Who is the richest Metallica member? Net worths, ranked: from millionaire founders James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich to Kirk Hammett, the late Cliff Burton and bassists Jason Newsted and Robert Trujillo
- Metallica has been around for decades but its music is still going strong – the band just announced new song ‘Lux Æterna’, an upcoming album and the M72 Tour in 2023-24
- Ultra-rich Ulrich comes out on top, Hetfield has starred on American Dad and has Jaguars and Fords, and Hammett still makes money off songs like ‘Fade To Black’
Metallica is back!
After six years of waiting, the heavy metal rock band unveiled its new song “Lux Æterna” in late November. It’s the lead single and teaser to the group’s upcoming album 72 Seasons, which will feature 12 tracks in total and is confirmed for release on April 14, 2023.
The album will launch in tandem with the rock stars’ M72 Tour in North America and Europe from April 2023 to September 2024, as announced on their website.
Founded in 1981 in Los Angeles, Metallica significantly influenced other musicians and millions of fans alike with its heavy and thrash metal music. After more than four decades, it is still one of the highest-earning bands in the world, selling over 150 million albums worldwide, per Rock Off Mag. Forbes estimated that the legendary musicians made US$400 million from their WorldWired tour alone, which began in 2016.
Metallica’s story began with founding members guitarist/singer James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich in 1981. They soon recruited lead guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney.
But Mustaine and McGovney were later replaced by Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton. Burton tragically died in a bus crash while on tour in 1986, and was replaced (with the blessing of Burton’s family, per Loudwire) with Jason Newsted, then Robert Trujillo.
Combined, the band currently has a net worth of US$1 billion, per Metal Shout. But who’s the wealthiest member of Metallica as of 2022?