How Much Money Is Susan Boyle Worth Now?

She captured hearts worldwide and gained viral fame all the way back in 2008 as a wannabe singer on Britain's Got Talent. But, in keeping with her unlikely first televised appearance, Susan Boyle didn't take to the limelight the way many a reality star has before her. In fact, she retired to her hometown of Blackburn, West Lothian, in Scotland, remaining in her childhood council home and eventually buying it herself. It's not exactly the behavior one would expect from someone who, according to International Business Times, became a millionaire within her first year of being famous. But Susan Boyle isn't everyone. 

According to estimates from Celebrity Net Worth, the Scottish singer is worth approximately $40 million, holding the record for the oldest person to reach #1 on the US and UK sales charts with her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream. The majority of her earnings come from music, accumulated via concerts, royalties, and advances. Her debut album even became the second highest-selling album of 2009 in the United States, too. The following year, The Gift sold over 102,000 copies in its first week of release alone, with Boyle nominated for a Grammy opposite the likes of Lady Gaga.

Even so, she's still the same woman who shocked Simon Cowell into silence all those years ago. And, as a result, Boyle refuses to splash her hard-earned cash. According to Metro, she's too scared about things going belly up for her again, having grown up on the poverty line. "I'm not a big spender, because for 47 years I didn't have any money, so I like to save it for a rainy day," Boyle explained.

Per Express, her most extravagant purchases thus far were a fur coat and a bottle of Chanel No. 5. In keeping with the ambitions of a regular woman from West Lothian, Boyle still has to pinch herself when considering her impressive career. As she told Metro, "I never thought I would have the success that I have had, or sold as many albums as I have or traveled the globe performing."

And that's probably worth more than just money, don't you think?