Amy Winehouse Net Worth

Amy Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful contralto vocals and fusion of musical styles like soul, rhythm and blues, reggae, and jazz. 

Though her career was tragically cut short when she died in 2011 at age 27, she left an indelible mark on the music industry in her short time as a recording artist. 

Since her untimely passing over a decade ago, there has been renewed interest in Winehouse’s life and musical legacy, including the wealth she accumulated before she died. 

This article will explore Winehouse’s net worth at the time of her death, examine how she earned money as a famous singer-songwriter at her peak, and detail what happened to her estate, including who inherited her fortune. 

Amy Winehouse’s net worth and career before death 

Winehouse had amassed a significant net worth in her tragically short career. Estimates of her net worth vary but seem to be in the range of £10 million. Her manager believed she may have been worth even more – perhaps as much as £15 million. 

Winehouse earned this considerable net worth through her acclaimed recording career. Her 2003 debut album Frank was nominated for the prestigious Brit Awards and went platinum. The song ‘Stronger Than Me’ won Winehouse an Ivor Novello Award. 

However, her 2006 album Back to Black made her an international superstar and significantly grew her wealth. It was the best-selling album in the UK in 2007, selling 1.85 million copies. 

Amy Winehouse on the cover of her album ‘Back to Black’ (Source: NFM)

The hit single ‘Rehab’ was named Time Magazine’sMagazine’s Song of the Year in 2007. Ultimately, Back to Black won 5 Grammy Awards, making Winehouse the first British female artist to win so many Grammys in one night. 

On the heels of this success, Winehouse performed at major festivals like Glastonbury and Lollapalooza. She also won additional Ivor Novello awards. 

Though she struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues in the spotlight, her raw talent and iconic retro style made her a critical and commercial success story in the music business.

Most of Amy Winehouse’s net worth was wasted by the time of her death

Despite achieving massive commercial success with hit albums that earned her an estimated net worth of £10-15 million, Winehouse did not leave much behind when she passed away at age 27.

Sources close to Winehouse paint a picture of highly reckless spending and over-generous gifting that squandered her fortune during her short career. 

By all accounts, Winehouse spent exorbitant sums on supporting her drug addiction during her heaviest period of use between 2006-2008. Estimates suggest she might have spent up to £1 million on drugs alone in those years. 

She also reportedly spent vast amounts of alcohol even after getting sober from narcotics. Her out-of-control spending extended to lavishing friends and associates with expensive gifts and financial assistance. 

Amy Winehouse had a troubled personal life (Source: Biography)

She paid for friends’ drug rehabilitation attempts and rented apartments for them. She regularly gave very large cash gifts to family and crew members. For instance, Winehouse spent over £100,000 putting her friend Alex through failed rehab stints. 

On top of drugs and gifts for friends, she spares no expense on herself – blowing thousands during lavish shopping sprees and tens of thousands on month-long trips abroad. She once dropped £20,000 in one Selfridges visit. 

Her father struggled to rein in her wild spending, as she had him manage her finances while she toured and recorded. Eventually, in 2009, Winehouse signed over control of her companies and earnings to her parents, Mitch and Janis. 

But despite their efforts, Winehouse’s self-destructive habits persist, leaving little behind when she passed away in 2011. The remaining £2 million left in her company at death paled compared to the estimated £10-15 million she earned. 

In the end, Winehouse’sWinehouse’s uncontrolled spending to feed her vices and generosity to others resulted in squandering the fortune she had amassed in only a few short years at the top, as her estimated net worth at the time of her death was a mere $4 million.

Amy Winehouse also didn’t have a will

When Winehouse passed away suddenly at age 27, her death was not the only shock for her loved ones – they also faced the complexity of distributing her estate without explicit instructions.

Like many young stars, she did not have a will established when she died. Dying without a will, known as “intestate,” meant that instead of her wishes guiding her assets, inheritance laws took over after she passed. 

Typically, when someone dies intestate, an individual close to the deceased is named administrator of the estate. For her, her father, Mitch, was selected to take on this responsibility.

Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch Winehouse, and Janis Winehouse (Source: The Sun)

According to legal experts, intestacy rules meant Amy’s estate would get divided between her living parents, spouse, and children. However, she did not have any children at the time of her passing. 

She had been married to Blake Fielder-Civil for two years, but they divorced in 2009. As an ex-spouse, Blake had no rights to her inheritance.

Without a will or beneficiaries like children, Amy’s estate – valued at around £4 million after debts were settled – was split between her divorced parents, Mitch and Janis. 

This equal division between parents may come as a surprise, as Amy was often publicly seen as closer to her father, Mitch, who also managed her. But with no legal documentation dictating her wishes, default law prevailed.

Amy Winehouse led a charitable life

Throughout her storied yet tragically brief career, Winehouse was known to be extremely generous with her time and money, supporting various charitable causes. 

Though this charitable side of the iconic singer was not well publicized in music and charity circles, she had a reputation for giving back.  

According to sources close to her management, Winehouse rarely turned down charitable requests for funds or participation. She could be counted on to say yes if she was approached to contribute to a good cause, whether donating or singing at a benefit event. 

Her money and music were deployed to support many charities, especially those helping vulnerable youth. In 2008, she posed nude in a magazine to raise awareness for breast cancer research. 

Late Amy Winehouse’s parents donated $25,000 to the Park Slope Arts Academy (Source: Brooklyn Paper)

The following year, Winehouse contributed to a climate change awareness album alongside major acts like the Rolling Stones. She was also known to support charitable aims that touched her spontaneously. 

For instance, in 2009, while vacationing in Saint Lucia, she paid for an urgent $6000 surgery for a local Caribbean man unable to afford the life-saving procedure. 

She humbly demurred when he tried to thank her, only wanting to help. In 2011, mere months before passing, she donated over $30,000 of clothes to a London charity shop.  

While Winehouse rose to fame for her soaring voice and rebellious public persona, in private, she was also a profoundly caring spirit. Her generosity touched many over the years, and her selfless support of charities remains part of her profound legacy.