SCOTS singing sensation Susan Boyle is worth an estimated £11m after topping the charts in both the UK and USA with her first two albums.
The Britain’s Got Talent star’s debut record, I Dreamed A Dream, sold around 9m copies worldwide an
Her second album – The Gift – has also topped the charts of both sides of the Atlantic and is tipped to sell over 4m copies.
The 49-year-old singer has also been raking in the cash after releasing an autobiography, The Woman I Was Born To Be, as well as a number of high-profile TV appearances including interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Piers Morgan.
Cliff Dane, a music expert who calculates musicians’ wealth for an annual ‘Rich List’, said: “Unlike a lot of artists who write songs and have heavy touring commitments, most of Susan Boyle’s income has come from old-fashioned record sales and most of these as physical CDs as opposed to downloads due to the nature of her fan-base.
“I estimate she is currently worth £11m based on the royalties and advanced accumulated to date, fees from other sources less tax and including something for the present value of future royalty streams from her two albums.
“It’s quite an achievement to stay at number one in the US at this time of year.”
However, Susan is unlikely to splash her cash anytime soon, as sources close to her say she still prefers to shop for bargain clothes at Tesco.
A source said: “She’s had to scrimp and save for 40 years and her habits won’t change.
“Susan has gone from strength to strength this year.
“She has had remarkable success on both albums, is still adorned around the world, continues to smash music records and still remains a humble and generous lady.
“Her dream was to sing, but never did she think she would have this level of success.
“For Susan it’s not about money or chart positions but making her fans happy with her music and giving them the courage to follow their dreams, regardless of their age or situation.
“As she says, dreams don’t have an expiry date.”
The shy star – who shot to fame on the talent-search TV show in April last year – has bucked the trend of a growing demand for digital downloads, as most of her fortune is based on over-the-counter CD sales.
I Dreamed A Dream was the fastest-selling album in the UK last year, and her follow-up, The Gift, has already sold 241,000 copies here despite only being released last month.
Both shot straight to the top spot in the UK and USA – giving her an even better track record than The Beatles, who had to climb their way up the US chart to reach number one.
Susan is up against Katy Perry and Lady Gaga in the best pop album category at next year’s Grammy awards.
