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When Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021, they didn’t have a prenuptial agreement to govern the division of their massive estate. The split ended up with French Gates receiving $12.5 billion earmarked for her own philanthropic work, a good chunk of the Microsoft founder’s 12-figure fortune. She also walked away with something else: his last name, an asset in the world of charitable giving.
Now, as Taylor Swift prepares to marry Travis Kelce in a multiday Madison Square Garden extravaganza, speculation swirls around not only what their prenup looks like but whether he’ll swap (hyphenate?) names. It could be a savvy business move, one that piggybacks on Swift’s brand as the world’s biggest pop star as the three-time Super Bowl champ sets his sights on Hollywood and would be tough to account for in what’s likely an ironclad prenup.
Swift, whose net worth surpasses $2 billion, has amassed a fortune that rivals tech founders and venture capitalists. She owns her sound recordings (masters) and the underlying musical compositions to her songs (publishing rights). No label takes a cut, meaning most royalties flow straight into her pockets. Touring years are a money-printing boon for the singer too, with her blockbuster Eras live run in 2024 grossing over $2 billion in ticket sales.
