With an estimated net worth of $400 million, Beyoncé clearly knows a lot about money. And, she’s not afraid to talk about it. Whether giving an interview or singing about her luxurious life, Beyoncé will inspire you to move mountains…and be better with your money.
To celebrate Queen Bey’s birthday, we rounded up seven money lessons we could all learn from her! 🐝
Focus on building your own life
It’s easy to get sucked into petty fights, hold grudges, or want to get revenge on someone who has hurt us. But Beyoncé doesn’t have time for petty fights — and always chooses the high road instead. Why? In her eyes, the best revenge is to go out and make money.
“Always stay gracious. Best revenge is your paper.” – Formation
If that really is the best revenge, it makes sense to spend some time on a side hustle. But that may be difficult to do during a pandemic. Don’t worry—We got you, with a few ways to make money starting a side hustle from home.
Share the wealth
Jay-Z and Beyoncé are incredibly wealthy and have luxurious lifestyles. But while they enjoy the life they’ve built for themselves, they’re clear about the fact that they’re not happy if they’re not helping the other people around them succeed as well.
In Boss, Jay-Z raps, “Over here we measure success by how many people successful next to you. Here we say you broke if everybody is broke except for you.”
And Beyoncé sings, “Ain’t nothin’ to it, I boss. I bought my momma a whip. My great great grandchildren already rich. That’s alotta’ brown chil’ren on your Forbes list. Frolicking around my compound on my fortress.”
Women: work toward financial independence
When men have the money, they have the power, and that simply isn’t something Beyoncé’s going to accept. In her opinion, women shouldn’t earn less than men, or ever be financially dependent on them.
In a 2013 interview with GQ, she said: “You know, equality is a myth, and for some reason, everyone accepts the fact that women don’t make as much money as men do. I don’t understand that. Why do we have to take a backseat? I truly believe that women should be financially independent from their men. And let’s face it, money gives men the power to run the show. It gives men the power to define value. They define what’s sexy. And men define what’s feminine. It’s ridiculous.”
We know it can be hard to continually work toward equality and financial independence, but we’re here to help out with these five ways you can work to bridge the wage gap.
Know your self-worth
Beyoncé is confident and knows her self-worth—something that has likely contributed to her success. And she didn’t wait for someone to tell her how great she was. She decided herself.
Are you waiting for someone to believe in you and your worth before you believe in yourself? Don’t! If there’s one thing you take away from this article, let it be this: You have the power to decide your self-worth. To help, here are a few ways to invest in yourself to boost your financial confidence.
Money isn’t going to change you
And you shouldn’t let it. In Formation, Beyonce sings about her family roots and being Black and proud.
“I earned all this money but they never take the country out of me. I got hot sauce in my bag…swag.”
Even though she’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars, that’s never going to change who she is — and she’s still keeping that hot sauce in her bag. The lesson here for all of us? Work hard to make your money, but stay grounded. Don’t let your wealth change who you are or what’s important to you. Be proud of where you come from and carry that with you, wherever you go.
Diversify your income
It’s safe to say that Beyoncé is an expert when it comes to diversification. Though she started her career in music, that’s not the only way she makes money. In 2010, she started Parkwood Entertainment, a management and entertainment company. Last year, she struck a three-part deal with Netflix for a reported $60 million. She had a $50 million endorsement deal with Pepsi. And she co-founded Ivy Park, an activewear brand that recently launched a collaboration with Adidas.
If Beyoncé only focused on music, she’d be a very wealthy woman. But by diversifying her income, she brought her earning potential even higher. (As she said, her great great grandchildren are already rich).
So, whether it’s making money from a job, a side hustle, or investing, make sure to channel your inner-Beyonce and look for ways to diversify your income.
More than anything, believe in yourself
Arguably one of Beyoncé’s most famous quotes is, “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.”
That self-assuredness and the ability to know that you’re in control of your destiny and you’re strong enough to make your dreams come true is invaluable. The bottom line? No matter what, you should always bet on yourself.
While we may never get to Beyoncé-level wealth, there are many powerful lessons here to guide how we look at our relationships—with money and with ourselves. And at the end of the day, there’s nothing more powerful than knowing your worth and staying grounded on your money-making journey.
You got this! 