What Is Dr. Luke's Net Worth?
Lukasz Gottwald, AKA Dr. Luke, is an American record producer and songwriter who has a net worth of $200 million.
Dr. Luke has been a pivotal figure in the pop music industry since the late 1990s, contributing to the success of numerous chart-topping artists and songs. Dr. Luke's career took off after his work on Kelly Clarkson's hit "Since U Been Gone," which established him as a leading producer. His production style, known for catchy melodies and polished, radio-friendly sounds, has made him a go-to producer for pop stars.
Throughout his career, Dr. Luke has produced and co-written hits for a wide range of artists, including Katy Perry, Kesha, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears. His collaborations have resulted in some of the most recognizable pop anthems of the 2000s and 2010s. Dr. Luke's contributions to music have earned him multiple Grammy nominations, highlighting his influence and success in the industry.
In addition to his production work, Dr. Luke founded the record label Kemosabe Records under Sony Music Entertainment, further expanding his role in discovering and nurturing musical talent. Despite facing legal controversies and public disputes, Dr. Luke's impact on pop music remains significant, with his work continuing to shape the industry's sound and trends. He has written and/or produced hundreds of songs for popular artists, including more than 20 songs that have charted on the "Billboard" Top 40 chart.
Early Life
Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, better known as Dr. Luke, was born on September 26, 1973, in Providence, Rhode Island. His family is Jewish. His father, Janusz Jerzy Gottwald, was an architect from Łask, Poland. Many of Dr. Luke's formative years were spent in New York City. His original dream was to be a drummer, but drum kits were not allowed in the house by his parents. Instead, when he was thirteen, he taught himself how to play the guitar using his older sister's guitar. He was a student at the Manhattan School of Music for two years.
(Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Career
In 1996, Dr. Luke joined the "Saturday Night Live" Band as their lead guitarist. He remained in this position until the 2006-2007 season when he left the show. During this time, he worked on many side projects. One of these projects was producing tracks and remixes for artists like Arrested Development and Nappy Roots. He also released his own music with Rawkus Records under the name Kasz.
Dr. Luke started the publishing company Kasz Money Publishing as a vehicle for his own songs. He also started the company Prescription Songs. Through Prescription Songs, he hired prospective young artists to write songs for pop musicians. Many of the songwriters he hired, including Kesha and Katy Perry, have gone on to enjoy very successful music careers of their own.
While working as a DJ at a house party, Dr. Luke met Swedish producer Max Martin. They formed a friendship, and Martin became like a mentor to Dr. Luke. Over the last 20 years, Dr. Luke and Max Martin have been responsible for virtually every single pop song that has dominated music charts around the world. Dr. Luke's first truly successful mainstream hit was Kelly Clarkson's song "Since U Been Gone" (2004), which he co-wrote and co-produced with Martin. They also produced her hit "Behind These Hazel Eyes". During the 2000s, other major hits he produced include "Who Knew" (2006) and "U + Ur Hand" (2006) by P!nk, "Girlfriend" (2007) by Avril Lavigne, "I Kissed a Girl" (2008) and "Hot n Cold" (2008) by Katy Perry, and "Circus" (2008) by Britney Spears. As a result of the success of his work, "Billboard" included him on its 2009 list of Top 10 Producers of the Decade. In 2010, at that year's ASCAP Pop Music Awards, he was named Songwriter of the Year. In total, between 2006 and 2009, Dr. Luke received ten Pop Music Awards from ASCAP. Other artists Dr. Luke has worked with include B.o.B., 3OH!3, Kesha, One Direction, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo, Big Boi, Kim Petras, and Doja Cat, among others.
In 2011, Dr. Luke partnered with Sony Music Entertainment to launch Kemosabe Records. Sony gave him the right to hire his own staff, sign artists he wanted, and develop his own talent, but the tradeoff was that he was limited to producing records for only Sony artists until 2016. After the singer Kesha accused Dr. Luke of rape, Sony began distancing itself from him, and he was removed from the official Sony Music website in April 2017. Also that month, Sony announced that he was no longer serving as the CEO of Kemosabe Records.
Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images
Songs Written by Dr. Luke
- California Gurls – Katy Perry
- Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
- Tik Tok – Kesha
- Dark Horse – Katy Perry
- Dynamite – Taio Cruz
- Roar – Katy Perry
- Timber – Pitbull featuring Kesha
- Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
- Sugar – Maroon 5
- Good Feeling – Flo Rida
- I Kissed a Girl – Katy Perry
- Last Friday Night – Katy Perry
- Right Round – Flo Rida
Rape Accusations and Kesha Lawsuit
In September 2013, rumors began to circulate that Kesha and Dr. Luke were not getting along and that the artist was demanding to be let out of her contract. A few months later, Kesha checked into a rehab center to treat an eating disorder. Her mother would allege that Kesha's eating issues were a result of Dr. Luke's pressures. In October 2014, Kesha sued him, claiming sexual assault, battery, gender violence, and various forms of harassment. He then counter-sued. After more than a year of back-and-forth legal fighting, the lawsuits were settled out of court.
