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The Weeknd seemed to go from a total unknown to a music industry giant overnight, becoming one of the most popular young stars in the United States today.

His life is extensively covered by the media, and his relationships with other big-name celebrities have gotten him in the news more than once. The Weeknd has evolved from the boy who once anonymously uploaded his recordings to Youtube to the performer who has been onstage in front of hundreds of thousands of screaming fans, which begs the question: how much is The Weeknd worth?

In this article, we’ll explore who The Weeknd is, how exactly he became famous, and what his estimated net worth is. 

Who is The Weeknd?

The Weeknd on the red carpet
The Weeknd | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, in February 1990. As he grew into a young musician, he started working on songs with producer Jeremy Rose in Toronto. In 2010, he anonymously uploaded several songs to Youtube under the moniker, “The Weeknd.”

This would mark the beginning of what would ultimately grow into an extremely successful career, even though it’s unlikely he had any idea of how famous he would become at the time. 

In 2011, he released the mixtapes, “House of Balloons,” “Thursday,” and “Echoes of Silence,” which almost immediately gained him recognition from several well-known publications — as much for his dark wave style of R&B as for the mysteriousness surrounding his identity. He also received help from fellow Canadian musician, Drake, who drummed up interest in The Weeknd by posting clips of his songs and mentioning him on social media. This would later become the big break-through into the music scene that The Weeknd needed. 

How did The Weeknd become famous? 

The Weeknd became moderately well-known after releasing his compilation album, Trilogy under Republic Records and his own label, XO. He then released his first studio album Kiss Land in 2013.

Both of these albums reached the number one spot on the U.S. R&B chart. But The Weeknd’s next collection, Beauty Behind the Madness, released in 2015, was the album that would catapult him to national and international fame.

This album also contained two of The Weeknd’s top hits: “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel My Face,” which were accompanied by interesting, strange, and slightly dark music videos. 

A year later, The Weeknd released his third album, “Starboy,” which spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one hit, “Starboy.” His EP “My Dear Melancholy,” also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2018. 

But The Weeknd isn’t only interested in music. Part of the reason that his fame is so widespread is that he is branching out into the world of business and leaving his mark on other industries. In 2016, The Weeknd announced that he was becoming a Global Brand Ambassador for Puma.

He has his own XO-branded merchandise, which was recently in the spotlight after a collaboration by H&M to present its Spring 2017 campaign. The Weeknd has even partnered with Marvel, announcing that a Starboy comic book was in the works.

The Weeknd has also earned his share of awards. “Beauty Behind the Madness” won a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album and was nominated for Album of the Year. The Weeknd has won two other Grammy awards, two American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, nine Juno awards, and has been nominated for an Academy Award.

As one of the most successful Canadian artists, The Weeknd was awarded the Allan Slaight Award by Canada’s Walk of Fame for “making a positive impact in the fields of music, film, literature, visual or performing arts, sports, innovation or philanthropy.”

The Weeknd has sold over 70 million records in the United States throughout the duration of his career — which is certainly far from over. 

What is The Weeknd’s net worth? 

The Weeknd’s net worth is estimated to be around 90 million dollars. According to Celebrity Net Worth, “between June 2016 and June 2017,” the recording artist and record producer “grossed $90 million from record sales, touring, merchandise and more.” 

As for The Weeknd’s future, he seems primed to grow his established fan base and prove an even more successful musician in the coming decade.