His wealth didn’t come from nowhere. First, there was Wham!, the band he formed with Andrew Ridgeley in the early 80s. Those bubblegum hits like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” sold millions of records and filled stadiums. But George had bigger plans—and a much bigger voice.
When he went solo in 1987, he released Faith, an album that basically became a cultural earthquake. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide and spawned six Top 5 singles. Think about that: every time you stream “Faith” today, a tiny bit of that empire keeps humming along.
His songwriting rights were the real goldmine. George owned the publishing rights to his entire catalog, which is rare in the music industry. Most artists let labels take a bite; he kept the whole apple, which meant every radio play, every cover, every movie placement earned him a direct slice.
