Whos the richest member of Westlife? Net worths, ranked: from Mark Feehilys Christmas tour wit
Founded in 1998 with five members – Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden – Westlife made waves from the get-go with their debut single, 1999’s, “Swear It Again”.
In the years that followed, the Irish boy band continued to top charts and drive fans crazy. Hits including “Uptown Girl”, “Fool Again”, “I Have a Dream”, “Flying Without Wings”, “My Love” and others scored them a total of 14 No. 1 singles in the UK – a number only surpassed by The Beatles and Elvis Presley, according to Official Charts.Who is the richest member of rock band Queen? Net worths, ranked
After McFadden left the band in 2004 to focus on his family, Westlife gradually disbanded in 2012. But in 2018, they reunited again – this time without McFadden – and released two albums: Spectrum in 2019 and Wild Dreams in 2021.
The group has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide according to Celebrity Net Worth, helping all but one of them cement multimillion dollar fortunes as they enter their 40s.
So what else have they been up to since finding fame with the group – and who is the richest of them all?
5. Nicky Byrne, 44 – US$1-5 million
The former Leeds United’s player left the team in 1997 and switched his career to music. Joining Westlife in 1998 alongside his fellow band members, Byrne enjoyed “great money” from its success, he told the Irish Independent.
However it didn’t take him or his bandmates long to lose the money, he admitted: “We did very well out of Westlife, but everybody lives and spends. We have all lost money. We were all very foolish with money in the early days, we all bought cars and watches – the silly things.”
But the multitalented singer managed to recovered his fortune with another career pivot after the band’s initial split – as a TV presenter. He became a star of RTÉ, the national broadcaster of Ireland, hosting various shows including Dancing With The Stars. He joined RTÉ’s top 10 earner’s list in 2017 with a salary of over US$200,000, per the Irish Independent. His net worth is now estimated at around US$1-5 million, according to the Express.
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4. Shane Filan, 43 – US$3 million
Westlife’s frontman, and one of the two lead singers, also amassed a lot of money with the band, but lost it all as a result of his investments in the Irish property boom a decade ago. Filan’s company, Shafin Developments, went bankrupt in 2012 with a debt of over US$24 million, per British media.
But he moved on, trying harder than ever in his music career. He has since released three solo albums including You and Me (2013), Right Here (2015) and Love Always (2017). He has also written songs for other artists including John Ostberg, Jerry Given and II Divo. He has now returned to millionaire status, according to Celebrity Net Worth, with a current fortune of US$3 million.
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3. Mark Feehily, 42 – US$16 million
The group’s other lead vocalist, Mark Feehily, came out to fans in 2005 and, thanks to the aforementioned 14 number one hits, became the highest-charting LGBT performer on the UK Singles Chart, per Radio Box. Besides his income from the band, Feehily banked US$630,000 from the dissolution of Westlife’s main entertainment firm Bluenet Ltd, after the members decided to go their own way, the Irish Mirror reported.
Between 2015 and 2018, Feehily pursued a solo career and performed with Mariah Carey on one of her Christmas tours in 2017, and with 1980s Scottish group Wet Wet Wet before reuniting with the band. His fortune is now around US$16 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.2. Brian McFadden, 42 – US$18 million
McFadden stayed with the band for only a few years – but it was still enough for him to rake in millions. He went on to release five solo albums and launch his own label, BMF Records.
In 2016, he teamed up with Boyzone’s Keith Duffy to form a mini supergroup, Boyzlife. The pair have released two albums so far, and are preparing for their next live performances in the UK next January and August, according to live entertainment website Ents24.
Like his former bandmate Nicky Byrne, he is also very active on TV, working as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent and Australian Idol, among others. Celebrity Net Worth puts his current fortune at about US$18 million.
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1. Kian Egan, 42 – US$20 million
Kian Egan had already begun a professional music career before making it big with Westlife according to British media. Playing various instruments including the guitar, piano and drums, he was also a member of the rock band, Skrod.
After Westlife, he also released one solo album, Home, in 2014. He boosted his popularity further when he became a judge on The Voice of Ireland and a presenter on This Morning’s Hub and Surprise Surprise. He also won the 13th season of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.
All this has added to his already impressive net worth to help him take the number one spot in this list with a fortune of US$20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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