A Mariah Christmas: how much does the pop diva make each winter?

It takes a lot of luck and talent to make a Christmas anthem even though the public quickly tires of hearing the songs over tinny grocery store speakers all season.

Despite many failed attempts at winter classics (The Killers’ Don’t Shoot Me Santa has some spoken word sections that will drain any Christmas spirit you had left) some choruses return to the charts year after year.

So, credit where credit is due to the reigning queen of yuletide classics, Mariah Carey, who has thawed her vocal chords to commemorate the first coming. Mariah graced TikTok with a festive video showing her mounting a reindeer, prompting fans to celebrate her return.

How much did Mariah Carey earn from All I Want for Christmas is You?

Over the years, the 53-year-old singer has earned a bumper crop of royalties from this anthem. The song was released 28 years ago on October 29 in 1994 and its continued success is remarkable. Although an official figure has never been released, a study by The Economist has estimated a yearly income of $2.5 million (£2.2 million). This came to $60 million (£52 million) in 2016 since its original release. She could easily have made another $12.5 million from the song since, taking total royalties to more than $70 million.

Last year the holiday tune set more records as the first Christmas song to receive a certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In the same year, Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, hitting a three-year streak.

After a year like 2020, the UK population inevitably returned to familiar classics and charted her song at number one.

Carey celebrated online with glad tidings to her British fans: “Happy Christmas UK!! We finally made it!!! We are keeping the Christmas spirit alive together despite how dismal the year’s been. Love you always! Joy to the world!"

What is Mariah Carey’s net worth?

The five-octave singer-songwriter is listed as one of the 15 best-selling musical artists in history with more than 200 million albums sold worldwide.

Only second to Madonna in the list of best-selling female artists, Carey maintains first position with more #1 hits than any other female writer or producer in US chart history. She is listed with a net worth of $340 million (£295 million).

She has a property portfolio spread across the Bahamas and New York, but does not own her Beverly Hills home, instead opting to rent the sprawling mansion – where she lives with 11-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan.