What Is Pharrell Williams' Net Worth?
Pharrell Williams is an extremely successful recording artist, producer, musician, and fashion designer who has a net worth of $250 million and a salary of $22 million on average. Pharrell Williams began producing with his longtime friend, Chad Hugo, in the early '90s. Over the course of the next ten years, the pair, known as The Neptunes, would develop their sound. By the early 2000s, they had established themselves as a prolific and successful production duo, producing a staggering number of hits between 2000 and 2009 and winning multiple awards in the process. At one point, songs they produced comprised 43 percent of the songs being played on the radio in the United States.
In addition to producing hit tracks, Williams has also released multiple solo albums and has toured with his band, N.E.R.D. He is also a busy composer and has composed the soundtracks for various films and television shows, including "Despicable Me," "Chelsea Lately," and the 84th Academy Awards. When he is not producing, writing, or performing, the tireless artist also runs a clothing line, designs furniture, oversees a teen-oriented entertainment website, and serves as the Creative Director for KarmaloopTV, an online original content channel.
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Early Life
Pharrell Williams was born Pharrell Lanscilo Williams on April 5, 1973, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is the son of Pharaoh, a handyman, and Carolyn Williams, a teacher. Pharrell went to Princess Anne High School, where he played the snare drum in the marching band. He attended Northwestern University for two years and then dropped out. The oldest of three sons, Pharrell began his career in partnership with childhood friend Chad Hugo when they established the production company The Neptunes to promote and sell the work of pop, hip-hop, and R&B artists. Hugo and Williams also formed a four-piece R&B group of the same name. They were discovered by Teddy Riley while playing at a high school talent show. After they graduated, the group signed with Riley Studios.
Early Career
Pharrell Williams wrote a verse and helped produce the 1992 hit "Rump Shaker" for Wreckx-N-Effects. Later that year, he performed a rap solo on "Right Here (UK Remix)" for SWV. The next year, Williams and Chad Hugo met rap duo Clipse in Virginia Beach and they later signed with Arista Records. Hugo and Pharrell had established themselves as a production duo by the time they assistant-produced a single for Blackstreet, "Tonight's the Night." Over the next three years, they dabbled with producing on the side until they reached mild success with N.O.R.E's "SuperThug" in 1998. The song reached #36 on the "Billboard" chart and gained the duo worldwide attention for the very first time.
The Neptunes
The Neptunes produced a song for Jay-Z featuring a chorus by Pharrell, "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" in 2000. The song caught the attention of Britney Spears, and The Neptunes went on to produce the lead single for her third album, the catchy hit "I'm a Slave 4 U." Later that year, Williams, Hugo, and Haley released their first album, "In Search Of…," under the name N.E.R.D. The Neptunes reached #1 in the U.S. when they produced Nelly's single "Hot in Herre." The band released their first studio album, "The Neptunes Present…Clones," in 2003 and their second studio album, "Fly or Die," in March 2004. Williams won two Grammys in 2004, one for Producer of the Year and another for Best Pop Vocal Album for his collaboration with Justin Timberlake on "Justified." Williams was featured on Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot," which reached #1 on the "Billboard" chart. The Neptunes also produced Gwen Stefani's first hit single as a solo artist, "Hollaback Girl." The track went to #1 in the U.S.
Solo Career
Williams launched his solo career in 2003. His debut single, "Frontin'," appeared in 2003; his debut album, "In My Mind," hit the charts in 2006. Pharrell continued to also produce solo, producing tracks for Beyonce, additional tracks for Britney Spears, and for Madonna's eleventh album, "Hard Candy," in April 2008. In 2009, he co-wrote and produced the song "Fresh Out of the Oven" for Jennifer Lopez. He has won a Grammy for Producer of the Year, a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, and a Grammy for Best Rap Song, "Money Maker." Williams has received dozens of other nominations and awards. He composed the soundtrack for the movie "Despicable Me" in July 2010, and in 2011, he collaborated with Adam Lambert on his new album. In 2014, Pharrell won four Grammys out of eight nominations. He won the Grammy for Producer of the Year, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Group Performance.
Pharrell's second album, Girl, was released in 2014 and reached #1 on the US R&B chart as well as in Australia, Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK. The album also reached #2 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and in several other countries. His single "Happy" reached #1 in 10 countries and was certified 7x platinum. Williams was also featured on the hit singles "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, featuring T.I., which reached #1 in 10 countries, and "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk, which reached #1 in six countries. He also produced "Blurred Lines" and "Happy" as well as the #1 single "Sing" by Ed Sheeran. In March 2014, Williams replaced CeeLo Green as a coach on the seventh season of "The Voice." Pharrell teamed up with Al Gore in June 2015 to create a seven-continent Live Earth concert to raise awareness of climate change. In 2019, Williams launched a three-day music and culture festival, Something in the Water, on the waterfront of Virginia Beach. It featured solo performances by Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, and many other famous acts. Later that year, Williams collaborated with Hans Zimmer and produced five songs for Disney's "The Lion King." Continuously active, Pharrell Williams has many new plans on the drawing board or already in various stages of implementation.
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Pharrell Williams Career Earnings By Year
2007 – $17 million
2008 – $20 million
2009 – $16 million
2010 – $13 million
2011 – $10 million
2012 – $7 million
2013 – $9 million
2014 – $22 million
2015 – $32 million
2016 – $20 million
2017 – $20 million
2018 – $18 million
2019 – $25 million
Total: $229 million
Pharrell Williams continues to earn an estimated $22 million per year from his music and businesses.
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Business Ventures
In 2008, Williams co-designed glasses and jewelry for Louis Vuitton. He collaborated with Takashi Murakami on a sculpture at Art Basel in 2009. Williams launched I am OTHER in May 2012, a multimedia creative collective and record label. I am OTHER has a dedicated YouTube channel as well as apparel lines. He has also founded two clothing lines, Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear. Billionaire Boys Club has a flagship store in New York City, and Ice Cream Footwear has a store in Tokyo, Japan.
In 2013, Williams created a line of sunglasses for Moncler. He served as the executive producer for the 2015 film "Dope." He entered a partnership with Adidas the next year and released his "Human Race" collection on July 23, 2016. Williams founded From One Hand to Another (FOHTA), a non-profit organization. Their vision is to modernize the traditional community center in order to empower underserved children by giving them access to new technology, media, and art. Pharrell also collaborated with Chanel and Adidas on a €1,000 sneaker in 2017. In April 2019, Williams partnered with Verizon to launch a music curriculum in a nationwide campaign for Verizon Foundation Learning schools. The organization strives to provide internet access and free technology to under-resourced middle schools.
In 2022, Doodles hired Williams as its Chief Brand Officer and set a release date for a Doodles album to be available for streaming in addition to being sold exclusively as NFTs. In February 2023, Louis Vuitton announced that Pharrell had been appointed the new men's creative director. Williams' first collection went on display during the Paris Men's Fashion Week in June 2023.
Personal Life
Williams now says he regrets being involved with Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," which many have criticized for its controversial lyrics that are believed to refer to sexual assault.
Williams married Helen Lasichanh on October 12, 2013. Their son, Rocket Williams, was born in 2008. He wrote the "Despicable Me" song, "Rocket's Theme," for his son. In January 2017, Helen gave birth to triplets.
In addition to his other philanthropy, Williams built a $35 million afterschool center in Virginia Beach, his hometown. He also offered internships to 114 Harlem High School students. They were all accepted to college and the purpose of Pharrell's donation was to help students become the next leaders who will enact real change.
Real Estate
In 2001, Pharrell paid $1.85 million for a 9,000-square-foot waterfront home in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
In 2007, Pharrell sold his Miami Beach penthouse apartment for $8.5 million. That same year, he upgraded to a triplex penthouse, also in Miami, that had over 9,000 square feet of living space. This penthouse cost $12.5 million. In 2012, he listed this home for a shade under $17 million. He ultimately accepted $9.35 million in 2015.
In 2015, Williams and his family moved to a 17,000-square-foot home in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. He paid $15.6 million for the property, whose previous owner was Tyler Perry. Pharrell listed this home for sale in March 2020 for $17 million. It sold later in the year for $14 million.
In April 2020, Pharrell paid $30 million for a home in Coral Gables, Florida. The waterfront property, which sits on 3.5 acres and has a 17,000-square-foot mansion, was previously listed for $45 million.
