American Idol is coming up on its 20th anniversary; proving itself to be one of the most successful talent reality series of all time!
Throughout its 19 season run, Idol has launched the careers of countless singers, sparking fans to wonder where their fav American Idol winners are up to now. While there have been some not-so-successful Idol winners, it's safe to say that sometimes it's the finalists that come to be more famous!
This was the case for a handful of runner-up and top finalists, including Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, and David Archuleta, to name a few. With the success of so many, it's only fitting to wonder just where these Idol finalists land when it comes to their net worths.
Updated on June 23rd, 2021, by Michael Chaar: Although Carrie Underwood comes out on top, Kelly Clarkson is certainly a top contender, both on Idol and when it comes to her growing net worth. With the success of The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Voice, Kelly is really giving folks a run for their money. As for Katharine McPhee, the runner-up is adjusting to motherhood quite well as she sits on her $14 million net worth. As for Idol icons, Adam Lambert and David Archuleta, the two have become forces for the LGBTQ+ community, all while continuing their efforts in music.
10 David Archuleta - Net Worth $5 Million
David Archuleta turned into a household name following his success on American Idol. While he lost the title to David Cook, Archuleta still found massive success following his debut album, which sold over 1 million units!
Despite his success with his lead single, 'Crush', David took a step back from the limelight when his second album didn't debut so well. After going on a 2-year mission, David returned to music, documenting his therapy sessions and most recently coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Luckily for David, his success in the industry has allowed him to amass a net worth of $5 million.
9 Clay Aiken - Net Worth $6 Million
Clay Aiken did not win the second season of American Idol, however, his runner-up status still catapulted him to success. Second place was enough to launch him into superstardom because even to this day, folks still know the name, Clay Aiken.
In the United States alone, he sold over 5 million albums, proving his success as a musician. Despite his talents, Clay Aiken took a turn for politics! In 2014, Aiken ran for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina's 2nd congressional district. Luckily for Clay, he was able to finance his campaign with his impressive $6 million net worth.
8 Kellie Pickler - Net Worth $7 Million
Kellie Pickler is the country singing sensation that landed in the top six back on season five of American Idol. After she finished with the talent series, the singer went on to compete in Dancing With the Stars alongside pro-dancer, Derek Hough and ended up taking home the win!
In 2017, she started co-hosting a daytime TV talk show with Ben Aaron, which has gone on to contribute to her growing $7 million net worth. Today, Kellie works closely with Hallmark, and their holiday-themed films and music.
7 Jordin Sparks - Net Worth $8 Million
Jordin Sparks is one of the most recognized names to come from American Idol, and just recently shared a throwback onto her Instagram celebrating the 14th anniversary of her win. She auditioned for the show and she was only 17 years old which is extremely young!
After appearing on American Idol, she also did work on Broadway and released a few different albums, landing her biggest hit yet, 'No Air'. Jordin continues her efforts in music and has taken on acting. Jordin Sparks, who is worth $8 million, most recently appeared on The Masked Singer.
6 Chris Daughtry - Net Worth $8 Million
Chris Daughtry landed in fourth place on the fifth season of American Idol, but that certainly didn’t change the fact that he is still one of the most successful contestants to ever come from the show.
His rock music has let him down the path of huge success, selling over 9 million albums worldwide, and is readying his upcoming album, Nothing Lasts Forever, which is set to release this year. Luckily for Daughtry, his growing success in the music industry has garnered him a net worth of $8 million.
5 Katharine McPhee - Net Worth $14 Million
Katherine McPhee is yet another super recognizable name to come from American Idol. While fans wanted her to take home the win, she landed in second place instead, but it was still impressive enough for her to establish a career for herself after the show came to an end.
She has landed several acting roles over the last few years in both film and television and had a successful theatre career on Broadway. While music has always been her passion, so much she amassed a $14 million net worth doing so, Katharine is now taking a step back from the limelight as she cares for her newborn!
4 Jennifer Hudson - Net Worth $25 Million
Jennifer Hudson has a net worth of $25 million and she totally deserves it! Who remembers when she starred in the movie Dreamgirls alongside Beyoncé? She ended up winning an Academy Award for that movie, proving the American Idol naysayers, like Simon Cowell, wrong after she placed in seventh during season three!
Jennifer's career in music remains unmatched, however, it's her acting career and many years as a judge on The Voice that allowed her to become so rich! Most recently, JHud collaborated with Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande on Carey's song, 'Oh Santa!'
3 Adam Lambert - Net Worth $30 Million
Adam Lambert is totally killing the game with his $30 million net worth. Along with being a second-place finalist on season eight of American Idol, he’s also been nominated for a Grammy award and is known for being an advocate for the LGBTQ community.
Overall, he has sold over 3 million albums worldwide, however, he has gone on to find more success as the lead singer for Queen, all while appearing on the newest hit show, Legendary on HBO Max.
2 Kelly Clarkson - Net Worth $45 Million
Shockingly, Kelly Clarkson is not the most successful American Idol alum on this list, despite being one of the biggest names to come from the series. She has sold over 25 million albums worldwide and has a net worth of $45 million, which is certainly quite the fortune!
These days, she is known for being a judge on The Voice, which has earned the star millions. In addition to her time as a coach, Kelly also has her very own talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, which is set to become the number one show following the end of The Ellen Show.
1 Carrie Underwood - Net Worth $140 Million
Carrie Underwood is the overall winner when it comes to American Idol contestants who have come out on top! She finished in first place on season four of American Idol with her country music vibes that have soared her to the top of the music charts. Following her success with hit songs such as 'Jesus Take The Wheel', 'Cowboy Casanova', and 'Before he Cheats', Carrie has been able to amass a net worth of $140 million, the highest of any Idol alumn.
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