Berry Gordy, now 96, tops the list with a fortune built on ownership. Celebrity Net Worth estimates the Motown founder's wealth at a staggering $400 million, thanks not only to songwriting and production, but to control of the label and its publishing machine.

Gordy sold Motown to MCA in 1988 for around $170 million in today's money, then later sold publishing interests for hundreds of millions more. Asked about claims he ripped off artists, he once joked that the names people cited were all superstars, adding: "Wouldn't you like to be ripped off like that?"

But the numbers speak for themselves. While Motown made many legends, its founder ended up making the biggest fortune by far.

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The Motown rich list: which of the label's stars made the most money?