Britney Spears has endured a long and costly legal battle to regain control of her life and her finances. Now free from her controversial conservatorship, the star has tentatively begun her musical comeback.
As Britney's latest bombshell book hits shelves, read on to discover how the star spends her $60 million (£48.4m) fortune now that she's once again in control of it.
According to a 2020 report by Forbes, Spears spends around 25% of her gross income on her immediate team. This includes agents, managers, and – given her well-publicised legal fights over the years – lawyers.
It's fair to say that her costly legal battles and long periods out of the public eye have hindered the star from building a fortune as large as those enjoyed by peers such as Jennifer Lopez or Beyoncé.
She's pictured here arriving at court in LA in 2008 for a hearing on gaining visitation rights to her sons.
In 2015, Spears moved into a luxury five-bedroom, seven-bathroom LA mansion, which cost her $7.4 million (£5.7m). She stayed in the plush property until 2022.
Shortly after their June 2022 wedding, Britney and then-husband Sam Ashgari were spotted moving into a massive new marital home in Calabasas, California. The 11,650 square foot residence cost Britney a cool $11.8 million (£9.5m) and boasts seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, as well as 1.6 acres of land and a home cinema.
However, Britney listed the house for $12 million (£10m) in January 2023, mere months after purchasing it. She recently sold the home for $10.1 million (£8.4m), meaning she made a $1.7 million (£1.4m) loss on the property.
Court documents also revealed that Britney is a regular shopper at stores including Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Target, visiting the latter more than 80 times throughout 2018.
In total, she spent around $66,000 (£48k) on household supplies that year.
Spears splashed upwards of $70,000 (£51k) on travel in 2018, including a lavish four-night stay at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel, which reportedly cost her $16,000 (£12k).
The following year saw her embrace a jet-setter lifestyle and enjoy sun-soaked vacations in Hawaii, Miami, and Turks and Caicos.
It takes money to look good all the time and Spears’ bank statements are a testament to that.
She spent $69,668 (£50k) on clothing alone in 2016, as well as a further $24,392 (£18k) on hair and make-up, according to court documents seen by TMZ.
That same year, Spears dropped a hefty $122,613 (£89k) on massages, grooming, and nailcare, although that's perhaps no surprise given she was in the midst of her gruelling Las Vegas residency.
However, in June 2021, Spears told the Los Angeles courtroom via phone that, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was given no access to self-care, explaining: "For a year, I didn’t have my nails done, no hairstyling and no massages, no acupuncture. Nothing for a year".
The star claimed that her mother Lynne Spears had told her nothing was available, yet had booked treatments for herself during this time.
Britney also enjoys spending on her dogs, splashing out nearly $13,000 (£10.5k) for two puppies, a Yorkshire Terrier and a Maltese, in 2013.
The upkeep has been consistent, with court documents from two years later revealing her canine companions had cost her a further $29,852 (£22k).
Spears and then-husband Sam also adopted an Australian shepherd named Sawyer from Maui, Hawaii last year.
Introducing Sawyer to her Instagram followers, Britney wrote: "...It's funny... He doesn't talk back but it's like he understands what I'm saying".
Spears supports charities too, donating $1 million (£725k) to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation via ticket sales from her Piece Of Me residency. The organisation opened a new campus, named in Spears’ honour, as a result of her donation.
The singer did something similar on her Dream Within A Dream tour, donating $1 from every ticket sold to children who had been affected by terrorism.
It’s no secret that Spears had been required to pay her father Jamie Spears for his role as her conservator. Court documents previously revealed that Britney was paying him $16,000 ($11.5k) a month during her 13-year conservatorship, which amounts to over $2 million (£1.4m) in total.
Britney's attorney stated in a court filing that this figure was $2,000 (£1.5k) more than Britney herself received each month. Jamie also allegedly received $2,000 (£1.5k) per month in office expenses, while a petition filed in August 2021 by Britney's attorney accused her father of trying to "extort" $2 million (£1.4m) in payments prior to stepping down.
In total, he's been accused of stealing more than $6 million (£4.4m) from his daughter's estate.
There were also huge legal fees to contend with every time the conservatorship came to court. Jamie filed for Britney's estate to continue paying his own legal fees, while Lynn Spears asked her daughter to cover the $660,000 (£460k) she spent during the court battle. Britney has refused.
According to The New York Times, Jamie also borrowed "at least" $40,000 (£31.3k) from the company he later hired to manage his daughter's conservatorship, leading to allegations of a potentially serious conflict of interest.
In July 2022, Jamie Spears tried to force his daughter back before the court to make a deposition about his conduct during the 13-year conservatorship, but she resisted.
After lawyer Mathew Rosengart argued it would "re-traumatize" Britney, the judge threw her father's application out, adding that a deposition would also be unlikely to produce any more relevant information.
Rosengart also said that Britney had refused to be a witness in any future trials or evidentiary proceedings relating to the case.
Finally free to marry her long-term beau Sam Ashgari, Britney splashed a considerable amount on a romantic rose-filled marquee in the grounds of her California mansion for their wedding in June 2022. She wore a beautiful Versace gown created by legendary designer Donatella Versace, while Ashgari's classic black tux was an Atelier Versace piece.
Britney completed her bridal look with high-end jewellery, estimated to be worth around $570,000 (£483k). The gems included a stunning heart-shaped white gold and diamond necklace, while the newlyweds wore Stephanie Gottlieb platinum and diamond wedding bands.
The groom joked via an Instagram post in September 2021 that there would be an "iron-clad prenup" in place.
After just 14 months of marriage, Asghari filed for divorce on 16 August, citing "irreconcilable differences".
As per the filing, Asghari is requesting spousal support from Spears and has also asked her to pay his legal fees, despite the fact the couple reportedly did sign that "iron-clad" prenup prior to marrying.
According to Variety, Spears has hired a "dream team" of Hollywood lawyers to represent her in the divorce. The star has retained top divorce lawyer Laura Wasser and will also work with attorney Mathew Rosengart, who freed her from her conservatorship.
Recent reports have claimed Spears is paying the rent on Sam Ashgari’s $10,000 (£8.1k) per month apartment following their separation.
Ashgari’s plush new pad is reportedly located in one of the most high-end and expensive apartment buildings in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, Britney’s team "thought it wise to make the gesture", after Ashgari moved out of their marital home. And Britney's divorce from Ashgari isn't her only ongoing battle with an ex...
Britney Spears’ ex Kevin Federline (pictured here with Britney) is reportedly considering taking the star to court to demand an increase in child support payments.
According to Forbes, Spears was reportedly spending around $500,000 (£403.5k) annually on child support payments.
Federline has sole custody of the teen boys he shares with Spears, 18-year-old Sean and 17-year-old Jayden.
As Sean turned 18 on 14 September, Spears no longer needs to pay Federline child support for his care. However, if Kevin can prove he needs more money to support Jayden, the amount Britney has to pay could increase.
An inside source recently told the UK's Daily Mail that Spears was looking forward to her eldest son's 18th birthday as she was "tired of paying Kevin the insane amount of money he is getting".
The source added: "Britney is happy to help Sean and Jayden. There is nothing she wouldn't do for her sons. But this would go directly to them after they turn 18 instead of Kevin".
The source also revealed that friends of Spears believe "it's time for Kevin to get a job".
Earlier this year, Federline and his wife Victoria Prince (pictured together) relocated from California to Hawaii with the teenage boys.
Some have accused Federline of switching residence to benefit from the state's extended child support laws. Hawaii is the only state where child support is ordered for children up to 23 years old, as long as they are in full-time education.
Federline has denied the allegations, claiming that his family wanted to move to "get away from the LA microscope". His wife has also reportedly secured a teaching job at the University of Hawaii.
It appears Spears' child support payments to Federline for Sean have ended, regardless of the Hawaii move.
A revised 2016 law states that if child support payments were established in another state, the state they were established in has exclusive jurisdiction.
And in California, a parent stops paying child support when their child graduates high school or turns 18.
Spears is pictured here with her sons and niece Maddie in 2017.
Now let's rewind to when Britney first burst onto the scene and discover how she's built her fortune over the years...
Having appeared in numerous commercials and on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club as a child, Spears was signed by Jive Records in 1997 following a successful singing audition.
The following year, she made waves when she stepped onto the pop scene with her debut single …Baby One More Time. The track landed the then-16-year-old a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In less than two months, the song had climbed to the top of the chart and saw the newbie secure her first number one. In 1999, she released her debut album, which shared its name with the hit single.
In 2019, Billboard revealed the album had sold 10.6 million copies in the US, making it the 17th best-selling album since Nielsen Music began tracking sales back in 1991. It's also one of only 24 albums to break the record of hitting 10 million sales.
As if that wasn’t enough, Britney further cemented her entry into the industry when she was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
Spears followed up the success of …Baby One More Time with her 2000 release Oops!… I Did It Again. The release broke the record for the biggest debut-week sales for an album by a female artist, according to Billboard. It went on to hold the title for 15 years before British pop star Adele's 25 claimed the crown in 2015.
In 2002, Spears was named the world’s most powerful celebrity by Forbes, with the business bible estimating that she had a healthy income of $40 million (£29m) pre-taxes.
The accolade followed three back-to-back number one platinum-certified albums for the singer, with …Baby One More Time, Oops!... I Did It Again, and the eponymous Britney all topping charts.
Just two years after her debut on the pop scene, Spears had generated enough interest to secure her first book deal. Heart to Heart, which she co-wrote with her mother Lynne Spears, chronicled Britney's journey from small-town Louisiana girl to global megastar.
While Britney's first book gave readers a brief insight into her relationship with her family, things have become a whole lot more complicated over the years. The topic is a key theme in Britney's latest book...
Last year, Britney announced a "record-breaking" $15 million (£11m) book deal with publisher Simon & Schuster.
The bombshell book, titled The Woman in Me, was highly anticipated, topping the Amazon Best Seller's list a week before it was released. It covers everything from her 13-year conservatorship and fractious family relationships to her headline-hitting romance with popstar Justin Timberlake in the early 2000s.
The Guardian has described it as "a focused story that makes inarguable the ties between patriarchy and exploitation, and deserves to be read as a cautionary tale and an indictment, not a grab-bag of tabloid revelations."
In 2001, Spears cemented her place as music royalty when she signed an $8 million (£6m) brand deal with Pepsi. The resulting two-minute commercial saw her perform the song The Joy Of Pepsi, complete with an elaborate dance routine in the middle of a heavily-branded Pepsi factory.
Pepsi is just one of dozens of brands Spears has worked with over the years. She's also famously participated in campaigns for Got Milk?, Polaroid, Skechers, and McDonald’s.
However, Spears has reportedly turned down several lucrative opportunities to promote products on her social media accounts. According to TMZ, her disinterest is due to her not being a particularly big fan of the products she's been asked to promote.
Spears moved her on-stage success to the silver screen when she starred in Crossroads in 2002, which also starred Avatar actress Zoe Saldana and Orange Is The New Black's Taryn Manning. Spears’ superstardom undoubtedly helped the teen flick to make an impressive $61 million (£44m) at the global box office.
The singer has also made a number of appearances on various TV shows over the years, including How I Met Your Mother, Glee, and Will & Grace.
She famously appeared as a judge on season two of The X Factor in 2012, reportedly making $15 million (£11m) for her stint on the panel.
Over the course of her career, Spears has embarked on 10 tours and performed for fans at over 850 shows.
Her gigs are sensational productions, complete with fabulous dance routines and glamorous outfits, and it’s little surprise that Forbes reported in 2017 that Britney had made a staggering $485 million (£347m) from her live shows.
In 2013, the popstar kicked off her Las Vegas residency Britney: Piece of Me. It was initially expected to run for two years but, after becoming a sell-out success, it was extended until 2017.
Britney earned $137.7 million (£100m) over the course of four years according to Billboard, and reportedly made an astonishing $1.1 million (£795k) on the final night of the residency.
Her most recent tour Piece Of Me, which took place in 2018, is reported to have grossed over $54 million (£39m). However, a second Las Vegas residency planned for 2019 was postponed indefinitely after her father suffered a colon rupture. She was expected to earn around $350,000 (£253k) per night
And what's a pop icon without a signature scent? In 2004, Spears teamed up with American cosmetics giant Elizabeth Arden to release her first fragrance, Curious.
The partnership is reported to have netted Spears a whopping $52 million (£38m), with more than 700 million bottles sold around the globe.
While celebrities releasing perfumes is nothing new, Spears has put everyone else to shame by creating a fragrance empire and releasing over 30 different scents. Curious and Fantasy, which was released in 2005, are still her most popular to date.
Britney has also cashed in on her legion of fans’ desire to look and dress just like her with a number of fashion collaborations.
Spears launched her first clothing line back in 2010 for American apparel label Candie’s, with the collection featuring a mix of her day-to-day favourites and a number of pieces based on her Circus tour.
In 2018, she was announced as the face of Kenzo’s spring collection, La Collection Momento. The ad campaign saw Spears sport a number of looks, including a triple denim aesthetic – because if you weren’t already aware, Spears is the unofficial queen of denim.
Over the last two decades, Spears has sold pretty much every merchandise item you can imagine.
Die-hard fans desperate to own a piece of official Spears-approved merchandise are able to purchase everything from T-shirts and keyrings to shot glasses and champagne flutes.
A new Broadway musical, Once Upon a One More Time, reimagining the music of Britney Spears in a fairytale world, launched this summer.
Spears herself approached the show's producers, James Nederlander and Hunter Arnold, to get the ambitious project off the ground, with Arnold revealing to Variety: "It was actually Britney who approached us and said, ‘We’d like to have a show based on my music, and specifically not a bio-musical.'"
He added: "The original idea came from ideas brought forth by her: she loves fairytales, princesses, and storybooks. We took a couple of passes at it; we didn’t get it right instantly. Then we did a workshop after we got the current-ish version together, and she came to see it and give thoughts on it".
In August 2022, Spears released her first new material since 2016, collaborating with the legendary Sir Elton John on Hold Me Closer. At the time, insiders claimed she had secured a "record-breaking deal" from Universal Music.
This summer, Spears also teamed up with Will.i.am on the song Mind Your Business. She previously worked with the rapper and music producer in 2012, featuring on his track Scream & Shout.
And now Spears is still said to be planning an epic music comeback, and sources claim the star has been scoping out venues for a possible Las Vegas residency.
With her controversial conservatorship behind her, and a no-doubt lucrative comeback imminent, Britney Spears' freedom – financial and otherwise – is finally hers.