heat’s Rich List 2021

We reveal our annual list of the UK’s wealthiest celebs aged 30 or under…

Dave and Little Mix

by Katie Holloway |
Updated on

Speak with your average young celebrity and they’ll tell you they’re not rich. Not with all those 0.0001p Spotify royalty cheques, weaselly accountants and Covid cancellations, oh no. That’s why you’ll find them giving happy birthday shoutouts for £30-a-pop on Cameo or CelebVM. Or flogging career cast-offs on Depop and eBay (hello, Corrie’s Helen Flanagan).

Some even end up bankrupt: once Katie Price, Lee Ryan and Shane Filan all made heat’s 30-and-under Rich List; shortly afterwards they were skint. Of course, the pandemic has made things worse, with celebs unblocking drains (TOWIE’s Kirk Norcross) or delivering our stuff (X Factor’s Ray Quinn) when work dried up.

Yet, there’s an exclusive elite of young famous folk who don’t have to worry about making ends meet. These lucky few don’t have to rummage around the reduced aisles in their local Lidl or appear on Celebrities Drive Trucks (OK, so we made that one up). Instead, they’re hiring theme parks for their birthdays, treating fans to £5k’s worth of Greggs or installing wildlife ponds and “vagina tunnels” in their homes.

They’re also clever with their cash, getting avatars to do their work for them in Fortnite, or investing in storage units, Bitcoin and golf. How do we know all this? We’ve taken a cheeky nose into their accounts, and can reveal all.

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heat's Rich List 2021

Dave1 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(30) Dave, 23, £5.2m

NEW ENTRY! Clean-cut Streatham rapper who has won awards galore (the Mercury Prize, the BRITs) for his two brilliant number one albums, Psychodrama and We're All Alone in This Together. The talented musician boosts his income with a jewellery business, acting (Top Boy) and scoring music for Sir David Attenborough's Planet Earth.

Anne-Marie2 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(29) Anne-Marie, 30, £5.4m

NEW ENTRY! A debut showing for the karate-loving Essex popstrel who made £1.7m in 2020 thanks to her singing career, judging The Voice and canny property investments through her real estate firm Miss AM. With recent album Therapy, hits with Niall Horan and Little Mix, plus new fashion brand QOTM Clothing, expect her to repeat that in 2021.

Jodie Comer3 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(28) Jodie Comer, 28, £5.7m

Makes a reported £100k an episode for playing psychotic assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve but has now entered Hollywood big-league starring opposite Ryan Reynolds in blockbuster Free Guy. She's fond of £440 oxygen therapy facials, but otherwise Jodie is flush, not flash: still living at home with mum-and-dad in Liverpool.

Saoirse Ronan4 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(27) Saoirse Ronan, 27, £5.9m

Talented Saoirse (pronounced 'Sur-sha') has racked up four Oscar nominations and a tidy fortune in films such as Lady Bird and Little Women. She stays true to her Irish roots, buying a modest two-bedroom home in West Cork for £688k last year (she's got a £1.3m London home too).

Jake Bugg5 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(26) Jake Bugg, 27, £6.1m

NEW ENTRY! Indie singer-songwriter from Nottingham who shot to fame as an 18-year-old in 2012 and has since cashed it in due to lucrative tours and five top-selling albums. Has a fondness for models (he's dated Cara Delevingne and Roxy Horner), thinks nothing of splashing £12k on guitars and sponsors the away kit for his beloved Notts County football team.

Millie Bobby Brown6 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(25) Millie Bobby Brown, 17, £7.2m

NEW ENTRY! HOW SHE MADE IT: When MBB was seven, her parents sold everything and moved to the US to make her a star. It's paid off. Her first break was in supernatural sci-fi Stranger Things, which now pockets her £220k an episode. Playing the lead in Netflix's Enola Holmes nets her £4.4m, with money also pouring in from Godzilla films and her vegan beauty brand Florence by Mills. Face it: she'll be topping this list come 2034. HOW SHE SPENDS IT: Most 17-year-olds are still on L-plates, but MBB drives a £73k Mercedes. She's also got homes in London and Atlanta. MBB – who's currently dating Jon Bon Jovi's son Jake – is kind-hearted too, donating £15k to NHS staff during the pandemic.

Sam Faiers7 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(24) Sam Faiers, 30, £8m

Make no mistake: Sam's one savvy businesswoman. Earlier this year, she landed a £3m deal with Tesco for new kids' beauty brand Knightley's Adventures, while there's a homeware line (£1m turnover), juicy ad deals (£250k Pampers, £500k Oreo Cookies) and book deals (£750k), not to mention loot from The Mummy Diaries (£250k-a-series), which she's now left after five years.

Maisie Williams8 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(23) Maisie Williams, 24, £8.7m

Maisie's entertainment firm Wobbly Carrot had net assets of £3.4m in the year up to July 2020, which adds to the reported £158k-an-episode she received for playing Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, as well as film roles such as X-Men spin-off New Mutants. Has also earned a bob or two endorsing Cartier watches.

Tommy Mallet9 of 30
CREDIT: Shutterstock

(22) Tommy Mallet, 29, £9.7m

Tommy's footwear brand has had a brilliant year, clocking £11.8m sales and being stocked in more than 150 stores around the world. Not only that, but the TOWIE star also made prestigious US business mag Forbes' 30 Under 30 list (he also became a daddy for the first time too). Not bad for somebody who left school at 16 without a single GCSE to his name.

Tom Holland10 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(21) Tom Holland, 25, £11m

According to recent gossip sites, Tom recently asked for a £14m pay hike to re-sign as Spider-Man in the Marvel films (he apparently earned £2.2m for last flick Spider-Man: Far From Home). Currently dating Euphoria actress Zendaya (also worth £11m), the pair can sometimes be seen whizzing around LA in Tom's £90k Audi sports car.

Disclosure11 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(20) Disclosure, £12m

NEW ENTRY! Brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence founded dance duo Disclosure in 2010, scoring hits such as White Noise, three top-selling albums and lucrative DJ gigs around the world. They helped launch Sam Smith's career (2012's Latch) and have collaborated with the Weeknd, Lorde and Kelis. Howard owns a Surrey farm where he's planted 1,000 trees and grows his own food.

Jesy Nelson12 of 30
CREDIT: Shutterstock

(19) Jesy Nelson, 30, £13.5m

NEW ENTRY! HOW SHE MADE IT: By being 1/4 of the Little Mix money-machine for nine years. Having quit the chart-hogging girlband last December, she's now returning to the spotlight with a solo career. Debut single Boyz might have been overshadowed by accusations of blackfishing thanks to the rather dubious video, but music industry experts believe Jesy could crack the US, possibly raking in an extra £10m. HOW SHE SPENDS IT: There's a lavish Essex home with a log fire, enormous kitchen and chandeliers everywhere, but Jesy likes partying too. Her recent 30th birthday shindig saw five nights of celebrating involving gallons of champagne and a sleepover at a posh London hotel.

Sophie Turner13 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(18) Sophie Turner, 25, £14.1m

Game of Thrones and the X-Men franchise catapulted Sophie to global fame. Now married to boybander Joe Jonas, the pair have just splashed out £8m on an oceanfront Miami mansion, while trying to flog their £12.5m LA mansion and £4.4m NYC apartment. Together, Sophie and Joe have an eye-watering joint net worth of £32m.

George Ezra14 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(17) George Ezra, 28, £14.2m

Only two albums plus a handful of hit singles and tours are behind George's humungous wealth. The Budapest hitmaker – who has been candid about his struggles with OCD – seems sensible with his cash: solo hiking holidays in the Highlands and taking up birdwatching as a hobby during the pandemic.

Lewis Capaldi15 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(16) Lewis Capaldi, 25, £17m

Two years ago, the scruffy crooner claimed to have less than £200 in his bank account. Not anymore. Ballad Someone You Loved topped charts in the UK and US, raking him in £2.4m from Spotify streams. He's now got a £1.6m luxury farmhouse with its own island, plus a £500k Glasgow pad. The junk food fan also treated fans to £5k worth of Greggs after a Scottish show too.

KSI16 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(15) KSI, 28, £19.6m

Starting out as teenage YouTuber (he can still make £250k in ad revenue from one video), KSI has built a showbiz career from his 23.5m subscribers, venturing into music (album All Over the Place debuted at no1), TV (Celebrity Gogglebox) and property (his portfolio is worth £10m). There's also big bucks from his boxing matches with rival US vlogger Logan Paul (2019's rematch earned KSI £700k). Losing £7m on bad Bitcoin investments must feel like crumbs on the table.

Stormzy17 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(14) Stormzy, 28, £23.5m

Now so famous he has his own Madame Tussaud's waxwork, Stormzy is minted enough to hire out the whole of Thorpe Park for his 28th birthday (the bash came with unlimited booze and a McDonald's food truck). He likes to give back too: the king of grime has pledged £10m over a decade to organisations fighting racial inequality.

Rita Ora18 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(13) Rita Ora, 30, £26.5m

As well as releasing two albums, Rita has raked in a decent amount of dollar through lucrative endorsement deals with brands such as JD Sports, Next and the big one, Coca-Cola. Since turning 30, she's spent time in Australia (where she hosted The Voice) and LA with director boyfriend Taika Waititi. Back in the UK, she's got a new £8m haunted London mansion to look forward to, plus her £1m-per-series Masked Singer role.

John Boyega19 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(12) John Boyega, 29, £28.5m

Accounts for the Star Wars/Small Axe actor's UpperRoom Entertainment reveal the company's balance swelled by £10.5m last year, possibly thanks to a deal John signed with Netflix to develop films from Africa. The Golden Globe-winning actor – who has been mooted to be the next Bond – also gives back too: buying his parents a house (warning: the YouTube vid might make you blub).

Daisy Ridley20 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(11) Daisy Ridley, 29, £32.8m

The Star Wars royalties keep rolling in for Daisy – recent accounts for her company Fawks Ltd show her coffers have been boosted by assets of £12m. Her role as Rey means she can command big fees acting in films such as Chaos Walking. Daisy, who spent lockdown baking banana bread, put her skills to good use in this year's Great Celebrity Bake Off where she made a… toilet cake.

Sam Smith21 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(10) Sam Smith, 29, £36.8m

Sam has sold over 30m albums worldwide, while their last world tour grossed £63m. They weren't able to play any gigs to promote last record Love Goes but Sam has plenty of pocket money: recently picking up £183k for warbling Stay With Me at the Las Vegas wedding of a casino heiress.

Zayn Malik22 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(9) Zayn Malik, 28, £38m

Zayn's most recent album was titled Nobody Is Listening. Sadly, that appears to be the case: the record dropped out of the charts after just one week. Still, Zayn has a more-than-comfy existence, sitting on a pile of cash earned before quitting 1D in 2015.

Dua Lipa23 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(8) Dua Lipa, 26, £43.5m

Her superb Future Nostalgia album was the soundtrack to virtual discos and living-room workouts during lockdown, but it also slayed charts around the world and earned Dua a mantlepiece full of Brits. Today, she's got everybody from Elton to Madonna clamouring to work with her, while she also has high-income partnerships with Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Puma and Évian.

Liam Payne24 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(7) Liam Payne, 28, £47m

Liam can go a bit OTT with his spending (Lamborghini collection, a replica of Harry Potter Hagrid's hut in his garden, erm… a large portrait of U2's Bono). But there's enough to go round, especially after he sells his £7.8m LA home and £6.5m Surrey mansion. He's also invested in a £2.2m storage unit by Wembley Stadium, a move so sensible your dad would probably approve.

Louis Tomlinson25 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(6) Louis Tomlinson, 29, £47m

Level on the wealth scale with former 1D bandmate Liam is Louis, who is about to launch his own management company. He's recently sold his Hollywood Hills home (with infinity pool and wine cellar) for £4.7m and donates regularly to charitable causes. When Manchester band Maruja had their instruments stolen, Louis gave £4k via a Crowdfund campaign.

Cara Delevingne26 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(5) Cara Delevingne, 29, £52m

Modelling for Burberry, DKNY and Dior saw the UK's catwalk maestro's company Cara & Co turn over profits of £9.6m for 2020. Her biggest outlay? Kooky home decor. Her Alice in Wonderland-themed LA mansion has a stripper pole, Playboy pinball machine and a "vagina tunnel" between rooms. In London, Cara's townhouse has two toilets installed side-by-side so she can chat with pals on the loo.

Niall Horan27 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(4) Niall Horan

Most of Niall's nest-egg comes from the 1D cash-cow. But he's also pocketed money in his own right with two solo albums and tours. The Irishman has some pricey properties (£5m London penthouse, £2.9m Hollywood mansion, £1.25m London home) but has also invested in Irish athleisure brand Gym+Coffee. He's also trying to make birdies-and-bogeys cool with his Modest! Golf firm.

Little Mix28 of 30
CREDIT: Getty

(3) Little Mix, £66.7m

HOW THEY MADE IT: In the 10 years since Little Mix won The X Factor, they've sold more than 60m records. Despite splitting with Jesy and not touring due to Covid, the girlband has had a bumper year: new album Confetti, BBC talent show Little Mix: The Search and a BRIT. They've lent their name to everything from Gold Magic perfume to kids' clothes at Primark. Then there's Insta-£££: it's estimated Perrie scooped £36k for the post announcing she was expecting a baby. HOW THEY SPEND IT: New mums Leigh-Anne and Perrie recently talked about being "trapped at home" so it's just as well they have lovely mansions to live in. Sadly, Leigh-Anne's £4.9m Surrey home was recently broken into, with thieves stealing her engagement ring (believed to be worth £40k). Meanwhile, Jade has been busy investing in her native northeast: she's a shareholder in South Shields football club and owns a Newcastle bar.

Harry Styles29 of 30
CREDIT: Shutterstock

(2) Harry Styles, 27, £80m

HOW HE MADE IT: Just after 1D fell apart, Hazza made £37m on our Rich List. He's since doubled that figure with his successful solo career and acting roles (Dunkirk, My Policeman), as well as savvy investments including a new live music arena in Manchester. Harry's gender-fluid dressing style – which has seen him don pearl earrings and stack heels for the Met Gala and wear a ballgown for US Vogue – has made him a fashion darling (he has a megabucks deal plugging Gucci). HOW HE SPENDS IT: Besides homes in Los Angeles, New York and London, he collects cars (Jaguar E-Type, Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover Sport and Audi R8 Coupe) and tattoos (50 inkworks-and-rising). Since dating actress Olivia Wilde, he's been splashing on luxury yacht holidays too.

Ed Sheeran30 of 30
CREDIT: Shutterstock

(1) Ed Sheeran, 30, £236.5m

HOW HE MADE IT: In 2011, when Ed released his first solo single, The A Team, nobody expected much from the scruffy Suffolk busker.A decade on, Ed's racked up so many record-breaking stats – most-streamed single of all time (Shape Of You), highest-grossing tour of all time (£567m-making Divide tour) – there's probably a chapter on him in The Guinness Book Of World Records. Ed's stash is whittled down by his £28.3m tax bill and losses of nearly £1.2m when his Bertie Blossoms pub restaurant suffered during the pandemic. But with a new album (=), stadium tour and none-too-shabby TikTok deal, he shows no sign of stopping.HOW HE SPENDS IT: By building even more features to Suffolk estate Sheeranville: a man cave, recording studio, treehouse, £500k wildlife pond, outdoor kitchen, football pitch. It's so huge, it reportedly costs Ed £27k a year to clean. He is also prone to acts of kindness, shelling out £200k to the high school where he met wife Cherry, and £10k to the hospital that nursed his nan. Despite all this, he's only recently bought a mobile – a tatty £59.99 Nokia 3310.

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