7 of the richest American Idol stars ever – net worths, ranked: Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson all make the list, of course, but who is the wealthiest of them all?

May 20 , 2024

Adam Lambert, Jordin Sparks and Kelly Clarkson are all American Idol alumni – but who among them is the richest? Photos: @adamlambert, @jordinsparks/Instagram; Getty Images

The OG judges of American Idol were Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, who were eventually joined by stars from Jennifer Lopez to Mariah Carey – and winner Carrie Underwood soared to fame

Chris Daughtry went on to form his successful rock band Daughtry, and Adam Lambert tours with legendary band Queen, while Jennifer Hudson achieved EGOT status – the youngest woman to ever do so

American Idol was an instant hit when it first debuted on Fox back in 2002. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest and based on the Pop Idol reality format from British television, the show was originally judged by Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Over the years, mega stars like Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Ellen DeGeneres joined the judging panel before the show got cancelled in 2016. Fortunately, by 2018 the series made its highly anticipated comeback when its 16th season premiered on ABC with Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie acting as judges.

With the show’s 22nd season currently in full swing, we take a closer look at American Idol’s wealthiest contestants ever with the help of Celebrity Net Worth.

7. Chris Daughtry (season five)

Estimated net worth: US$8 million

Since taking part in American Idol, Chris Daughtry has joined the world of rock music instead. Photo: @chrisdaughtry/Instagram

After placing fourth on the fifth season of American Idol, singer Chris Daughtry became the lead vocalist and a guitarist of rock band Daughtry instead. Its 2006 debut album Daughtry reached No 1 on the Billboard chart, earning a Grammy nomination for best rock song with “It’s Not Over”.

6. Jordin Sparks (season six)

Estimated net worth: US$8 million

Jordin Sparks was the youngest winner of American Idol. Photo: @jordinsparks/Instagram

Jordin Sparks first rose to fame in 2007 during the sixth season of American Idol, becoming the youngest winner at age 17. Known for hits like “Tattoo” and “No Air”, Sparks has released four studio albums to date, and has starred in a variety of television films and reality shows like Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Dancer.

5. Katharine McPhee (season five)

Estimated net worth: US$14 million

Katharine McPhee recently released her own jewellery line, KMF Jewelry. Photo: @katharinefoster/Instagram

Despite being the season five runner-up, Katharine McPhee’s career quickly overshadowed winner Taylor Hicks. She’s gone on to release five studio albums and launched an acting career starring in films like The House Bunny and Shark Night 3D, and television shows including Smash and Scorpion. Her 2019 marriage to legendary record producer David Foster didn’t hurt her career either.