Talk About Pay Dirt! Find Out What Tommy Lee's Net Worth Is and How He Made His Millions

Author:
Annie Zaleski
Feb 2, 2022

Time flies when you're having fun—and making tons of cash. So it's safe to say musician Tommy Lee has had a healthy share of good times during his four decades in the public eye, with a healthy net worth to match.

First and foremost, Lee rose to fame as the drummer of debauched heavy metal group Mötley Crüe. Not only did the Los Angeles band become known for hits such as "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Home Sweet Home" and "Dr. Feelgood," but the quartet also had a reputation for wild offstage behavior and over-the-top concerts. Case in point? Lee has performed a drum solo upside down on a drum kit strapped to a roller coaster track.

While Mötley Crüe's music netted Lee fame and fortune, the band's smart business moves—including a jaw-droppingly honest autobiography, The Dirt, and an equally entertaining Netflix biopic—ensured he would never have to worry about money going forward. And if you check out the Hulu miniseries Pam and Tommy, which chronicles Lee's romance (and scandalous sex tape) with now-ex-wife Pamela Anderson, you can see for yourself just how much scratch he had to burn on everything from his firearm collection to his Malibu mansion.

Intrigued? Here's all the intel we've found about Tommy Lee's net worth and how he earned his money.

How did Tommy Lee get famous?

Lee was a constant presence on MTV for much of the '80s and into the '90s thanks to Mötley Crüe, which boasted a string of commercially successful hit albums and flashy music videos.

However, Lee has also flexed his creative muscles outside of the band. He's drummed on albums by Rob Zombie, Jack's Mannequin and Courtney Love, and was actually the hired drummer on Smashing Pumpkins' album Monuments to an Elegy. Lee also formed the rap-rock band Methods of Mayhem, which had a mild hit with 1999's "Get Naked," and has released several albums under his own name. His 2002 solo debut album, Never a Dull Moment, even spawned a rock radio hit, "Hold Me Down."

"When I got home from Ozzfest in September of 2000, I locked myself in my home and I just started writing," he told Ink19 of writing that first album. "I didn't know what I want to do, it was more like [I thought] 'Let's just write and see where this goes and make this like a natural progression.' What you hear is where it went."

Lee has also dabbled in television. In 2006, he teamed up with ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke on the TV show Rock Star: Supernova. The trio chose a singer, Lukas Rossi, and released an album. He's also appeared on two reality shows, Tommy Lee Goes to College—as the name implies, the show followed him returning to school—and Battleground Earth alongside rapper Ludacris.

Offstage (meaning, in the tabloids), Lee has also made a name for himself. He was married to actress Heather Locklear from 1986 to 1993 before tying the knot with Anderson in 1995. He was also linked to several other famous women, including Bobbi Brown and Prince's ex, Mayte Garcia. Lee detailed some of his offstage life in his own memoir, Tommyland.

What is Tommy Lee's net worth?

According to the websiteCelebrity Net Worth, Lee is worth $70 million. That fortune came due to a combination of music, musical instrument endorsements—over the years, he's promoted several drum companies—and deals for films, books and other endeavors.

Lee is certainly using his savings for things he cares about. In 2021, hebought a 4,300-square-foot house in Los Angeles for $4.15 million, while looking tosell a house he owns in Calabasas for $4.6 million. The musician also enjoys spending money on fancy cars, and is known for having a fleet of cutting-edge vehicles. For example, in 2020, he bought a black Ferrari F8 Tributo worth a cool $280,000.

How much does Tommy Lee make a year?

With a rumored net worth of $70 million, it stands to reason Lee makes a good living each year, even when Mötley Crüe isn't active. However, he also has multiple revenue streams, including for book, music and film royalties, merchandise and music licensing and other Mötley Crüe-related business endeavors.

That's certainly a lesson he learned from his Mötley CrüebandmateNikki Sixx, who has diversified into hosting a radio show, launching a clothing line and releasing books. “He’s making more money now as an individual than he did in Mötley Crüe,” band manager Allen Kovac once toldCNBC.

Of course, Lee isn't the sole breadwinner in his household. He is also married to social media influencer and podcaster BrittanyFurlan, who has her own impressive career. "She is just incredible, man," Lee told GQ in 2020. "My face often hurts from laughing so much from all the fun we have. She has that wonderful gift of laughter and I think that's such an underrated quality in people."

How much did Mötley Crüe make?

Unlike many bands, Mötley Crüe has always been savvy about business. In the 1990s, the group actually bought back their catalog from their then-record label, Elektra. In 2019, Kovac toldForbes the deal worked out very well in the group's favor. “We traded a contractual advance," he said. "[Label head] Sylvia Rhone at Elektra had not wanted to pay so we made a deal: ‘Give us $2 million, keep $10 million and Mötley will own their masters and copyrights.’ So this band earned $150 million dollars and dropped $10 million for $140 million total."

That number, of course, doesn't count other revenue from merchandise or touring, which also adds up. For example, Pollstar reported that the band's two-year farewell tour grossed $86.1 million. In 2014, the tour generated $44 million with an average ticket price of $55.65; in 2015, that number was $42.1 million, with an average ticket price of $74.15. Although all this money is split among four band members and their team, it's safe to say Lee earns a healthy cut of the profit from the band.

How much did Mötley Crüe sell their catalog for?

In recent times, artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and David Bowie have sold their music catalogs for millions of dollars. Mötley Crüe joined that crew in late 2021, selling their catalog of recorded music to the record label BMG.

“It feels amazing to be collaborating with our new partners at BMG," the bandsaid in a joint statement. "Their extensive track record of success in rock made them the perfect home to continue preserving and growing our musical legacy, ensuring we always stay at the top.” Variety reported the deal was worth $150 million, although added "there was a wide discrepancy in the numbers being cited" and said "other sources cited a significantly lower number."

How much did Mötley Crüe make per show?

Since the '80s, Mötley Crüe has consistently earned millions over the course of a tour. Their forthcoming 2022 stadium tour—their first set of gigs since a high-profile farewell concert on New Year's Eve 2015, which will find them returning to the stage alongside a return to the stage alongside Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts—is a notch above their previous levels. In fact, a concert promoter in Iowa told a radio station Mötley Crüe allegedly wasasking $2 million per show when that group tour was originally being planned in 2019. With a tour spanning 30 shows, the band stood to earn a guaranteed $60 million just for the concerts.

Of course, that doesn't even count shows where enough tickets were sold they would earn more than their base guarantee. That can be entirely possible. For example, in Cleveland, Ohio, ticket prices ranged from $79.50 all the way up to a VIP package that costs $4,250 per ticket before fees. Then there are merchandise sales, which would also (likely) add on millions more. No wonder Mötley Crüe was willing to postpone the tour until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic—it's an excellent payday.

How many albums did Mötley Crüe sell?

According to recent articles, the band has sold more than 100 million albums in its career. Statistics kept by the RIAA, which tracks gold and platinum albums, note their best-selling album is 1989's Dr. Feelgood, which has been certified six-times platinum. Behind that is a trio of albums that have all been certified quadruple platinum: 1983's Shout At The Devil, 1985's Theatre of Pain and 1987's Girls, Girls, Girls. The band's multiple greatest hits album have also sold well: 1991's Decade of Decadence is double platinum, while 2005's Red, White & Crue is platinum.