Paul Simon Net Worth: The ‘Graceland’ Legend Who Made Millions But Chose a Quiet Life

Paul Simon net worth is something many music fans are curious about. The singer became famous as part of Simon & Garfunkel and later had a successful solo career. His songs, like Bridge Over Troubled Water and Graceland, have made him one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Over the years, album sales, concerts, and royalties have helped him build his wealth.

So, let’s take a closer look at how Paul Simon earns his money and what has made him so successful.

What Paul Simon Net Worth?

Paul Simon is an American singer, songwriter, and musician with an estimated net worth of $200 million. Most of his wealth comes from record sales, songwriting royalties, and touring. His career spans over six decades, making him one of the richest folk-rock artists in history.

In 2021, Simon sold his entire song catalog to Sony Music Publishing for $250 million. This deal included rights to some of the most famous songs ever recorded, ensuring a steady income for years to come.

Simon’s long career means his music continues to generate money. Streaming services, radio plays, and cover versions of his songs bring in millions in royalties. His work remains as relevant today as it was in the 1960s.

Early Life

Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 13, 1941. His parents, Louis and Belle, were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants. His father, Louis, was a professor and also played music in a dance band. Belle was an elementary school teacher. In 1945, the family moved to Queens, New York.

Simon’s childhood was shaped by his Jewish heritage and his love for music and baseball. Music was important to his family. Donald Fagen, a musician, said Simon’s upbringing was typical of many New York Jews who felt like outsiders and turned to music and baseball for comfort. Simon also played baseball and stickball as a kid. He remembered his father as funny and smart but working long hours.

Paul Simon met Art Garfunkel when they were 11 and performed together in a school play. They started singing together at 13 and began performing at school dances. Simon wrote his first song, The Girl for Me, for them to sing. It became popular in their neighborhood. At 16, they recorded Hey, Schoolgirl under the name Tom & Jerry. The song reached number 49 on the pop charts.

Simon graduated from Forest Hills High School and then attended Queens College, where he studied English. He graduated in 1963. Garfunkel studied math at Columbia University. Simon was also part of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. He briefly attended Brooklyn Law School but left after one semester.

Career

Between 1957 and 1964, Paul Simon wrote and released over 30 songs. He worked with Art Garfunkel on a few songs under the name Tom & Jerry. Most of Simon’s songs were solo releases, using names like Jerry Landis and Paul Kane. In 1962, he worked as a writer and producer for artists on Amy Records, like Dotty Daniels and Ritchie Cordell.

Paul Simon also had a moderate hit with Tico and the Triumphs in 1962 with the song “Motorcycle”. Later, he reached the charts again as Jerry Landis with “The Lone Teen Ranger”. In 1964, Simon and Garfunkel signed with Columbia Records and released their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which didn’t do well at first.

In 1965, Simon moved to London, where he got into folk music. He wrote songs like “Homeward Bound” and “I Am a Rock” and recorded the Paul Simon Songbook. In England, Simon learned new guitar techniques and embraced English folk music. He also produced songs for other artists like Jackson C. Frank.

Their song “The Sound of Silence” became a hit after it was remixed with electric instruments. This success brought Simon and Garfunkel back together. They recorded several famous albums like Sounds of Silence and Bridge Over Troubled Water, with the latter becoming the best-selling album at the time.

In the 1970s, Simon focused on his solo career. He released Paul Simon in 1972, which included hits like “Mother and Child Reunion”. The album There Goes Rhymin’ Simon followed in 1973 with hits like “Kodachrome”. His album Still Crazy After All These Years 1975 became a huge success, with songs like “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “My Little Town”.

In 1980, Simon released One-Trick Pony, which had the hit “Late in the Evening”. Later, Simon and Garfunkel performed together again in Central Park in 1981. They released a live album, and Simon continued his solo work with the album Hearts and Bones in 1983.

In 1986, Simon released Graceland, his most successful album, inspired by South African music. The album sold over 16 million copies worldwide. He also recorded The Rhythm of the Saints in 1990, which was influenced by Brazilian music. Both albums received critical praise and won awards.

Paul Simon’s 1991 concert in Central Park was a major success, attracting over 750,000 people. His Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints albums were a turning point in his career, with him receiving worldwide recognition.

In September 1993, Paul Simon had a reunion with Art Garfunkel. This led to the release of Paul Simon 1964/1993, which was later shortened to The Paul Simon Anthology. In 1995, Simon appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and performed “Ten Years” for the show’s anniversary. That year, Simon also worked with Annie Lennox on a version of his song “Something So Right,” which briefly made it onto the UK Top 50.

Simon had spent years working on a musical called The Capeman, which opened in 1998. The musical, about Salvador Agron, a Puerto Rican youth, was a failure despite featuring Marc Anthony and Rubén Blades. Simon also released an album of songs from the show, but it didn’t do well on the charts. His next album, You’re the One, released in 2000, was a success and earned a Grammy nomination.

Simon continued to work through tough times in his career. After the 9/11 attacks, he performed “Bridge Over Troubled Water” for a telethon. He also recorded “Father and Daughter” for The Wild Thornberrys Movie, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Simon reunited with Garfunkel for the “Old Friends” tour in 2003 and performed for hurricane relief in 2005.

In 2006, Simon released Surprise, an album influenced by world events and his personal life. It did well commercially and was praised by critics. He also received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007. His albums were re-released, and he toured with his son Adrian’s musical collaborators.

Paul Simon’s 2008 album So Beautiful or So What received positive reviews. In 2010, he performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show and released new songs like “Getting Ready for Christmas Day.” In 2011, he played his first concert in Israel since 1983.

In 2014, Simon toured with Sting. He also released Stranger to Stranger in 2016, his 13th solo album. Despite considering retirement, Simon continued to perform and release music. In 2018, he released In the Blue Light, featuring re-recordings of old songs.

In 2023, Simon released Seven Psalms, an album created during the pandemic. It’s a meditation with folk, blues, and jazz influences. Simon planned to retire but is now working on new projects, including a potential album of duets with his wife, Edie Brickell.

Personal life

Paul Simon and Kathy Chitty met in 1964 at the Railway Inn Folk Club in England. Kathy was 16, and Simon was 22. They traveled to the U.S. together but broke up when Simon became more famous with his song The Sounds of Silence. Kathy is mentioned in Simon’s songs like Kathy’s Song and America. They are also in a photo on the cover of The Paul Simon Songbook.

Simon married Peggy Harper in 1969. They had a son, Harper Simon, in 1972 but divorced in 1975. This inspired his song 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. In the late 1970s, Simon lived near Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live, who was his close friend.

While filming Annie Hall in 1976, Simon met actress Shelley Duvall. They lived together for two years. Duvall later introduced Simon to Carrie Fisher. Simon and Fisher got married in 1983, but they divorced in 1984. The song Hearts and Bones is about their time together, and Graceland is believed to be about Simon finding comfort after their breakup. Simon and Fisher briefly got back together after their divorce.

In 1992, Simon married singer Edie Brickell. They have three children: Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel. In 2014, they had a domestic dispute, and both were charged with disorderly conduct.

Simon has four children, all of whom are musicians. He and his brother, Eddie Simon, founded the Guitar Study Center before 1973, which later became part of The New School in New York City. Simon is also a big fan of the New York Rangers, Knicks, and Yankees.

Philanthropy

Paul Simon has always supported music education for kids. In 1970, after recording Bridge Over Troubled Water, he held auditions for a young songwriters’ workshop at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The auditions were posted in The Village Voice and attracted many hopeful performers. Six teenagers were chosen, including Melissa Manchester, Tommy Mandel, and Joe Linus. Maggie and Terre Roche from The Roche Sisters joined the workshop later.

Simon invited these young musicians to see how music is recorded at Columbia Studios. While they were there, Bob Dylan was downstairs recording Self-Portrait, which featured a version of Simon’s song The Boxer. Violinist Isaac Stern also visited the group, sharing his thoughts on lyrics and music.

Years later, Manchester honored Simon with her song Ode to Paul. Simon also mentored Nick Laird-Clowes, who helped create the song Life in a Northern Town with his band, The Dream Academy.

In 2003, Simon supported Little Kids Rock, a charity that provides free music lessons and instruments to kids in U.S. public schools. He serves on their board as an honorary member.

Paul Simon co-founded the Children’s Health Fund with Irwin Redlener. The fund started with buses offering medical care to children in poor areas. Now, these buses run in 12 states and work with schools and hospitals to improve children’s health.

In 2012, Simon helped raise over $2 million for Richard Leakey’s research in Africa at a benefit dinner. In 2019, during his performance at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, he donated his appearance fee to support San Francisco Parks Alliance and Friends of the Urban Forest.

Real Estate

In 2012, Paul Simon and Edie bought a 32-acre property in New Canaan, Connecticut, for about $16 million. They listed the house for sale in April 2019 at $14 million. The house is 8,800 square feet, with a big yard. In June 2022, they sold it for $10.8 million to actor Richard Gere. He sold it again in October 2024 for $10.75 million.

Paul and Edie still own a duplex in a famous NYC building on the Upper West Side. Their neighbors include Lorne Michaels and Robert De Niro. They also own a 30-acre oceanfront property in Montauk and a 10-acre ranch in Allen, Texas.