$1 Million Concerts and $100,000 Hellos: How Celebrities Make Big Money From Small Gigs

From Jennifer Lopez to Justin Guarini, these stars are smartly cashing in on their fame

By Rebecca Macatee Jun 30, 2016 12:00 PMTags
Jennifer Lopez, American Idol FinaleRay Mickshaw/FOX

Celebrity paychecks are big—how big depends on the star's status and nature of the project, but it's safe to say famous folks are typically compensated quite well for the work they do. 

But no matter how wealthy someone might be, they could always be richer! Enter the paid private event, a side performance or appearance to supplement a star's income. These gigs can be great, and there's no shortage of celebrities willing to do a little extra hustle for a quick buck! 

Jennifer Lopez makes some serious bank when she takes on a private gig. In March 2016, J.Lo was paid a reported $1 million to sing at the lavish wedding of Said Gutseriyev, the son of a billionaire, to Khadija Uzhakhovs, his blushing bride. Enrique Iglesias and Sting performed at the nuptials as well. According to booking agents at Celebrity Talent International (via Business Insider), Sting will always ask for $750,000 for a U.S. event and even more for an intentional one. So while we're not sure whether Enrique's check was quite as fat as J.Lo's, we're fairly confident Sting was paid something comparable for his wedding singing services.

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Jenny from the block is no stranger to the private, well-paying concert. In fact, per Elle, she's reportedly earned $1 million+ at a handful of these lucrative gigs around the world. Most of these are weddings and parties thrown by independently wealthy individuals. In one instance back in 2013, though, J.Lo put on a show at an event for the Turkmenistan president, a controversial dictator with an oppressive record of human rights violations. Her rep later issued an apology, explaining, "The event was vetted by her representatives, had there been knowledge of human rights issues of any kind, Jennifer would not have attended."

J.Lo isn't the only star to unknowingly entertain a dictator—Sting, Nelly Furtado, Beyoncé, Usher and more artists have made this mistake and gone on to apologize it.

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Moving right along, Jenny from the block isn't the only star supplementing the piggy bank with some side dough. Degy Entertainment, another celebrity booking agency, reports (via Priceeconomics.com in 2014) that Taylor Swift, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, James Taylor, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi each have a $1 million starting price tag when it comes to making a private appearance.

According to Business Insider's report, Adele's rate for a private concert is reportedly between $750,000 to $999,999. (We're doubting the data on this one—if anyone's worth a million bucks, it's Adele, right?!) Circa 2014, Eminem and Katy Perry were in this same reported bracket. Given that K.P. topped Forbes' 2015 list of world's highest-paid musicians, though, it seems unlikely she'd have any problem getting $1 million+ for a wedding these days.

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Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GQ

It's not just musicians who get paid to entertain on a smaller level. According to Celebrity Talent International's estimate, an appearance from Guy Fieri or Bear Grylls starts in the $75,000-$149,999 range, while a director Spike Jonze has an average starting rate of $150,000 to $299,000. Based on Celebrity Talent International's rough estimates, a private appearance from Channing Tatum is practically a steal! The Magic Mike XXL hunk reportedly has an average minimum fee of $75,000 to $149,999 (tip not included, obviously).

20th Century Fox

Even the most obscure stars can use their celebrity to bring in some extra cash, though. Remember Justin Guarini, runner-up to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol? Celebrity Talent International estimates his minimum speaking fee is in the $7,500 to $14,999 range... Something tells us Kelly would pay him at least that much to never mention From Justin to Kelly again.

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Celebrity Moguls