One For The Money: Toby Keith Turns 56
Toby Keith is turning 56 today (July 8) and cash probably isn’t the best gift.
Forbes estimated the rowdy country superstar’s net worth at $500 million in 2013. That was four years ago, of course, and it’s safe to say it’s grown quite a bit since. Not all that cash is related to his music, though. Toby dabbles in real estate, restaurants and liquor, for example, and was doing particularly well with restaurants as of 2013. Forbes estimated that Toby raked in $12 million from his eateries that year, not bad for joints whose top-selling menu item was a fried bologna sandwich. “My peeps aren’t gonna come in from Texas or Florida or wherever into my bar and grill and look for pecan-crusted catfish,” he quipped of Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill at the time.
The restaurants also served as live music venues for talent on Toby’s record label Show Dog for a time. “I don’t have to look for [them] a place to play,” he continued. “It’s cost-effective as crap. They’re in Toby’s house. They’re drinking Toby’s liquor. That’s Toby’s act. And then we’re moving to the next town.”
“How Do You Like Me Now”
And there’s more. Toby owns a significant stake in Big Machine, the record-label home to Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift to name a few. He bought in long before Taylor Swift was a star and is estimated to own around 10% of the company. That obviously makes for some pretty nice mailbox money. “I know there’s an extra comma if you added up all the money I’ve ever made,” Keith told Forbes in 2013 of the relationship.
“Wacky Tobaccy”
Toby Keith is raking in the big bucks even today. The “How Do You Like Me Now” singer made an estimated $34.5 million last year, enough to tie him with Florida Georgia Line and golfer Jordan Spieth at No. 83 on Forbes‘ 2017 list of The World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities. Check it out here.
Teddy McDonald is a fun-lovin’ country music fan man living in Nashville, Tennessee.
