Which Country Star Is Banking More Than Taylor Swift's $64 Million? Find Out!

"I Knew You Were Trouble" singer comes in second on Forbes annual list

By Alyssa Toomey Jul 28, 2014 10:47 PMTags
Toby Keith, Taylor Swift, Kenny ChesneyGetty Images

It's no secret that Taylor Swift rakes in a pretty penny, but is the blonde country's highest paid musician?

Almost, according to new report by Forbes which ranks the world's richest country stars—so where does Swift fall on the list?

The "I Knew You Were Trouble" singer comes in at No. 2, banking an estimated $64 million dollars thanks to her wildly popular album Red and equally successful tour, as well as her endorsements for Keds, CoverGirl and Diet Coke.

As for the lucky country crooner to nab the top spot?

That honor goes to Toby Keith, who earned a staggering $65 million (that's more than P. Diddy and Jay Z), barely beating out the "You Belong With Me" beauty and coming in first on the list for the second consecutive year.

While Keith has found long term success in the country music biz, his hefty earnings are predominately derived from his I Love This Bar and Grill restaurants, a lucrative endorsement deal with Ford, his Wild Shot line of mescal and profits from the acts he signs to his Show Dog label. In fact, Forbes reports that the singer-turned-restaurateur has accumulated an estimated $335 million over the past six years.

Coming in third on the list is Kenny Chesney with a whopping $44 million as a result of his profitable No Shoes Nation tour, while Jason Aldean ($37 million) and Luke Bryan ($34 million) round out the top five due to their embodiment of "country's move toward the mainstream," according to Forbes.

The financial magazine also notes that country music has become much more widespread in recent years, thanks to artists like Swift, who has successfully bridged the gap between the country and pop music.

Be sure to check out the full list of the top earning country musicians and then hit the comments with your thoughts!