It’s easy to mock Gen Z. The way they baffle boomer bosses with their talk of quiet quitting and bare minimum Mondays, or using ChatGPT to write their emails. Then there’s the fact they spent their brat summers making bizarre TikTok recipes and eye-rolling anyone brave enough to wear ankle socks.
What’s not so easy to poke fun at is their wealth. A select few of this generation are more minted than any before. According to research published in March, the number of British 30 year olds and under earning more than £1m a year reached a record high of 830 – and 30 of those appear on this list.
How did they get so rich? Well, they work hard, for one. These are celebs who’ve slogged away in pubs/clubs or doing ads plugging everything from washing powder to boob-tape. They’re also loaded because they’re not rash with their cash. Instead, Gen Z are savvily investing in property or launching their own businesses. Not only that, many have sensible, nan-friendly hobbies such as knitting and crocheting.
So, here are the wealthiest 30-under-30 celebrities in the UK and Ireland...
28=) Big Zuu, 29, £2.5m
The rapper/presenter started as a Nando’s griller, before his Snapchat and YouTube cooking videos bagged him TV show Big Eats in 2020. Since then, the cheerful chef has been everywhere – winning BAFTAs, fronting Big Zuu’s 12 Dishes In 12 Hours, launching canned water brand Drip, and telling us all to save cash via the Pension Attention campaign.
28=) Kem Cetinay, 28, £2.5m
Since winning Love Island in 2017, Kem has coined it in by fronting a million LI spin-offs and pulling on his skates for Dancing On Ice, plus well-paid gigs on This Morning and Capital Radio. Then there’s the megabucks deal with Primark Man, which nets him an estimated £500k a year, and saw him launch grooming range Kem Cuts (another £1m).
28=) Beabadoobe, 24, £2.5m
Born in the Philippines and raised in London, the indie star hailed as the ‘voice of Gen Z’ recently scored her first No 1 with third album This Is How Tomorrow Moves. Beabadoobee (otherwise known as Beatrice Laus) has also boosted her bank balance supporting Taylor Swift on her Eras tour.
27) Emma Mackey, 28, £3.3m
France-born Emma got her breakthrough playing sharp-witted Maeve Wiley in popular Netflix show Sex Education. She’s now a bona fide Hollywood star, appearing in the Barbie film (handy given she’s a dead-ringer for Margot Robbie) and Death On The Nile, as well as being the face of Burberry Goddess fragrance. She’s so posh, she even attends VIP state dinners with King Charles.
26) Ella Henderson, 28, £3.4m
Her new single is called Filthy Rich, which is apt because Ella is quids-in. Booted out of 2012’s X Factor, Simon Cowell snapped her up for his Syco label where she enjoyed a No 1 single (Ghost) and album (Chapter One) before being dropped in 2018. Ella’s since staged a huge comeback, with hit singles with David Guetta, plus re-recording the Whooah Bodyform jingle for an ad.
24=) Dani Dyer, 28, £4m
HOW SHE MADE IT: Before winning 2018’s Love Island, Dani was a barmaid trying to make it as an actress by appearing in low-budget UK movies such as Bonded By Blood 2. She’s now swimming in pie and mash, as her Cockney dad might say, with TV shows (Absolutely Dyer: Danny And Dani Do Italy), brand deals (washing powder Surf, clothing brand Lovall) and working as a Netmums agony aunt, all while earning an estimated £16k per #spon Insta post.
HOW SHE SPENDS IT: Since getting engaged to England footballer Jarrod Bowen this summer, Dani’s has been living the life of a proper WAG – think a bling diamond engagement ring (rumoured cost £77k), expensive yacht outings, and private jets to the Euros. A £1m wedding is rumoured to be next.
24) AJ Tracey, 30, £4m
The London rapper, born Ché Wolton Grant, grew up so poor, he wore his mum’s socks to school. It’s all diamonds and Dior now for AJ, thanks to a string of top 10 hits (including Ladbroke Grove), two albums and festival appearances. He also puts his money to good use, donating £40k a year to help black students at Oxford University.
23) Paul Mescal, 28, £4.1m
The Irish actor famed for revamping the short-shorts trend is bumping up his big-screen earnings with a reported £1.5m pay packet stepping into Russell Crowe’s sandals for the new Gladiator II movie. Owns a £500k farmhouse in Ireland, but may need to be careful with his cash – Paul reckons he spent most of his Normal People wages on one round in the pub.
22) Tommy Fury, 25, £4.2m
We don’t know how Tommy and Molly-Mae split their assets when their fairy-tale romance fell apart this summer, but Tommy is believed to be worth roughly half of his ex-fiancée’s wealth. Boxing bouts with famous YouTubers have made him flush, along with countless brand deals (Boohoo Man, McDonald’s, Disney+). New tell-all memoir Lightning Can Strike Twice will add to that stash.
21) Amber Gill, 27, £4.7m
Within six weeks of triumphing in 2019’s Love Island, Amber was a millionaire, landing a £1m Miss Pap deal. Five years on, money’s still pouring in for the smart Geordie via TV presenting gigs (ITV’s The Full Treatment), reality shows (Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins), plus a side-hustle penning steamy romance novels.
20) Olivia Bowen, 30, £5.1m
Another ex-Love Islander, since finishing as runners-up in 2016’s series, Olivia and now-husband Alex have struck it rich with endorsements – Olivia’s deals include Skin Republic, Avon and £50k for promoting Perky Pear boob tape. There’s also paid posts on Insta netting her an estimated £500k, and a growing property empire after she studied interior design during lockdown.
19) Raye, 27, £5.2m
HOW SHE MADE IT: She might have won a record six gongs at this year’s BRITs, but Raye was no overnight success. After signing a four-album record deal as a 17 year old a decade ago, her career was in limbo until she made My 21st Century Blueswith her own money, releasing it last year on another label. Raye has also made a bundle penning songs for acts such as Beyoncé, Little Mix and Rihanna, plus she’s inked a deal with Dyson promoting headphones.
HOW SHE SPENDS IT: Sensibly. Raye bought a ‘rundown’ London home two years ago (sole luxury: a baby grand piano) and apparently does her own hair and make-up on tour, so she can afford more backing musicians.
18) Florence Pugh, 28, £5.9m
The sassy English actress who arrived on our radars starring in Brit flick Lady Macbeth has now burst into the Hollywood big leagues with roles in Oppenheimer, Dune: Part Two and upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts. Company accounts reveal Florence made £2.6m in the year to 2023.
17) Jake Bugg, 30, £7.3m
The Nottingham-born singer/songwriter recently released his sixth album, but has come a long way since releasing his debut – the double-platinum Jake Bugg – as an 18 year old in 2012. The funds from his music, a Burberry deal, plus lending his music to ads (Greene King, BMW) means Jake can afford stylish togs and a nice pad in west London’s Kensington (aka the UK’s wealthiest ’hood).
16) Maya Jama, 30, £8.1m
The Masked Singer’s newest judge is rolling in dough, thanks to picking up a reported £750k-per-series hosting Love Island, £50k+ hosting the Brits, plus brand deals including a cool £1m replacing Kate Moss as the face of Rimmel London. Splurges include a £100k+ designer handbag collection (including three Birkins) and an epic 30th birthday bash flying pals to Ibiza on a private jet.
15) Becky Hill, 30, £8.5m
The dance music superstar took home a staggering £313k a month last year, partly thanks to an Ibiza residency and music sales. It’s payback for Becky’s slow start – after finishing second on 2012’s The Voice, her career stalled. Now, she’s scored multiple Top 10 hits, has won two Brits and recently performed a sell-out UK arena tour.
14) Saoirse Ronan, 30, £9m
One of Ireland’s biggest movie stars, Saoirse picked up a reported £1.5m to play the title role in Mary Queen Of Scots and £1.1m for Little Women. She recently got married to Slow Horses star Jack Lowden in Edinburgh – the pair split their time between a £2.5m three-bedroom north London home and a £540k cottage in Cork.
13) Maisie Williams, 27, £9.6m
Playing baby-faced assassin Arya Stark in Game Of Thrones banked Maisie a whopping £150k-an-episode. She’s since topped that up nicely with brand deals (Audi, MacBook, Cartier watches, H&M), more acting gigs (X-Men spin-off The New Mutants, recent Dior biopic The New Look), and her entertainment company Wobbly Carrot.
12) Molly-Mae Hague, 25, £9.7m
The wealthiest ex-Love Islander on our list, Molly-Mae’s nest-egg is down to her shrewd business sense. Despite ditching her £400k-per-month job as Pretty Little Thing’s creative director, her brand deals are bigger than ever – earlier this year, she signed a reported £1m+ partnership with L’Oréal – but she’s got her own ventures, such as fake tan brand Filter and new fashion label Maebe. Tommy who?
11) Aitch, 24, £10m
It might be surprising to see the Manchester rapper on this list, given he’s only released one album. But Aitch (aka Harrison Armstrong) drives a hard bargain (apparently he wanted £200k to perform on Love Island), has millionaire pals (Ed Sheeran, Wayne Rooney, and, er, Barry from EastEnders), plus deals with Lynx, JD Sports and more.
10) Asa Butterfield, 27, £10.7m
Former child actor Asa earned an estimated £1.4m since finishing filming the last series of hit Netflix comedy Sex Education. The windfall adds to cash Asa’s made starring in films such as the Your Christmas Or Mine franchise, plus property investments. He’s also fond of competitive Nintendo gaming in his spare time.
9) Sam Fender, 30, £13.1m
Years of graft on the pub-and-club circuit has paid off for musician Sam, who has scored two No1 albums, won two BRITs, and performed sellout tours, including two massive stadium shows in his native Newcastle. He’s been frugal, though, claiming the only things he spends money on are ‘musical equipment, beers and kebabs’.
8) Jorja Smith, 27, £13.7m
R&B queen Jorja hasn’t had that many hits (although Little Things and her cover of East 17’s Stay Another Day went top 20 last year), but accounts show she pulled in over £3m last year, with plenty of savvy brand deals. She’s collaborated with A-listers (Drake, Stormzy, Burna Boy), is popular on Insta (3.7m followers), and leads a non-showbizzy existence, living in a 400-year-old farmhouse in her native Walsall.
7) Dave, 26, £13.9m
Sprinter ruled the UK charts in summer 2023, and has since racked up over 500m streams on Spotify. It was the third No 1 for the socially conscious rapper, who has also acted in Netflix’s Top Boy. Dave is charitable, too. He recently raised £500k from his Psycho merch line to help children in conflict zones.
6) Sophie Turner, 28, £18.5m
Sophie shot to fame playing Sansa Stark in Game Of Thrones, picking up a rumoured £150k-an-episode, before portraying Jean Grey in two X-Men movies and netting a further £1.5m. Last seen starring as a jewellery thief in ITV’s Joan, the recent divorcée is now dating aristocrat Peregrine Pearson, whose family fortune is believed to be £270m.
5) Millie Bobby Brown, 20, £22m
Millie is so minted that one luxury wedding with partner Jake Bongiovi (son of Jon Bon Jovi) wasn’t enough and they tied the knot again in Italy a few weeks later. Mills is rumoured to have earned £190k-an-episode for Stranger Things, £7.6m for Enola Holmes, £760k for the Godzilla movies, plus untold moolah from her Florence By Mills beauty brand.
4) Lewis Capaldi, 28, £30.4m
Lewis cancelled lucrative tour dates to protect his mental health, but the lack of gig income has barely dented his dosh reserves. He’s spent the time off recording in the studio, flitting between his £3m London pad and £1.6m Scottish farmhouse (with its own pool and spa), plus generously buying drinks for fans down his local cinema. He’s also recently been talking about starting his own football team.
3) Tom Holland, 28, £30.6m
HOW HE MADE IT: By putting on an ab-sculpted red suit and clambering up buildings playing Spider-Man in six Marvel movies. The last two films have each grossed £760m, with Tom believed to have netted around £7.6m for 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. His movie fees come with a hefty bonus, too – actor Tom Hollander (the guy from Rev and The White Lotus) recently said he mistakenly received a 'seven-figure' Avengers bonus meant for his near-namesake.
HOW HE SPENDS IT: A £2.5m six-bedroom London mansion and a car collection, which includes a £500k Rolls-Royce, £150k Porsche and £90k Audi. Other than that, Tom lives a quiet life with actor/singer girlfriend Zendaya. The pair enjoy knitting and taking their Doberman puppy for walkies. One sign Tom’s probably a bit too rich, though, is that the web-slinging megastar recently admitted he didn’t pay his water bill for five years because he thought it was free in the UK.
2) Dua Lipa, 29, £104m
HOW SHE MADE IT: ‘I’d like to take over the world if I could,’ Dua told Time mag in 2017. Seven years on, the Houdini hitmaker has achieved her ambition. As well as three albums and sold-out tours (2022’s Future Nostalgia outing grossed £68m), she also (deep breath) runs a book club and lifestyle newsletter, makes documentaries, partners with glam brands (Yves Saint Laurent, Porsche), has co-designed
a collection with Versace, and has plans to launch her own ice-cream range. Oh, and don’t forget this summer’s triumphant Glasto headlining slot, where she received £200k and partied it up in the mud afterwards wearing £300k worth of Tiffany & Co diamonds. There’s now acting, too, with a Barbie cameo and a bigger role in spy flick Argylle.
HOW SHE SPENDS IT: Dua owns a £6.75m London house with pool, steam room, cinema and a £10k ‘butterfly roof’. But the tycoon-in-waiting is making some smart business decisions, too. In 2022, Dua ended her partnership with TaP Music, hired her father as her manager, and bought the rights and masters for her entire catalogue, raking in even more royalties.
1) Harry Styles, 30, £200m
HOW HE MADE IT: At the time of One Direction’s 2016 split, Harry was worth £37m. Now, the pop phenomenon is worth nearly seven times that amount, thanks to his solo magnificence: three chart-conquering albums, a staggering 20bn Spotify streams, plus his two-year Love On Tour jaunt, which grossed £474m and sold 5m tickets. His acting side-job and brand deals for the likes of Gucci pull in extra pennies. He’s even making a mark in the corporate world with beauty brand Pleasing, as well as investing in Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena and up-and-coming fashion brand SS Daley.
HOW HE SPENDS IT: Harry owns three properties near to each other in London’s celeb-packed Highgate, including a £50m ‘monster mansion’. In New York, there’s his £6.6m apartment (next-door neighbour: Taylor Swift). Having faced issues with stalkers in recent years, security is big for Harry, and he has three security guards on his payroll. Aside from that, he splashes money on sports and keeping his buff body in shape. Harry belongs to a ritzy £92k-a-year golf club, enjoys ice baths and recently joined a boxing gym.
