Master of the Music Industry: Clive Davis Net Worth and Wealth Unveiled

Clive Davis, 91, is a versatile American figure in the music industry, known for his roles as a record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. His achievements include five Grammy Awards, and he earned a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, recognized for his influential contributions beyond performance. 

What is Clive Davis' Net Worth?

Clive Davis, an American music exec and record producer, has a net worth of $850 million. He is known for leading labels like Columbia, Arista, and J Records. 

Across his long music career, Davis signed big names like Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Sly and the Family Stone. He is also known for kickstarting the careers of stars like Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow. 

Clive's collection of art might be valued at $100 million. It includes artworks by famous artists like Picasso, Damien Hirst, Dale Chihuli, Adolph Gottlieb, Andy Warhol, and many others. 

Clive Davis Luxurious Lifestyle

Clive Davis possesses multiple properties in New York City. At 465 Park Avenue, he owns at least five units. One of these units was listed in 2017 for $7.8 million, later dropping to as low as $6.2 million before being withdrawn from the market in 2019. Remarkably, this unit comes with a hefty monthly HOA fee of $11,700!  

Moreover, Davis has a lavish estate in Westchester County, New York. Purchased in 1991 following his second divorce, the property boasts a 30-seat home theater within its 8,000-square-foot main house. Additionally, there's a 6,000-square-foot guest house, where Clive frequently hosts guests over the weekends. 

Clive Davis' Career Highlights

Legal Career: 

After finishing his studies at Harvard Law, Clive Davis began practicing law at a small New York firm. He spent two years there before joining the firm of Rosenman, Colin, Kaye, Petschek, and Freund. 

It's noteworthy that Ralph Colin, a partner at this firm, had CBS as a client, which led to Davis being hired as an assistant counsel for CBS's branch, Columbia Records. Gradually, he advanced to the position of general counsel.  

Columbia Records: 

While serving as general counsel at Columbia Records, the company underwent restructuring. Consequently, in 1965, Clive Davis was promoted to administrative vice president and general manager of Columbia. The following year, CBS formed the Columbia-CBS Group, leading to the creation of CBS Records, and Davis was appointed as the head of this new division. 

Davis swiftly signed British singer-songwriter Donovan and appointed singer Tony Orlando as the general manager of Columbia's publishing subsidiary, April-Blackwood Music, later elevating Orlando to vice president of CBS Music.

Post attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Clive promptly signed Janis Joplin and her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company. His talent scouting expanded to include numerous successful artists like Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, and Loggins and Messina at Columbia. 

In the early 1970s, Davis made significant acquisitions by signing Earth, Wind & Fire, and Aerosmith. During his tenure, one of the most commercially successful albums was Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden," which produced the globally renowned single of the same name.  

However, in 1973, Clive was terminated from Columbia/CBS due to allegations of using company funds for his son's bar mitzvah.   

Arista Records: 

In 1974, Clive Davis created Arista Records. He led this label until 2000 and brought aboard numerous super-successful artists like Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Ace of Base, Air Supply, Taylor Dayne, and Alicia Keys. 

In 1989, Davis teamed up with Tim DuBois to start Arista Nashville, where he signed country stars like Pam Tillis, Brad Paisley, and Brooks & Dunn. However, he was let go from Arista and its parent company BMG in 2000 due to an age rule. In 2011, during an RCA reorganization, Arista was dissolved.  

LaFace Records: 

In 1989, Clive Davis, along with L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, co-founded LaFace Records. This label hit major success in the late '90s and early 2000s thanks to acts like TLC (selling 75 million records), Toni Braxton (65 million), and Usher (65 million). 

J Records, RCA, and Sony: 

After departing from Arista, Clive Davis started J Records, a label distributed by the RCA Music Group. A bit later, he took charge as the president and CEO of RCA. 

Then, in 2004, BMG merged with Sony Music Entertainment, forming Sony BMG. By 2008, Davis left RCA to become the chief creative officer first at Sony BMG, then at Sony Music Entertainment.  

Bad Boy Records: 

In 1993, Sean Combs, who was let go from Uptown Records, met with Clive Davis, even though Davis wasn't keen on rap music back then. Davis gave Combs a $15 million deal to launch Bad Boy Records, which saw success from artists like Mase, 112, The Notorious B.I.G., and Faith Evans.  

Davis founded J Records in 2000 and currently holds the position of chief creative officer at Sony Music. He has won five Grammy awards and is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

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