the 2022 holiday season, she'll most likely make a healthy amount of money from closing out the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. "My childhood dream is coming to life! I’m going to be opening for the one and only, SANTA CLAUS 🎅🏼, at this year’s @macys Thanksgiving day parade!" she wrote on Instagram.

And she snagged tons of ticket sales for her holiday shows.

Presented by the Hallmark Channel, Mariah's 2019 holiday tour spanned six cities, including a five-show residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Since 2014, she's toured during the holiday season, which grossed about $16.5 million as of 2019, per Billboard. This year, that total may rise well over $26.4 million.

"The hope now is to take [her Christmas show] and really make it an annual event that takes on a much wider, worldwide appeal," Mariah's longtime agent, Rob Light, told the publication.

It's also not her first residency in Las Vegas. In 2015, Mariah signed a $30 million deal for a two-year residency at Caesar's Palace.

So, what's Mariah Carey's net worth in 2022?

Her current net worth is a jolly amount of money. I'm talking to the tune $340 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.

You Might Also Like