With over 100 million records sold worldwide, Parton has made a phenomenal fortune from her music. However, one business-savvy decision early in her career set her up for the staggering success she enjoys today.

In 1966, one year before the release of her debut album Hello, I'm Dolly, Parton and her uncle, the late songwriter Bill Owens (pictured), founded the Owe-Par Publishing Company. With only a few exceptions, Parton owns all her music publishing rights via Owe-Par.

Parton estimates she has written around 3,000 songs, including country music chart-toppers such as Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You. According to Forbes, Parton's music catalogue is worth around $150 million (£119m), with the singer-songwriter raking in between $6 million (£4.8m) and $8 million (£6.4m) each year from royalties.

What Dolly Parton's really worth today, and why it could have been much more