Jennifer Hudson’s net worth is estimated to be $30 million. The singer is able to be worth so much thanks to her multi-faceted career in Hollywood as well as other endeavors.
Being able to rack up a net worth in the millions is no mean feat and Ms. Hudson has managed to do that in the period she’s been in the spotlight. Born Jennifer Kate Hudson in the early 1980s in Chicago, Illinois, the singer was a music enthusiast who loved to sing right from when she was a child. Being a fan of famous singers like Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston, she discovered what she could do with her voice really early in life.
Hudson’s professional music career began immediately after she left college as she signed her first recording contract with a Chicago-based recording company called Righteous Records. The contract was meant to last for five years but was terminated after Hudson got a spot to compete on American Idol.
Three albums and numerous movies later, Jennifer Hudson is said to be worth a whopping $30 million and has reportedly earned an annual salary of about $3.23 million from her various entertainment endeavors. She is currently signed to Epic Records and has been since 2016.
Jennifer Hudson’s $30 Million Net Worth Is As A Result Of Her Multi-Faceted Career
Jennifer Hudson has been active in the entertainment scene for 20 years and does not seem to have any plans of slowing down. From the time she launched her professional singing career in 2004 and her acting career in 2006, she has enjoyed huge success on all sides, and this has translated to an enviable bank account.
According to reports, the superstar has an estimated net worth of $30 million. Judging by the fact that her career is still flourishing, there is no gainsaying that this figure will keep increasing. Below are ways through which the beautiful lady makes her money.
The Bulk Of Her Earnings Come From Her Music Career
Nothing else can match Jennifer’s golden voice and that voice has been her ultimate money maker. Her journey towards becoming the star she is today began right from when she was a seven-year-old child. At this age, she joined the choir and started performing with them in the church. In addition, she also did community theatre, thanks to her late maternal grandmother Julia who helped her.
Many years down the line, Jennifer Hudson decided it was time to bless the world with her voice. In January 2002, she signed her first recording contract with an independent record label based in Chicago known as Righteous Records. Although the contract was supposed to be a five-year deal, the singer was cut loose from Righteous Records in 2004 so that she could participate in that year’s edition of American Idol (third edition).
In the course of the reality singing competition show, Hudson survived for weeks, receiving the highest number of votes in the “Top 9” show following her performance of “Circle of Life” by Elton John on April 6, 2004. Unfortunately, she was evicted two weeks later during the “Top 7” show after she performed the song “Weekend in New England” by Barry Manilow.
Even though she did not emerge winner of the show, though a finalist, Jennifer’s time on the singing competition TV series launched her into fame, marking the beginning of her professional music career. With three albums, over twenty singles so far in her discography, and multiple awards, Jennifer Hudson’s influence on the music industry, especially on the R&B genre, has been very palpable.
Hudson got signed to Arista Records in 2008 and afterward, she released her debut album self-titled ‘Jennifer Hudson’, which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album also sold 217,000 units in its first week of release and was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. This album went on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2009.
Her next two albums, ‘Remember Me’ (released on March 22, 2011) and ‘JHUD’ (released on September 23, 2014) were also huge commercial successes and raked in plenty of album sales money for the singer. The former debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, sold 165,000 copies in the US in its first week, and 56,000 copies in its second week. By the following month, the album was certified gold by the RIAA having successfully shipped more than 500,000 copies in the United States.
‘JHUD’ was released by RCA Records following the closure of Arista Records and it took the 10th spot on the US Billboard 200 chart and the 2nd spot on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart upon its debut. With 24,000 copies sold in its first week of release, this album marked the lowest debut sales ever recorded by Hudson and also the lowest chat debut.
Apart from what she makes from the sales of her music, Jennifer also earns money through her singing career by performing at various events like the Super Bowl. On the 19th of August 2021, she performed a show called Jennifer Hudson – Live at the Apollo: A Night of Soul. Two days later, she stormed New York City’s Central Park for the We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert where she performed ‘Nessun Dorma’.
Although we know that Jennifer Hudson has a prolific music career, she is very discreet about her earnings and as such, the exact amount she makes from both her appearances and album sale is not public news.
Jennifer Hudson Has Also Enjoyed A Very Profitable Acting Career
After her breakout onto the music scene, it did not take long for Jennifer to begin making appearances in movies. Her first appearance was in Dreamgirls for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Appearing alongside pop star Beyoncé in the movie, Hudson played Effie, a member of an R&B trio called Dreamgirls.
The movie was released in 2006 and made well over a hundred and fifty million dollars at the box office. Sadly, Hudson’s take-home pay is not public, but it was reported that Beyoncé earned about $12.5 million for her role in the movie. So it might be safe to say Hudson’s pay from that particular movie was in the millions too.
Subsequent movie appearances she has made include The Secret Life of Bees in 2008, Winnie Mandela in 2011, Black Nativity in 2013, Sing in 2016, Confirmation and Cats in 2019. Hudson has also featured as a guest actor in hit television shows like Sex and the City, Empire (2015), and Smash which aired in 2013. She also notably played Aretha Franklin in the biopic movie Respect in August 2020.
Having become a big name in the entertainment industry by the time she appeared in most of these films and TV series, there is no doubt that her services came with payments that equal her status.
Jennifer Hudson’s Successful Career Has Paved Way For More Money-Making Opportunities
You might know Jennifer Hudson primarily as a singer but she is undeniably so much more. This woman has built an empire for herself that does not revolve around her music career alone. Hudson has worked as a coach on both the US and UK versions of The Voice. Her earnings from coaching the UK version of The Voice has been typically hidden from the public but she reportedly earned $8 million per season on the US version. She coached The Voice US in seasons 13 and 15 after which she was replaced by John Legend.
Hudson has also cut endorsement deals with top brands like Adidas Yeezy Boosts, APM Monaco, and Burton Snowboards. Also, she is a brand ambassador for fashion designers like Christian Louboutin and Christian Siriano. Hudson also became a spokesperson for the weight loss brand Weight Watchers in April 2010 and at the time, she explained that she was motivated to lose weight as a result of the pounds she gained while pregnant with her son.
In November 2012, the award-winning actress and singer announced that she had shed 80 pounds and was done with weight loss. However, she remained an ambassador for Weight Watchers until March 2014 when she decided to end her official partnership with the fitness company.
In spite of how busy Hudson has been, the exact earnings she made from these business deals are private information. But we know this is one of the ways our golden singer earned her millions – by being smart and bankable. When it comes to her Instagram marketing influence, she is reported to earn as much as $5,286 – $8,811 for each sponsored post made on the social platform, a platform where she has nearly 3 million followers.
As far as the public knows, Jennifer Hudson has always been a very shrewd businesswoman. The 42 year-old singer has consistently managed all her multiple businesses without as much as a hint of scandal or controversy cast on her. As a matter of fact, she takes the high road and keeps the true nature of her finances under wraps.
What Charity Works Does Jennifer Hudson Spend On?
Jennifer Hudson’s life hasn’t been all glitters and roses, the singer has experienced her share of heartbreak and grief, even as a superstar. In 2008, her life was turned upside down when she found her mother, brother, and nephew dead from a shooting. The shooting was perpetrated by Hudson’s mentally deranged brother-in-law who has been remanded in a correctional facility.
After taking considerable time to mourn her family, Hudson founded the Hudson-King Foundation in honor of the families of slain victims. She also founded the Julian D. King Gift Foundation, in honor of her nephew who was only 8 years old at the time. The 40-year-old singer also works in conjunction with other charities including, the BID 2 BEAT AIDS, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR), the Fulfillment Fund, and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes.
Does Jennifer Hudson’s Wealth Reflect In Her Lifestyle?
Definitely yes! Jennifer loves her bling and isn’t afraid to show it. The Grammy Award winner has been known to acquire different luxurious properties over the years and we’ll introduce you to some of them.
Her House
Jennifer Hudson’s most expensive single property as far as public knowledge goes is her $3 million Chicago house. The massive property is located in Burr Ridge, the southwest suburbs of her hometown in Illinois.
While the Respect actress keeps her personal life away from the public, she has allowed fans to have a glimpse of the inside of her beautiful home, which was built in 2007 by the original owners before she took over. It’s a 12,000sq property with about 16 rooms which includes 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 2 laundry rooms, a kitchen, a library, a game room, and a kitchen.
The house also features a marbled foyer which has a spiraling floating stairway, an in-house screening room, five fireplaces, and an impressive 6-car garage. The floor of the house was previously covered in Brazilian cherry floorboards but since moving in, Jennifer has remodeled it as well as many other things to suit her tastes.
In April 2021, fans of the American Idol star were excited as she gave them a peek into her palatial living room which has marble floors, lofty ceilings, black netted curtains, cream-colored furniture with gold accents, and even a space where a grand piano can be kept.
Just like her living room, Jennifer’s kitchen is also tastefully furnished with ultra-modern appliances. It also has a lot of storage space with cupboards that line the walls and continue over the length of the room. Additionally, she has a marble kitchen island as well as a colorway of dark browns and beiges.
Being the music star that she is, it is no surprise that Jennifer Hudson deemed it fit to make provision for a music room for herself. She also has a home office where she keeps track of matters of utmost importance. However, being someone who values her privacy, she has kept her most private space in her home – her bedroom – private, but as shown in the previous listing, the singer’s bedroom is very spacious and features an en-suite bathroom with a built-in tub and a fireplace.
Outside the home is no less impressive as it features very short neatly cut grass, perfectly clean stone pavements, and a lot of trees and greenery. Previously, Hudson had lived in New York in an apartment in the famous Apthorp building. This apartment is currently on the market at a value of $6,995,500.
Her Cars and Jewelry
Jennifer Hudson is also the owner of several luxury cars including a Cadillac Escalade (worth nearly $90,000), a 620-hp GMC Yukon, a Lincoln Town Limousine, and a Lincoln Navigator (which is reportedly worth $77,000). In addition to her expensive cars, the singer also owns several expensive pieces of jewelry and her collection includes her Platinum Neil Lane engagement ring.
The spectacular ring has a 5-carat center stone which is beset by at least 50 diamonds; a true stunner. Other valuable ornaments Jennifer has been spotted wearing are her 18-carat Cartier Ballon Bleu bracelet, which reportedly costs over $11,000, and a Pink Gold wristwatch worth more than $18,000.
