Mick Fleetwood's Net Worth Races Past $30 Million In 2024

Mick Fleetwood's Net Worth Races Past $30 Million In 2024.

What is Mick Fleetwood's Net Worth?

Mick Fleetwood is a British musician with a net worth of around $40 million. He’s best known for co-founding Fleetwood Mac, a band that has sold over 120 million records globally. While many of the original members have moved on, Mick has stuck around as the last original member, managing a rotating cast of new musicians. Besides his work with Fleetwood Mac, he’s also had a solid solo career and has ventured into entrepreneurship with interests in winemaking, restaurants, and other businesses.

Mick's net worth could be much higher, but he’s lived a pretty extravagant lifestyle for years and has lost millions on some not-so-great business deals. His financial troubles peaked in the late '80s when he had to declare bankruptcy. Although he’s bounced back since then, he’s not quite as wealthy as some of his Fleetwood Mac bandmates, like Stevie Nicks, who has a net worth of $120 million, and Lindsey Buckingham, who is worth $100 million.

Early Life

Michael John Kells Fleetwood was born on June 24, 1947, in Cornwall, England. His dad was a Royal Air Force pilot, which meant the family was always on the move. After spending some time in Egypt as a kid, Mick ended up in Norway, where he picked up the language like a pro. Eventually, they returned to England and settled in Gloucestershire, but school wasn't really his thing. Still, he loved acting in school plays and got really good at fencing during his younger years.

Noticing that academics weren't his strong suit, his parents decided to steer him towards music and got him a drum set when he turned 13. Mick quickly fell in love with drumming, and by 15, he had dropped out of school to chase his dream of a music career, with his parents cheering him on all the way.

RELATED: Lindsey Buckingham's Net Worth Skyrockets to $150 Million in 2024.

Career Success

After leaving school, Fleetwood headed to London to chase better music opportunities. By coincidence, he ended up living just a few doors down from a keyboardist named Peter Bardens, who was on the lookout for a drummer. When Bardens heard Fleetwood jamming on his drums, he popped over and asked him to join his band, the Cheynes. Throughout the 60s, Mick played with a variety of bands, some more popular than others.

Eventually, Mick got booted from a band called the Bluesbreakers due to his heavy drinking. At that time, two of his bandmates, Peter Green and John McVie, also left. Green decided to form his own band and invited Fleetwood and McVie, which he dubbed "Fleetwood Mac," to come along. This marked the start of Fleetwood Mac as a group.

Their debut album was called "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac," released in 1968. After touring the US to promote it, they dropped another album titled "Mr. Wonderful," followed by "Man of the World." By then, a few new faces had joined the band, and Peter Green became increasingly distracted by LSD. Eventually, he left the band for good.

In the years that followed, Mick Fleetwood fell for model Jenny Boyd, and they tied the knot in 1970. The band spent a lot of time touring the US and later released "Future Games" and "Bare Trees." During this time, several band members either quit or caused trouble, leading Mick to either let them go or persuade them to get along. Many of their subsequent albums didn’t do well, and Fleetwood ended up divorcing his wife after discovering she was having an affair with another band member.

The band hit it big in 1975 when Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the crew. That same year, they dropped the album "Fleetwood Mac," which shot to number one on the charts and sold 5 million copies. But as time went on, tensions within the group started to bubble up again. Still, they managed to score a massive hit with "Rumours" in 1977.

During this period, Fleetwood was juggling an affair with Stevie Nicks while also trying to rekindle things with Jenny Boyd and keep a stable home for their two kids. Their next album, "Tusk," saw a dip in their performance, signaling the end of Fleetwood Mac's golden era. After that, Mick dabbled in various solo projects and teamed up with other artists.

RELATED: Stevie Nicks' Net Worth: A Look at Her $120 Million Legacy.

Live Nation Earnings

In October 2018, we got a peek into the financial side of Fleetwood Mac thanks to a lawsuit from Lindsey Buckingham, who’s been in and out of the band. He took legal action against his former bandmates after they kicked him off the 2018-2019 Live Nation tour. The lawsuit stated that under their agreement with Live Nation, each member was supposed to get $200,000 per show for 60 shows, totaling around $12 million. If attendance hit certain targets and more dates were added, that figure could go up to $14 million. Three months later, they settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount, and Buckingham shared a statement about it:

"We've all signed off on something. I'm happy enough with it. I'm not out there trying to twist the knife at all. I'm trying to look at this with some level of compassion, some level of wisdom."

Financial Issues

In 1984, Fleetwood went through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. At that point, he had around $2.5 million in assets but was facing about $3.7 million in debt. After a court session, all his assets were handed over to a trustee who was responsible for selling them off to pay Mick's creditors. Eventually, the court sold his Malibu home for $2.2 million and started collecting royalties owed to him from BMI.

Unfortunately, many of Fleetwood's assets turned out to be worth less than expected, leaving him with over $1 million in unpaid debts. He later confessed that he had over-invested in real estate and simply didn’t have enough income to cover his obligations. He made some questionable decisions, like purchasing a $1.2 million property in Australia and a $400,000 place in Hawaii, while also taking out high-interest mortgages. (Mick still has the Hawaiian property, but now it’s a luxury rental that goes for about $1,400 a night).

While making these investments, Mick thought his income would remain steady. However, as other Fleetwood Mac members enjoyed successful solo careers, Mick's earnings started to drop. In 1982 and 1983, he made $350,000 and $255,000, respectively. He also poured nearly $629,000 into a failing oil and gas venture, losing it all. On top of owing millions to banks, he had debts to smaller businesses like guitar shops and animal clinics.

Fans rallied around Mick, sending him donations after news of his bankruptcy broke. Meanwhile, some skeptics suggested that his financial troubles were just a clever ploy to cash in on his upcoming album drops. Unlike many celebs who find themselves in financial hot water due to poor advice, Mick's case was quite the opposite. His financial advisors had been urging him to cut back on his real estate purchases, but he chose to ignore their warnings. Still, looking at Mick's current net worth, it seems he managed to bounce back from this hiccup.

Mick Fleetwood's journey from humble beginnings to rock stardom is a testament to his resilience and talent. Despite facing significant financial challenges, including bankruptcy, he has managed to bounce back and achieve lasting success. As the heartbeat of Fleetwood Mac, Mick’s contributions to the band’s legendary music and ongoing influence in the industry remain undeniable.

His ventures beyond music, including his investments in real estate and winemaking, showcase his entrepreneurial spirit. With a net worth of $40 million in 2024, Mick Fleetwood’s story is one of perseverance, making him an enduring figure in the world of rock and roll.