No, Bruce Springsteen is not a billionaire

SUCCESS·ENTERTAINMENT

—he says he spent too much money on ‘superfluous things’

BY Eleanor Pringle

U.S. singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen

“Thunder Road” singer Bruce Springsteen has clarified reports that he is worth $1.2 billion.

Bruce Springsteen has poured cold water on the notion that he is a billionaire, saying 10-figure estimates of his net worth are “real wrong.”

Outlets like Forbes have estimated The Boss is worth $1.2 billion—owing to his vast catalog of studio and live albums, which he sold to Sony in 2021 for $500 million. 

But the New Jersey native has set the record straight, bluntly telling media: “I’m not a billionaire.

“I wish I was, but they got that real wrong,” Springsteen told the Telegraph in a recent interview. “I’ve spent too much money on superfluous things.”

The 75-year-old rock-and-roll legend released his first studio album—Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.—more than 50 years ago and has been touring ever since.

He wants to enjoy the fruits of his labor, adding people should enjoy their “good fortune” because after all, “you put the work in.” 

But the father of three said he’s never let the finer things in life distract him from the bigger picture, adding, “That’s usually where people go south.”

Protecting his talent was key to ensuring that didn’t happen, he added: “If I had failed at that, I would have failed at everything, in my opinion.”

‘Superfluous’ spending

What Springsteen would class as a “superfluous” spend isn’t clear, but his philanthropic and charitable spending is well-documented.

Earlier this year it emerged that the rocker donated $20,000—the equivalent of more than $58,000 in 2024 currency—to support miners in the north of England in the 1980s, who were on strike at the time. 

Springsteen handed two miners’ wives—Juliana Heron and Anne Suddick—the check at a gig in Newcastle in 1985, without any publicity.

“He just said, ‘I truly support what the miners are doing for their communities. I want to present you with this cheque,’” Heron told the BBC earlier this year.

year prior Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, donated $100,000 to the restoration of the Turf Club, a music venue dating back to the 1960s, in Asbury Park, where the musician grew up. 

Indeed the Born in the U.S.A. singer-songwriter has stayed close to his roots and in 2019 gave fans some insight into his home life.

Springsteen shows CBS’s Gayle King around his home studio in New Jersey, where he has recorded the majority of his music over the past 15 years.

A portion of Springsteen’s wealth also apparently goes to keeping livestock, as he showed King his pet pigs and horses.

Springsteen and politics

The front man known for his tours alongside the E Street Band is also forthcoming about his political inclination. 

Springsteen was a staunch supporter of President Obama, frequently headlining concerts and appearing at rallies for the former Democratic commander-in-chief. 

Whether or not Springsteen donates to Democratic nominees isn’t known, but the “Thunder Road” singer has come out in support of Harris in the upcoming presidential election.

He told the Telegraph this month he’s “not that anxious” about the outcome of the White House race because he believes Harris will win, though adding, “Of course, I’ve been wrong before about this.”

Springsteen continued, referring to Donald Trump: “In the States, there’s an enormous anxiety, however, at losing the things that are dearest to us, the danger of losing democracy, rule of law, peaceful transfer of power. And this is a guy who is committed to none of these things.

“He’s an insurrectionist. You know, he led a coup on the United States government, so there’s no way he should be let anywhere near the office of the presidency.”

A New Miami Restaurant Row

Sunny’s Steakhouse In Miami’s Little River Neighborhood Is The Biggest, Delightful Surprise Ever.
Just letting you know that the Little River neighborhood in Miami is going to be where all the new exquisite and hot new restaurants will be located. Sunny’s Steakhouse, at 7357 NW Miami CT, is leading the way.

Our friends Alison Davis and Jan Gerits of City Life Guru took us there last night and we were shocked to see what is developing in a neighborhood that was just devoted to commercial businesses.

Sunny’s is a 13,000 square foot, 220-seat restaurant that has so many indoor and outdoor elegant rooms you will feel like you have traveled to a far away luxury destination.


It’s pricey but you can share several dishes to limit what you spend. However, the steaks and pastas are delicious so you are going to get a great meal.
Of course the crowd is super fashionable and filled with influencers but that is to be expected in any new Miami place. The staff treats you completely first class so that’s refreshing too.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

We did a studio visit with @jenclay this morning. Being with her is like going to your happy place and forgetting that the rest of the world is a constant toothache. She is a textile artist that brings your soul to a land of total satisfaction.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

@charooquet we are crazy for you. @pieroatchugarrygallery.
Women At Large
Nathalie Alfonso, Carolina Cueva, Carol Jazzar, Charo Oquet, Luna Palazzolo-Daboul, Chire Regans, Maria Theresa Barbist, Carol Todaro, Denise Treizman

Curated by Dainy Tapia

Here Is Hope

What happened in Nazi Germany after Hitler’s suicide may offer some parallels to consider now that Yahya Sinwar is dead.

After Hitler’s death, the Third Reich continued fighting for 10 days, but many top Nazis shifted to self-preservation, making desperate overtures to the Allies. They ignored Hitler’s “scorched earth” directive, in which he wanted Germany to be left a dystopian wasteland for the victors.

Sinwar and Hitler shared a nihilistic apocalyptic worldview. Their sadistic narcissism drove them to punish those they believe had failed them. For Hitler, this meant turning on the German people, while Sinwar was willing to sacrifice Gazan civilians as a cynical strategy to shield Hamas and shift international public opinion. The huge anti-Israel demonstrations in world capitals and on college campuses illustrated its success as the memories of the October 7 atrocities. Sinwar’s unwavering Islamist fanaticism made him Israel’s fiercest foe but also the most devastating leader for Palestinians.

Now that Sinwar is gone, will the surviving Hamas commanders, like the Nazis decades ago, attempt to save themselves? If so, it might present Israel an opportunity to push for a resolution to the Gaza conflict. A cessation of fighting is only possible with the release of all hostages, the dismantling of Hamas’s remaining political infrastructure, and the complete demilitarization of Gaza. Achieving such goals would be extremely difficult, but Sinwar’s death creates an opening that was unthinkable while he was alive and running Hamas.

The annual DVF Awards

Inside Diane von Furstenberg’s Venetian Home in the Palazzo Giustinian Brandolini

The fashion designer hosted friends including Oprah Winfrey and talked about how she made a grandiose space cozy and personal. 

By Luisa Zargani

Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg at Palazzo Giustinian BrandoliniSTEFANO TROVATI SGP – COURTESY IMAGE

Diane von Furstenberg would be much happier talking about women’s empowerment and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris than her home in Venice. “I don’t want to sound like just another rich American woman in Venice,” she says politely, yet quite firmly, in her purring voice.

And “I don’t want to pretend I am Venetian,” adds von Furstenberg, who had just arrived in Venice on the three-masted yacht Eos she owns with her husband Barry Diller. 

She is very respectful of the Italian city and its history and her affection for Venice is obvious — she peppers her Instagram handle with views of the lagoon and its ornate buildings. Von Furstenberg spends several months of the year in Venice and in 2022, she decided to begin holding the DVF Awards here, timing the event with the Venice Film Festival.

“The city has always been part of my life and I compare Venice to an eternal, legendary and very resilient woman, always looking ahead,” she explains.

The annual DVF Awards were created in 2010 by the fashion designer and The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to recognize and support extraordinary women who are dedicated to transforming and inspiring the lives of other women. From that first edition in Venice, which recognized Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, and “Selma” director Ava DuVernay, among others, each award bestows $100,000, doubling the initial grant. 

The awards have drawn such powerful women as Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Oprah Winfrey, as well as A-listers such as George Clooney, accompanied by his wife and human rights lawyer Amal, who last year received the DVF Leadership Award for her work on behalf of victims of human rights abuses, and Dame Emma Thompson. Von Furstenberg admits these celebrities help draw attention to the event, but her focus is to amplify the voice of, and support, displaced, challenged and at-risk women, whether Indigenous or hailing from Afghanistan, Africa or Ukraine.

Once again, this year the awards were bestowed as the Venice Film Festival was kicking off and, ahead of the evening ceremony, von Furstenberg held a lunch for the recipients at her apartment in the city. This unfolded after a talk with Winfrey, herself a DVF Award recipient in 2012, on U.S. politics and ranging from reproductive rights to the American Dream.

Bringing People Together

The lunch reflected a key goal von Furstenberg has set with her home in Venice, which is “to bring people together and create connections, opening up a constructive dialogue.” Because, as Winfrey put it, her longtime friend is always “on.”

“Diane is this way all the time,” Winfrey says, referring to the fashion designer’s activist initiatives. “This is not a show for her. This isn’t just something to be on display. She’s always thinking about what can we do to help the world? What can we do to bring about change? She’s always trying to connect people, anything that’s going to bring enlightenment or some kind of empowerment to all of us.”

With the lunch, seeing awardees such as Graça Machel and Dame Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, around the same table, “I felt it was closing a circle,” the hostess says.

Under the sparkling original Murano chandeliers, the table was set with glassware by Marcantonio Brandolini’s Laguna~B brand and placemats by Chiarastella Cattana, both based in Venice. Wooden lounge chairs around the long glass and wrought brass table by Brazilian postmodern sculptor Saint Clair Cemin juxtaposed with the imposing stuccoed walls while classical paintings added the laid-back touch von Furstenberg is known for.

To call her home an apartment is an understatement. She is renting the “piano nobile,” or the principal floor of a palazzo that usually includes the main reception room, of the 15th-century Palazzo Giustinian Brandolini on the Grand Canal — a marvel of wooden carved ceilings, Baroque gilded wall mirrors and statues of cherubs standing guard over the massive doors.

It’s a family building, owned by the 97-year-old Countess Cristiana Brandolini d’Adda, sister of the late Fiat tycoon Gianni Agnelli. The designer married the nephew of the countess, the late Prince Egon von Furstenberg, in 1969; they separated in 1973 and divorced in 1983.

“I came here the first time when I was 20, and I have been coming each year ever since,” she recalls fondly. “Egon’s aunt lives here and she realized the apartment would be suited for what I want to achieve, connecting people without a financial purpose. Also, I feel Venice will have a major role and impact in civilization in the next years.” Asked why, she simply says, “It’s an instinct and I always think positive.” 

Interior designer, antique dealer and gallery director Chahan Minassian helped von Furstenberg renovate the apartment. Of Armenian origin, born in Lebanon, Minassian, like von Furstenberg, is a patron of the Venetian Heritage Foundation. On the occasion of the Venice Art Biennale, which runs until Nov. 24, Minassian was tapped to reenvision the historic Fortuny headquarters and former home of Countess Gozzi into a gallery showcase of contemporary design, opened to the broader design community for the very first time.

While opening it up to her friends, activists, artists and writers, she underscores “this is a personal home, I brought things from Paris and New York. It’s grandiose and very beautiful and I wanted to make it cozy, bohemien, reflecting my personality.” 

Case in point: bold animal print rugs contrast with decorative wallpaper and ruched curtains, called Impero in reference to the 18th-century Napoleonic era. A Bert Stern image of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra hangs in her bedroom and Andy Warhol’s 1974 paintings of von Furstenberg are placed in the family room. In her studio, a photo by François-Marie Banier of actress Silvana Mangano, a Francesco Clemente painting over the classic fireplace and a work of French artist and actress Anh Duong are some of von Furstenberg’s cherished pieces.

Also in her studio stands an imposing floor-to-ceiling bookshelf created by Renzo Mongiardino, the famed architect who renovated the palazzo as well as Countess Cristiana Brandolini D’Adda’s Venetian country estate, Vistorta. Many family photos pepper the bookshelf and the studio. 

Oprah Winfrey, Graça Machel and Diane von Furstenberg.

“There is magic in connection and kindness is a currency. This is also very much what leads me in Venice, in this place, at this stage of my life, since I’ve entered the winter of my life, and I hope I have a very long winter. The important thing is to be productive. Connecting people creates energy that goes around and around,” she concludes. 

The awards have drawn such.

Who To Rub Elbows With In LA

Los Angeles Business Journal

Special Report
Wealthiest Angelenos

Los Angeles’ 50 wealthiest individuals are worth roughly $256 billion, up from last year’s $237 billion. Some saw huge gains over the year, while a number saw their net worth decline. Gains in the stock market and declines in the real estate market impacted a number of the area’s wealthiest..

WEALTHIEST ANGELENOS 2024

1. Patrick Soon-Shiong

2024

1. Patrick Soon-Shiong

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

2. John Tu

2024

2. John Tu

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

3. Stewart & Lynda Resnick

2024

3. Stewart & Lynda Resnick

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

4. Edythe Broad

2024

4. Edythe Broad

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

5. Don Hankey

2024

5. Don Hankey

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

6. Steven Udvar-Hazy

2024

6. Steven Udvar-Hazy

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

7. David Geffen

2024

7. David Geffen

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

8. Tom Gores

2024

8. Tom Gores

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

8. Travis Kalanick

2024

8. Travis Kalanick

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

10. Antony Ressler

2024

10. Antony Ressler

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

10. Edward Roski Jr.

2024

10. Edward Roski Jr.

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

12. Eric Smidt

2024

12. Eric Smidt

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

13. Rick Caruso

2024

13. Rick Caruso

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

14. Michael Milken

2024

14. Michael Milken

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

15. Anthony Pritzker

2024

15. Anthony Pritzker

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

16. Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson

2024

16. Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

17. Steven Spielberg

2024

17. Steven Spielberg

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

18. Donald & Rochelle Sterling

2024

18. Donald & Rochelle Sterling

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

19. Behdad Eghbali

2024

19. Behdad Eghbali

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

19. José E. Feliciano

2024

19. José E. Feliciano

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

21. Jeffrey Skoll

2024

21. Jeffrey Skoll

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

22. Geoffrey Palmer

2024

22. Geoffrey Palmer

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

23. Haim Saban

2024

23. Haim Saban

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

24. Michael Eisner

2024

24. Michael Eisner

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

25. Neil Kadisha

2024

25. Neil Kadisha

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

26. Jay-Z & Beyonce Carter/Knowles-Carter

2024

26. Jay-Z & Beyonce Carter/Knowles-Carter

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

27. Evan Spiegel

2024

27. Evan Spiegel

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

28. David Murdock

2024

28. David Murdock

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

28. Nicolas Berggruen

2024

28. Nicolas Berggruen

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

30. George Joseph

2024

30. George Joseph

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

30. Sean Parker

2024

30. Sean Parker

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

32. Gary Karlin Michelson

2024

32. Gary Karlin Michelson

OCTOBER 7, 2024

WEALTHIEST ANGELENOS 2024More Back Issues 

33. Ray Irani

2024

33. Ray Irani

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

34. Marc Nathanson

2024

34. Marc Nathanson

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

34. Alec Gores

2024

34. Alec Gores

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

36. Bruce Karsh

2024

36. Bruce Karsh

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

36. Bobby Murphy

2024

36. Bobby Murphy

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

36. Lowell Milken

2024

36. Lowell Milken

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

39. Jeffrey Katzenberg

2024

39. Jeffrey Katzenberg

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

40. Aubrey Chernick

2024

40. Aubrey Chernick

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

41. Bennett Rosenthal

2024

41. Bennett Rosenthal

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

42. Robyn Rihanna Fenty

2024

42. Robyn Rihanna Fenty

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

43. Bassam Alghanim

2024

43. Bassam Alghanim

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

43. Vera Guerin

2024

43. Vera Guerin

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

43. Sarah MacMillan

2024

43. Sarah MacMillan

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

46. Jeffrey Gundlach

2024

46. Jeffrey Gundlach

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

46. Kim Kardashian

2024

46. Kim Kardashian

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

46. Isaac Larian

2024

46. Isaac Larian

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

49. Donald Friese

2024

49. Donald Friese

OCTOBER 7, 2024 

50. Arie Belldegrun

2024

50. Arie Belldegrun

OCTOBER 7, 2024

Some Like It Rich

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people. The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.

Rank

Name

Total net worth

1

Elon Musk

$256B

2

Mark Zuckerberg

$206B

3

Jeff Bezos

$205B

4

Bernard Arnault

$193B

5

Larry Ellison

$179B

6

Bill Gates

$161B

7

Larry Page

$150B

8

Steve Ballmer

$145B

9

Warren Buffett

$143B

10

Sergey Brin

$141B

11

Amancio Ortega

$114B

12

Michael Dell

$110B

13

Jensen Huang

$107B

14

Mukesh Ambani

$107B

15

Jim Walton

$103B

16

Rob Walton

$101B

17

Gautam Adani

$100B

18

Alice Walton

$99.9B

19

Carlos Slim

$89.2B

20

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers

$89.0B

21

Julia Flesher Koch & family

$77.4B

22

Charles Koch

$69.2B

23

Zhong Shanshan

$56.1B

24

Colin Huang

$53.8B

25

Ma Huateng

$53.4B

26

Tadashi Yanai

$49.7B

27

Stephen Schwarzman

$49.6B

28

Jacqueline Badger Mars

$49.0B

29

John Mars

$49.0B

30

Alain Wertheimer

$46.0B

31

Gerard Wertheimer

$46.0B

32

Thomas Peterffy

$43.9B

33

Jeff Yass

$43.5B

34

Zhang Yiming

$43.0B

35

Klaus-Michael Kuehne

$42.8B

36

Ken Griffin

$41.8B

37

Shiv Nadar

$41.0B

38

Shapoor Mistry

$41.0B

39

Giovanni Ferrero & family

$40.9B

40

Len Blavatnik

$40.6B

41

Abigail Johnson

$38.6B

42

Zeng Yuqun

$38.2B

43

Rodolphe Saade & family

$37.8B

44

Miriam Adelson

$37.3B

45

MacKenzie Scott

$37.1B

46

German Larrea

$36.8B

47

Jack Ma

$36.7B

48

Phil Knight & family

$36.3B

49

Savitri Jindal

$35.8B

50

Dan Gilbert

$35.6B