The queen of Christmas has a giant net worth. Mariah Carey, who sings the legendary holiday song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is worth an astounding amount. Her fortune comes from her multi-decade music career, in which she's sold over 200 million records globally, and her many tours and residencies. And the music industry is honoring Mariah's career at the MTV Video Music Awards. The singer is set to receive the Video Vanguard Award at the upcoming award show, where she is expected to perform a medley of her great hits.
How much did Mariah make from her hit Christmas song?
© GettyAfter 35 years creating music, Mariah is worth $350 million. A significant portion of her wealth is from "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Mariah released the Christmas song in 1994, earning $60 million in royalties, per Forbes. But that's not all she's made from the iconic song. Every Christmas season, the singer receives around $2.5 million in annual royalties.
In December of last year, Mariah made history when "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became the first holiday song to reach 2 billion streams on Spotify. "This is beyond incredible," Mariah told PEOPLE. "I'm so grateful to all Spotify listeners around the world who've made the song part of their holiday tradition year after year."
© Billboard via Getty ImagesMariah's incredible career
Mariah's first studio album in 1990 made history. The self-titled debut album has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, with four singles reaching number one in the United States. While her second album was successful, it was her third studio album, Music Box, that made Mariah a star. It went on to spend 128 weeks on the Billboard chart and sold 28 million copies worldwide.
© InstagramHer fourth album, Merry Christmas – which included "All I Want for Christmas Is You" – sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Since then, Mariah released 11 more albums. And, this July, she announced to her 14.4 million Instagram followers that her 12th studio album, Here for it All, will be released on September 26.
Last week, Mariah shared the track list for Here for it All to Instagram. Fans and celebs alike could not hold back their reactions. Fellow R&B singer, JoJo commented on the post: "JESUS I DO OMG!!!!" Jonathan Van Ness wrote on the post: "Omgggggg I am" with a string of heart eye emojis.
Mariah's iconic videos
At this year's VMAs – which will take place on September 7 at 8 p.m. ET – Mariah will receive the Video Vanguard Award. Over the years, she has been nominated for eight VMAs, including in the best R&B video category for her new song "Type Dangerous" at the 2025 ceremony. Mariah made her VMAs debut in 1991 with a performance of "Emotions" and returned to the awards show in 1997 to present the Video Vanguard Award to LL Cool J.
© Getty ImagesAside from LL Cool J, other stars to win the Video Vanguard Award are Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Missy Elliot, Rihanna, Shakira, and Justin Timberlake.
