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

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

What is Lindsey Buckingham's net worth?

Lindsey Buckingham is a well-known American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer, boasting a net worth of around $150 million. This figure has likely dropped due to a significant settlement with his ex-wife Kristen, who filed for divorce in June 2021 after two decades of marriage. At his highest point, Buckingham's net worth was over $250 million.

He's best recognized as the guitarist and male lead vocalist for Fleetwood Mac. Besides his work with the band, he has put out several solo and live albums. Regarded as one of the greatest guitarists ever, Buckingham was honoured with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Lindsey Adams Buckingham was born in 1949 in Palo Alto, California, as the youngest of three brothers. He grew up in Atherton and went to Menlo Atherton High School. Lindsey kicked off his music journey with a toy Mickey Mouse guitar, and when his parents saw his potential, they got him a $35 Donald Duck guitar. At 13, he got into folk music, especially inspired by the Kingston Trio's banjo style. From 1966 to 1971, he played in a high school band, diving into folk and psychedelic rock without any formal training, taking on the roles of vocalist and bassist. He later brought his friend Stevie Nicks on board as a second vocalist.

In 1972, Lindsey and Stevie started dating and recorded a bunch of demos together. They headed to Los Angeles with their recordings, and in 1973, they landed a deal with Polydor Records. Unfortunately, after their debut album "Buckingham Nicks" didn’t sell well, Polydor dropped them from the label.

Career Success with Fleetwood Mac

In 1975, while they were laying down some demos at Sound City studio, Buckingham and Nicks met Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac, who was really taken by their vibe. With guitarist Bob Welch having just left the band, Fleetwood asked Buckingham to step in. Since Buckingham was still with Nicks, Fleetwood decided to bring them both on board without needing an audition. Buckingham's debut album with the band, the self-titled "Fleetwood Mac," turned out to be a huge hit, climbing to the top of the American charts. He wrote "Monday Morning" and "I'm So Afraid" for the album and took the lead vocals on "Crystal" and "Blue Letter."

Buckingham didn't stop there; he hit an even bigger milestone in 1977. That year, Fleetwood Mac skyrocketed to fame with the release of "Rumours," which became one of the best-selling albums ever. The lead single, "Go Your Own Way," written by Buckingham, made its way into the US Top Ten. He also contributed "Second Hand News" and "Never Going Back Again," and shared lead vocals on "Don't Stop" and "The Chain."

New Albums and Solo Projects

In 1979, Fleetwood Mac aimed to shake things up with their sound by dropping the more experimental album "Tusk." Buckingham took the reins on this project, writing the lead single and title track, which climbed to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Other popular tracks from "Tusk" included "Think About Me" and "Sara."

Fast forward to 1981, during a break from recording as Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham put out his first solo album, "Law and Order." He played almost all the instruments himself and even had bandmates Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie join in for some guest spots. The lead single, "Trouble," hit number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Australia. After reuniting with Fleetwood Mac for the 1982 album "Mirage," which brought them back to the top of the U.S. charts, Buckingham continued to pursue his solo career. In 1984, he released "Go Insane," which had a decent hit with its title track.

He returned to Fleetwood Mac in 1987 for "Tango in the Night," which produced several hit singles and became their biggest commercial success since "Rumours." However, during this time, Buckingham felt restricted within the band and chose to part ways.

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

Further Albums and Tours

Buckingham dropped his third solo album, "Out of the Cradle," back in 1992, and a lot of the songs touched on his relationship with Nicks and his choice to leave Fleetwood Mac. Around that time, he hit the road as a solo artist, bringing along a crew of seven other guitarists. Then in 1997, he got the nudge to reunite with his old bandmates for a tour called "The Dance."

While he was in the middle of crafting his fourth solo album, "Gift of Screws," the label folks convinced him to hold off on it and instead use some of those tracks for a new Fleetwood Mac album. This led to the release of "Say You Will" in 2003, marking the first studio album from Fleetwood Mac in 15 years featuring both Buckingham and Nicks. After that, he put out his solo albums "Under the Skin" in 2006, "Gift of Screws" in 2008, and "Seeds We Sow" in 2011.

He kept busy with various tours in the years that followed, both solo and with Fleetwood Mac, including 2012's "One Man Show," the "Live World" tour in 2013, and "On with the Show" from 2014 to 2015. However, after a performance in 2018, Buckingham was let go from Fleetwood Mac due to some creative differences.

Earnings from Fleetwood Mac

In October 2018, just seven months after getting kicked out of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey decided to sue the other band members. He argued that he was let go without any valid reason or explanation, especially after he had agreed to put his solo tour and album on hold to avoid conflicts. Lindsey also claimed that his firing cost him between $12 to $14 million, which he would have made from a contract with Live Nation for an upcoming tour.

Catalog Sale

In 2012, Lindsey offloaded a quarter of his music catalog to Kobalt for around $30 million. Fast forward to September 2020, and Kobalt was snapped up by Hipgnosis Songs Fund for a whopping $323 million. Then in January 2021, Lindsey decided to sell the remaining 75% of his catalog to Hipgnosis through Kobalt, with the price tag rumored to be between $60 and $80 million. This deal meant Hipgnosis now owns all of Lindsey's rights to royalties and licensing fees from hits like "Go Your Own Way" and "The Chain."

Personal Life

In 1998, Buckingham welcomed his first son, William Gregory, with photographer and interior designer Kristen Messner. They tied the knot in 2000 and later had two daughters, Leelee and Stella. Sadly, Kristen filed for divorce in June 2021 after being married for 21 years.

RELATED: Beyoncé Knowles' Net Worth: $600 Million and Rising.

Real Estate

In 2005, Lindsay sold a house in Bel-Air, LA, for a whopping $19.5 million.

Fast forward to January 2018, Lindsey Buckingham put his massive 11,000 square foot mansion in Los Angeles on the market for $22 million. He had snagged the place in 2013 for $6 million and completely revamped the Georgian-style, three-story home. In the end, it sold for $19 million to Disney exec Dana Walden.

Then in April 2019, Lindsey listed another mansion in Brentwood for $29.5 million. He and his wife Kristen had purchased the double lot back in 2004 for $6.6 million and built a custom 10,000 square foot home. They sold it for $28 million, with the buyer being former WeWork Vice Chairman, Michael Gross.

In 2020, they picked up a property in La Quinta's exclusive Hideaway golf club community for $3.7 million. This 5,500-square-foot Spanish contemporary home, built in 2014, features four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, white oak floors, steel-framed windows and doors, two covered patios, and a swimming pool. Buckingham and Messner also have other properties in Southern California.

By June 2022, Lindsey bought a Brentwood home for $14 million from mega-producer Lauren Shuler Donner, who had just purchased it herself for $13 million seven months earlier.

Summary

Lindsey Buckingham, with a net worth of $150 million in 2024, is best known as the guitarist and male lead vocalist of Fleetwood Mac. His wealth stems from decades of success in music, including his solo career, contributions to hit albums like Rumours and Tusk, and lucrative catalog sales.

In 2021, Buckingham sold 75% of his music catalog for an estimated $60 to $80 million. His real estate ventures have also been highly profitable, with several multi-million-dollar property sales. Despite personal challenges, including a high-profile divorce, Buckingham's career and investments have kept him financially thriving.