What is Neil Young’s Net Worth?
Canadian musician Neil Young has amassed a net worth of $200 million over his decades-long career as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Known primarily for his folk-rock music, Young has won numerous awards, including Grammys and Juno Awards, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both as a solo artist and as a member of Buffalo Springfield.
Young’s success is largely attributed to his record sales, which are estimated to have surpassed 75 million over the course of his career.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Neil Percival Young was born on November 12th of 1945 in Toronto, Ontario. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Canada and contracted Polio in 1952. At the age of 12, he went to live with his mother after she separated from Young’s father.
During the mid-1950s, Neil Young became infatuated with Rock n’ Roll after listening to Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and many others. Young’s early experiences with music involved playing several stringed instruments, including the ukulele and banjo.
Neil Young formed his first band, the Jades, while in high school. He then became so involved in the music scene that he dropped out of school to pursue a full-time career as a musician, eventually joining a stable instrumental rock band called The Squires.
Neil Young’s Career Highlights
After leaving The Squires, Neil Young started writing songs and achieved mainstream success as a songwriter with hits such as “Sugar Mountain.” He then joined the band Mynah Birds before founding Buffalo Springfield with other musicians. As a solo artist, he released successful albums, including Harvest, which contained the number one hit “Heart of Gold.” Young’s influence on the Grunge movement improved his popularity among younger generations, and he later focused on activism, writing lyrics about environmentalism and other concerns. In 2020, Young announced the upcoming release of his “long lost” album, Harvest.
Neil Young Sells Half of Music Catalog for $150 Million
Neil Young has sold a 50% stake in his music catalog for $150 million. The deal involves selling half the copyright and income to approximately 1,120 songs to investment firm Hipgnosis. The announcement was made in January 2021.
Neil Young Gives Spotify Ultimatum Over Joe Rogan’s Podcast
Neil Young posted a letter to social media and his website in January 2022, demanding that Spotify either remove his music or remove Joe Rogan’s podcast. Young believes that Rogan’s show spreads vaccine misinformation that leads to preventable deaths. However, Spotify chose not to remove Rogan’s podcast, and Young made good on his threat.
Interestingly, at the time of the threat, Young did not actually own his master recordings. Warner Music owns his masters and forced Spotify to take the music offline. The real loser in this decision is Hipgnosis, which had just paid $150 million for 50% of Young’s royalty stream. Royalty streams are generated on platforms like Spotify.
Neil Young’s Personal Life
Neil Young has been married three times. His first marriage to Susan Avecedo lasted for two years. He then had a five-year relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress, with whom he had one child. In 1978, he married Pegi Young, whom he met while she was working as a waitress at a diner near his ranch. They were married for 36 years before getting divorced in 2014. Afterward, he met actress Daryl Hannah and eventually married her four years later.
Young is known for his activism, especially regarding small farmers and electric vehicles. He also supports education for children with disabilities. In 2005, he was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and underwent a successful procedure but later passed out due to bleeding from a femoral artery.
Neil Young’s Business Ventures
Neil Young was once a part-owner of Lionel, LLC, a company specializing in model trains and accessories. However, he lost all of his shares in the company during its bankruptcy in 2008. Despite this, Young still sits on the board of directors and has been named a co-inventor on at least 7 patents related to model trains.
Young also helped create Pono, an online music download and streaming service that aimed to replicate high-quality, analog recordings straight from the studio. Unfortunately, Pono was forced to shut down in 2017 after its operating company, Omnifone, was bought out by Apple.
Neil Young’s Real Estate Investments
In 1970, Neil Young purchased Broken Arrow Ranch, a 1,000-acre property in La Honda, California for $350,000 cash. He subsequently expanded the property by buying thousands of additional acres.
In November 2015, Neil listed his longtime home in Hawaii for $24.5 million. He eventually sold the property in 2018 for $20 million.
In 2016, Neil purchased a home in Malibu, California from his girlfriend Darryl Hannah for $3.6 million. Darryl purchased the 17.6-acre property in 2001 for $1.32 million. At one time she had attempted to sell it for as much as $5 million. In November 2018 the house was destroyed in the Woolsey fire.
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