Melissa Arnette Elliott was born on 1st July 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA, and is a well-known rapper, singer, songwriter as well as record producer recognized under the name Missy – short for ‘misdemeanor’ – Elliott. As a rapper and singer, she has won five Grammy Awards, and as a songwriter and record producer, she is known for her work with Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and other well-known artists. Missy has been active in the entertainment industry since 1990.
How rich is Missy Elliott? It has been estimated that currently her net worth stands at $50 million, with the main source of her wealth being music, including earning $4.16 million from the album “This Is Not a Test!” (2003), $3.12 million from “Under Construction” (2002), and $2.85 million from “Miss E… So Addictive” (2001).
Missy Elliott’s Net Worth $50 Million
Missy Elliot was raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, where her father was based in the US Marines. Being four years old, she decided that she wanted to become a singer, though nobody took that thought seriously. In 1990, the girl graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, and the same year the R&B band Fayze was formed by Missy, also consisting of Radiah Scott, Chonita Coleman, and La’Shawn Shellman. The girls attracted the attention of DeVante Swing, the producer, who helped them sign a contract with Electra Records and changed the title of the band to Sista. The band released several singles and studio albums, however, they were not very successful, and the members decided to go their separate ways.
Missy Elliot went on to pursue a solo career; in 1997 she signed a contract with the record label The Goldmind, part of Elektra, and started working. To date, she has released 71 singles, six studio albums, 18 music videos, and a compilation album. The most successful singles, which received certifications for sales, were “Sock It 2 Me” (1997) featuring Da Brat – gold certification, “Hot Boyz” (1999) featuring Lil’ Mo, Nas, Eve and Q-Tip – platinum, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) – silver, “4 My People” (2002) featuring Eve – silver, “Work It” (2002) – gold and “Lose Control” (2005) featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop – gold.
What is more, all the studio albums received certificates for sale and were very popular not only in the US but around the world. All the albums appeared on music charts, too, and took high positions on the main chart of the USA: second for “Miss E… So Addictive” (2001) and “The Cookbook” (2005), and third for “Supa Dupa Fly” (1997) and “Under Construction” (2002). “Da Real World” (1999) reached 10th position, and “This Is Not a Test!” (2003) 13th on the same US music chart. Of course, all these recording successes contributed significantly to Missy Elliot’s net worth.
In addition, Missy Elliot has appeared in several films, including “Honey” (2003) directed by Billie Woodruff, “Fade to Black” (2004) directed by Patrick Paulson and Michael John Warren, “Just for Kicks” (2005) directed by Thibaut de Longeville and Lisa Leone. Moreover, she has appeared in episodes of various TV series, including “Family Matters” (1997), “The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott” (2005), “My Super Sweet 16” (2008), and “What Chilli Wants” (2010) among others. All those appearances increased her wealth, too.
Recently, she has been absent from the entertainment industry; it has been reported that this is because of a hyperthyroid disorder that Missy suffers from.
In her personal life, Missy Elliot admits that she is ready to create a family, however, she doesn’t reveal anything more about her private life.