How Madonna's six children are building fortunes

The Queen of Pop's heirs

Despite being one of the wealthiest women in music, with a reported fortune of $850 million (£628m) according to Forbes, Madonna shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

When the Queen of Pop isn’t strutting her stuff on stage (she's grossed well over $1.4 billion on the road throughout her career) or making headlines with her latest bold fashion choice, she’s the doting mother to six children, who are currently busy carving out their own paths to success. 

From models to musicians, click or scroll on to discover how Madonna's kids make and spend their money. 

All dollar amounts in US dollars

Lourdes Leon

Born on 14 October 1996, Lourdes Leon is Madonna's eldest child. Her father is the Cuban-American fitness trainer and actor Carlos Leon, who was in a relationship with Madonna in the mid-90s.

The 29-year-old, who goes by the nickname "Lola", is reportedly worth a respectable $18 million (£13.3m). Let's delve into how she makes and spends her money... 

Lourdes Leon: fashion designer

Lourdes launched her very own teen fashion line, Material Girl, at the tender age of 13. Though the 2010 project was a collaboration with her mother, Madonna has insisted that her fashion-forward daughter did most of the work.

At the time, the singer told Access Hollywood: "If Lola wasn’t so completely involved in the line, designing, consulting, whatever you want to call it, I wouldn’t do it. I just stand in the background and go, 'That’s cool. That’s not cool.'"

The punk-inspired collection of apparel, footwear, handbags, and jewellery was on sale at Macy's and was such a success that Material Girl Beauty, a line of body products and nail polishes, was launched the following year.

Lourdes Leon: model

The young fashionista, who shares her mother's scandalous sense of style, is perhaps best known for her prolific modelling career. Lourdes has worked with many successful clothing brands, including Savage x Fenty, Burberry, and Mugler.

She's also posed for high-end magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair, and strutted down runaways in fashion capitals such as Paris and New York.

Brands are clearly keen to collaborate with the rising star. Lourdes featured in a Marc Jacobs handbag campaign and became one of the faces of beauty brand Make Up For Ever in 2023.

Lourdes Leon: musician

While a 14-year-old Lourdes collaborated with Madonna on the track It's So Cool in 2011, she wouldn't release her first solo single, Lock&Key, until 2022. The electronic dance anthem, which she released under the stage name Lolahol, was swiftly followed by her debut EP Go later that same year.

Her foray into singing marks a major U-turn. When asked by Interview in 2021 if she'd follow in her mother's musical footsteps, Lourdes revealed: "I can sing. I just don’t care about it. Maybe it’s too close to home."

She released the singles Boy Next Door and Spelling in 2023 and, earlier this year, appeared on the track Except In Spring from DJ Safety Trance.

Lourdes Leon: NYC girl

Madonna reportedly bestowed her firstborn with a seriously enviable gift on her 16th birthday in 2012 – her very own apartment in Manhattan's prestigious Upper East Side. While it's unknown how much the property cost, it presumably wasn't cheap given that it came with its own security guards and access to a swimming pool and gym.

Surprisingly, it appears Lourdes no longer lives in the swanky pad, instead preferring the more low-key vibe of Brooklyn's artsy Bushwick neighbourhood. In an interview with The Cut, she insisted that she's financially independent from her parents and rents her own apartment. 

"There’s, like, trash everywhere. I don’t mind that it’s disgusting," she said of her life in Bushwick, adding: "I can go on vacation, you know what I mean? I’m privileged enough that I can do that."

And on that note, Lourdes is quite the jet-setter... 

Lourdes Leon: jet-setter

The starlet is frequently photographed enjoying glamorous vacations around the globe, including family getaways to places like Jamaica and the South of France.

In 2023, Lourdes was spotted in the Caribbean with friend and fellow musician Eartheater. The duo stayed at the luxurious Palm Heights hotel in Grand Cayman, where A-list guests include the likes of supermodels Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski.

Rocco Ritchie

Born on 11 August 2000, Rocco Ritchie is Madonna’s second child. His father is the British film director Guy Ritchie, maker of the movies Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Sherlock Holmes. He was married to Madonna between 2000 and 2008. 

The 25-year-old is estimated to be worth around $1 million (£740k). So how did he amass his fortune?

Rocco Ritchie: model

Rocco has dabbled in modelling over the years, fronting a campaign for sportswear brand Adidas at just 16 years old.

In 2016, he posed for Love magazine alongside his mother and, in 2021, he appeared in a vintage-inspired spread for The Rake magazine, which bills itself as the "modern voice of classic elegance".

He's pictured here with girlfriend Olivia Monjardin. 

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Rocco Ritchie: artist

Rocco studied fine art at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, which counts fashion designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen among its alumni. An up-and-coming artist, Rocco paints under the pseudonym Rhed. 

His Expressionist paintings, which have reportedly sold for five-figure sums, have been exhibited at swanky gallery Tanya Baxter Contemporary, located on the affluent King's Road in Chelsea, London. Last year, his famous mother and father reunited in public for the first time in years at his Talk Is Cheap exhibition.

In a 2022 interview with Vogue Man Hong Kong, Rocco confessed that his parents inspired his love of art, revealing: "It certainly helped growing up in a house that was passionate about art and culture. Neither of my parents are painters, but both are artists in their own right, and they taught me to appreciate and respect it."

Rocco Ritchie: globetrotter

Though Rocco grew up in New York, he now lives across the pond in London. His father owns a £10 million ($13.5m) Georgian mansion in the heart of the city and it’s believed this is where Rocco resides. 

When he’s not in the UK, Rocco can be found holidaying around the world. He was papped partying with friends on the Italian island of Sardinia in 2021 and was also spotted in Mexico later that year.

In 2022, the globetrotter enjoyed a Swiss ski holiday in the Alps with his mother (pictured), and was seen on a family holiday in Morocco earlier this year.

David Banda

Born on 24 September 2005, David Banda is the adopted son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie. The pop star and her then-husband adopted David from Malawi when he was one year old.

Reports from the early 2020s suggested he had a fortune in the region of $500,000 (£369k). However, numerous stories emerged in 2024 claiming the then-18-year-old Banda was having to teach online guitar lessons to make ends meet each month.

David Banda: a rising star

David is athletically inclined and has previously expressed interest in playing soccer professionally. However, it seems he's decided to follow in his mother's footsteps and enter showbiz.

He joined Madonna onstage at a New York City Pride event in 2022 to dance and perform comedy, and he also supported her by playing guitar during her 2024 Celebration tour.

Additionally, David is establishing himself as a style icon, with his bold, gender-fluid fashion sense frequently making headlines.

Mercy James

Mercy James was born on 22 January 2006. Madonna, as a single mother, adopted Mercy from an orphanage in Malawi in 2009.

Her net wealth is unknown.

Mercy James: future photographer?

In 2017, Madonna opened the Mercy James Institute of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, the first hospital of its kind in Malawi, in honour of her adopted daughter. In a rare public appearance, Mercy made a speech at the hospital's opening ceremony.

As for Mercy's potential career path, she's a passionate photographer. In 2022, at just 16, she shot a clothing campaign for Stella McCartney's Stella Kids collection.

However, Mercy is also musically talented. She played her mum's hit song Bad Girl on the piano during Madonna's Celebration tour. Whatever path she chooses, her future looks bright. 

Stella and Estere

Madonna is also mother to twins Stella and Estere, who were born in Malawi on 24 August 2012. Madonna adopted the girls in February 2017.

It goes without saying that the twins's net worth is unknown, but they look set to follow in their famous mother's footsteps.

Stella and Estere: future fashionistas?

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From one showbiz family to another: take a look at how the McCartney kids make and spend their money