Bad Bunny - how the Grammy winning artist became a Forbes top paid entertainer in 2022

Forbes released their list of the ten highest-paid entertainers in 2022, and while there are some familiar faces on the list, the order has been a little more interesting, to say the least. While the likes of Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and James Cameron feature, the top two on Forbes’ list are Genesis and Sting (after similar back catalogue deals the likes of Justin Bieber have recently been involved in.)

Look further down the list though and you’ll see in the tenth position Puerto Rican rapper Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known more commonly as Bad Bunny. Forbes has stated that Bad Bunny made an estimated $88 million USD (around £72 million) in 2022, through endorsement deals, royalties and the odd wrestling appearance here and there - including a likeness deal for the new WWE video game

But how did the crossover superstar make the bulk of his money, in an era where many musicians look to companies such as Hipgnosis? Peopleworld takes a look at the revenue streams that have led to Bad Bunny appearing as the tenth highest-paid entertainer in 2022.

Streaming revenue

Though several artists have previously complained about Spotify’s policy in terms of streaming revenue, when it works for an artist - it works. For Bad Bunny, his global appeal on the streaming giant was celebrated by the company - which announced that his 18.5 billion streams in 2022 made him the platform’s top artist for the third consecutive year.

The three-peat led to Bad Bunny once again adjourning a special championship ring, designed by Jason of Beverly Hills, to symbolise each year he was the top-streamed global artist on Spotify. As of writing, Bad Bunny is currently on 65,172,666 monthly listens, with Spotify confirming that the majority of those streams have emanated from Mexico.

Endorsements and celebrity appearances

Being one of the hottest musicians in the world, and further extending his crossover appeal to English-speaking audiences, many companies have roped Bad Bunny into endorsement deals since his rise to superstardom. Corona, Cheetos and Adidas can all count on Bad Bunny as a brand ambassador, with Adidas going as far as to collaborate on a number of trainers with the 28-year-old in 2022.

On top of those endorsements are also appearances in other media, with Bunny making his movie debut in 2022 in the Brad Pitt action film Bullet Train after a bit part in F9. Bunny’s performance in Bullet Train impressed Sony executives so much that he has been cast in the lead role of El Muerto, which will be canon to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and set for release in 2024.

Then there are his appearances in sports entertainment company World Wrestling Entertainment, who have been flush with cash after several high-profile television deals with Fox and Comcast (owners of the USA Network).

Though initially performing at a premium live event (he sampled former WCW World Champion Booker T in the song of the same name), he made his wrestling debut in 2021 at Wrestlemania - considered the Super Bowl of pro wrestling, followed by another one-off appearance at the 2022 Royal Rumble.

Both shows are considered cornerstones of the wrestling calendar and it’s been reported that the WWE has paid Bad Bunny $100,000 USD per appearance, coupled with shifting $500,000 USD worth of merchandise to wrestling fans and curious casual fans alike.

The World’s Hottest Tour

Forbes has attributed most of his income has been when Bad Bunny has been on the road, showing that despite streaming revenue not being as “fairly shared” between artists, distributors and streaming platforms, there is still a lot of money to be made on the touring cycle.

It’s been reported that the bulk of his revenue from touring has come from The World’s Hottest Tour, playing 43 shows across the United States and Latin America in 2022 and earning an estimated $314 million from that tour alone. Statistics have also shown that nearly every single date during the tour was at full capacity - with his two-night engagements in Inglewood drawing $31,096,479 USD.

The top ten highest paid entertainers of 2022 - according to Forbes (estimated in USD)

1. Genesis - $230m

2. Sting - £210m

3. Tyler Perry - £175m

4. Trey Parker and Matt Stone - $160m

5. James L. Brooks & Matt Groening - $105m

6. Brad Pitt - $100m

7. The Rolling Stones - $98m

8. James Cameron - $95m

9. Taylor Swift - $92m

10. Bad Bunny - $88m