Table of Contents
Key Points
- Slowing Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty sales push her estimated fortune down from $1.4 billion to $1 billion in 2025.
- Consumer spending shifts to skincare and essentials, squeezing celebrity-led brands and cutting into premium beauty and fashion revenues.
- Despite launching Fenty Beauty in China, global market headwinds and cost pressures are dimming the brand’s once-rapid growth trajectory.
Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty, the Barbadian pop star who turned global fame into a powerhouse business built on bold ideas and broad appeal, is facing a sobering reality: she may soon lose her billionaire status. Her estimated net worth, as tracked by Forbes, has been falling—dragged down by slowing sales across her Fenty brands.
It’s a reminder of how quickly things can change in the fast-moving world of beauty and fashion. What once looked like a sure bet—celebrity-led brands dominating the market—is now running up against tighter consumer budgets, rising costs, and a shifting industry landscape.
Rihanna’s fortune slips amid market slowdown
At the beginning of 2025, Forbes pegged Rihanna’s fortune at $1.4 billion. That number has since dropped to $1 billion—a nearly 30 percent decline in less than a year.
It’s a steep fall from her 2022 peak of $1.7 billion, when she became the richest female musician in the world and one of the few self-made Black women billionaires. But with revenue slowing at both Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, her status as a billionaire is looking less certain.
What’s happening to Rihanna’s wealth mirrors broader changes in the market. The once red-hot beauty industry has cooled. More brands are fighting for the same customers, and shoppers are now leaning toward skincare and wellness over high-glam looks.
At the same time, inflation and rising costs have made people think twice about spending, especially on premium products.
LVMH, Rihanna’s partner in Fenty Beauty, has acknowledged these pressures, pointing to a new focus on improving efficiency and enhancing the in-store experience rather than expanding at breakneck speed.
Rihanna’s brand pushes into China
Still, Rihanna isn’t backing down. She continues to grow her brand’s presence globally, even as the road gets bumpier.
Last year, she made a major move by launching Fenty Beauty in mainland China—one of the toughest markets to crack. Earlier this year, she introduced the brand to Saint Lucia with a vibrant rollout at Castries Duty Free.
The event featured all of her product lines—makeup, skincare, and fragrance—and drew local fans eager to try her signature shades. Makeup artists offered personalized consultations, keeping with Fenty’s core promise: beauty that’s for everyone, everywhere.
But even Rihanna’s star power hasn’t shielded her from financial headwinds. Fenty Beauty changed the industry when it debuted in 2017 with a 40-shade foundation line that spoke to women long ignored by mainstream brands.
It quickly became a hit, raking in more than $550 million annually within three years. Today, it’s available in over 150 countries and remains a staple in Sephora stores around the world. Yet as the market matures and customer excitement levels off, the brand’s growth has slowed.
Savage X Fenty hit by weaker demand, rising cost
Savage X Fenty, her lingerie line launched in 2018, is also feeling the squeeze. Rihanna owns about 30 percent of the company, which hit a $1 billion valuation in 2021 after drawing backing from top investors like L Catterton and Marcy Venture Partners.
Known for promoting body positivity and size inclusivity, the brand carved out its own space in a crowded field. But like many others, it’s now grappling with shifting tastes and rising operational costs.
Billionaire or not, she shifted culture
Rihanna didn’t become a billionaire just by being famous—she built something people genuinely connected with.
Her beauty brand stood out because it reflected real lives and real people, offering products for those who had long been left out. It wasn’t just makeup; it was a message. And for a while, that connection turned into massive success.
But with sales now slowing and market values dipping, the same industry that once praised her is starting to take a closer look.
If her fortune continues to slide, she may lose her spot on Forbes’ Billionaires list. That might be more about symbolism than dollars, but it still matters.
Titles aside, Rihanna has left her mark. She didn’t just sell products—she helped shift the conversation around beauty and identity, showing what a brand can mean when it speaks to people who’ve been ignored for too long.
