Nigerian multi-award-winning artiste David Adeleke (Davido) is set to break records once again in 2023, with Forbes projecting his earnings to exceed $20 million. This is through a combination of royalty earnings, brand partnerships, merchandise sales, and lucrative tour performances.
Davido, who is featured on the cover of Forbes Under 30 Africa list, is billed to headline the American business magazine’s 30 Under 30 Africa Summit in Gaborone. He is widely recognized as Africa’s beat ambassador, with his music streamed more than 2 billion times.
His recently released fourth studio album, Timeless, has already attracted critical praise and digital plays. Within the first ten days of its release, the album hit number two on Billboard’s World Album chart, after it was streamed over 133 million times — with more than 43 million streams in the U.S. market alone.
As one of the most successful African artistes of this era, Davido has inked endorsement deals with Pernod Ricard’s Martell Cognac, smartphone maker Infinix Mobile, and Puma. His music represents a modern fusion of African and international influence.
Aside from his musical endeavors, Davido’s family boasts plenty of political and business power. His father Adedeji Adeleke founded Pacific Holdings Limited in 1983, which has grown into an industrial conglomerate whose power plants generate most of West Africa’s electricity.
His paternal grandfather was a senator, and his uncle Ademola Adeleke is presently the governor of Nigeria’s Osun State, a state in southwestern Nigeria.
Davido is also one of the most benevolent celebrities in the African entertainment industry.
In 2021, to commemorate his 29th birthday, he donated N250 million ($607,500) to orphanages across Nigeria. The donation follows his playfully requesting his friends on Nov. 17 to send in grants and gifts into one of his bank accounts for his birthday celebration.
As he continues to promote his latest album across the globe, Davido is expected to earn even more in the coming years.
Streamed over 2 billion times and handpicked by FIFA to lead the 2022 World Cup Soundtrack collaboration “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)”, Davido has cemented his position as a global force within the music scene.