How Madonna's six children make their money

The Queen of Pop's heirs

Madonna/Instagram

Despite being one of the wealthiest women in music, with a reported fortune of $850 million (£670m) according to Forbes, Madonna shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

When the 65-year-old Queen of Pop isn’t strutting her stuff on stage or making headlines with her latest bold fashion choice, she’s the doting mother to six children, who are currently busy carving out their own paths to success. 

From models to musicians, read on to discover how Madonna's kids make and spend their money.

All dollar amounts in US dollars

Lourdes Leon

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Born on 14 October 1996, Lourdes Leon is Madonna's eldest child. Her father is the Cuban-American fitness trainer and actor Carlos Leon, who was in a relationship with Madonna in the mid-90s.

The 27-year-old, who goes by the nickname "Lola", is reportedly worth a respectable $4 million (£3.2m). Let's delve into how she makes and spends her money...

Lourdes Leon: fashion designer

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Lourdes launched her very own teen fashion line, Material Girl, at the tender age of 13. Though the 2010 project was a collaboration with her mother, Madonna has insisted that her fashion-forward daughter did most of the work.

At the time, the singer told Access Hollywood: "If Lola wasn’t so completely involved in the line, designing, consulting, whatever you want to call it, I wouldn’t do it. I just stand in the background and go, 'That’s cool. That’s not cool'".

The punk-inspired collection of apparel, footwear, handbags, and jewellery was on sale at Macy's and was such a success that Material Girl Beauty, a line of body products and nail polishes, was launched the following year.

Lourdes Leon: model

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The young fashionista, who shares her mother's scandalous sense of style, is perhaps best known for her prolific modelling career. Lourdes has worked with many successful clothing brands, including Savage x Fenty, Burberry, and Mugler.

She's also posed for high-end magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair, and strutted down runaways in fashion capitals such as Paris and New York. Brands are clearly keen to collaborate with the rising star. Lourdes fronted the 2021 spring campaign for luxury fashion house Marc Jacobs and was announced as one of the new faces of beauty brand Make Up For Ever in 2023.

Lourdes Leon: musician

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While a 14-year-old Lourdes collaborated with Madonna on the track It's So Cool in 2011, she wouldn't release her first solo single, Lock&Key, until 2022. The electronic dance anthem, which she released under the stage name Lolahol, was swiftly followed by her debut EP Go later that same year.

Her foray into singing marks a major U-turn. When asked by Interview in 2021 if she'd follow in her mother's musical footsteps, Lourdes revealed: "I can sing. I just don’t care about it. Maybe it’s too close to home". Most recently, she released the single Boy Next Door last year. Is Lourdes set to become the new Princess of Pop? Watch this space...

Lourdes Leon: NYC girl

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Madonna reportedly bestowed her firstborn with a seriously enviable gift on her 16th birthday in 2012 – her very own apartment in Manhattan's prestigious Upper East Side. While it's unknown how much the property cost, it presumably wasn't cheap given that it came with its own security guards and access to a swimming pool and gym.

Surprisingly, it appears Lourdes no longer lives in the swanky pad, instead preferring the more low-key vibe of Brooklyn's artsy Bushwick neighbourhood. In a recent interview with The Cut, she insisted that she's financially independent from her parents and rents an apartment with a friend.

"There’s, like, trash everywhere. I don’t mind that it’s disgusting", she said of her life in Bushwick, adding: "I can go on vacation, you know what I mean? I’m privileged enough that I can do that". And on that note, Lourdes is quite the jet-setter...

Lourdes Leon: jet-setter

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The starlet is frequently photographed enjoying glamorous vacations around the globe, including family getaways to places like Jamaica and the South of France. Last year, Lourdes was spotted in the Caribbean with friend and fellow musician Eartheater.

The duo (pictured) stayed at the luxurious Palm Heights hotel in Grand Cayman, where A-list guests include the likes of supermodels Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski.

Rocco Ritchie

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Born on 11 August 2000, Rocco Ritchie is Madonna’s second child. His father is the British film director Guy Ritchie, maker of the movies Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Sherlock Holmes. He was married to Madonna between 2000 and 2008.

The 23-year-old is estimated to be worth around $1 million (£787k). So how did he amass his fortune?

Rocco Ritchie: model

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Rocco has dabbled in modelling over the years, fronting a campaign for sportswear brand Adidas at just 16 years old. In 2016, he posed for Love magazine alongside his mother and, in 2021, he appeared in a vintage-inspired spread for The Rake magazine, which bills itself as the "modern voice of classic elegance".

He's pictured here with girlfriend Olivia Monjardin in March of this year.

Rocco Ritchie: artist

maisonrhed/Instagram

Rocco studied fine art at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, which counts fashion designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen among its alumni. An up-and-coming artist, Rocco paints under the pseudonym Rhed.

His Expressionist paintings, which have reportedly sold for five-figure sums, have been exhibited at swanky gallery Tanya Baxter Contemporary, located on the affluent King's Road in Chelsea, London. In a 2022 interview with Vogue Man Hong Kong, Rocco confessed that his parents inspired his love of art, revealing: "It certainly helped growing up in a house that was passionate about art and culture. Neither of my parents are painters, but both are artists in their own right, and they taught me to appreciate and respect it."

Rocco Ritchie: globetrotter

Madonna/Instagram

Though Rocco grew up in New York, he now lives across the pond in London. His father owns a £10 million ($12.7m) Georgian mansion in the heart of the city and it’s believed this is where Rocco resides.

When he’s not in the UK, Rocco can be found holidaying around the world. He was papped partying with friends on the Italian island of Sardinia in 2021 and was also spotted in Mexico later that year.

In 2022, the globetrotter enjoyed a Swiss ski holiday in the Alps with his mother (pictured).

David Banda

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Born on 24 September 2005, David Banda is the adopted son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie. The pop star and her then-husband adopted David from Malawi when he was one year old.

He's estimated to have a fortune in the region of $500,000 (£394k).

David Banda: a rising star

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David is athletically inclined and has previously expressed interest in playing soccer professionally. However, it seems the 18-year-old has decided to follow in his mother's footsteps and step into the showbiz scene.

He joined Madonna onstage at a New York City Pride event in 2022 to dance and perform comedy, and he also supported her by playing guitar during her recent Celebration tour.

Additionally, David is establishing himself as a style icon, with his bold, gender-fluid fashion sense frequently making headlines.

Mercy James

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Mercy James was born on 22 January 2006. Madonna, as a single mother, adopted Mercy from an orphanage in Malawi in 2009.

Her net wealth is unknown.

Mercy James: future photographer?

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In 2017, Madonna opened the Mercy James Institute of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, the first hospital of its kind in Malawi, in honour of her adopted daughter. In a rare public appearance, Mercy made a speech at the hospital's opening ceremony.

As for Mercy's potential career path, she's a passionate photographer. In 2022, at just 16, she shot a clothing campaign for Stella McCartney's Stella Kids collection. However, Mercy is also musically talented.

She played her mum's hit song Bad Girl on the piano during Madonna's 2023 tour. Whatever path she chooses, the teen's future looks bright.

Stella and Estere

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Madonna is also mother to twins Stella and Estere, who were born in Malawi on 24 August 2012. Madonna adopted the girls in February 2017.

It goes without saying that the 11-year-olds' net worth is unknown, but they look set to follow in their famous mother's footsteps.

Stella and Estere: future fashionistas?

Madonna/Instagram

The young girls have already dabbled in modelling, featuring in the Stella Kids Autumn/Winter 2022 campaign for renowned designer Stella McCartney. As mentioned earlier, their older sister Mercy was behind the camera.

Additionally, it appears Estere shares her mother's love of performing, having graced the stage during Madonna's Celebration tour to dance to a mash-up of Vogue. However, Stella was noticeably absent.

As for whether the twins will pursue careers in fashion, music, or something else, we'll just have to wait and see...

From one showbiz family to another: take a look at how the McCartney kids make and spend their money