Jimmy Buffett Net Worth

Jimmy Buffett is known for being one of the wealthiest musicians in the world. His relaxed, island escapism style has spawned an entire empire, complete with Margaritaville in the form of hotels, restaurants, and casinos. He supposedly can make around $50 million per year. So, just how much is Jimmy Buffet’s net worth?

Jimmy Buffett’s Net Worth

The net worth of Jimmy Buffett is $600 million. His style of music led to a global empire that has led to various business ventures, from music tours to restaurants, that help him earn millions every year. 

Jimmy Buffett Early Life

Jimmy Buffett, born James William Buffett, was born on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. His parents were James Delaney Buffett Jr. and Mary Loraine Peets Buffett. His father served as a flight mechanic with the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. 

After the end of the war, he moved his family to Mobile, Alabama, where he worked for Alabama Dry Dock And Shipbuilding Company. He spent many of his formative years on the coast of Alabama, enjoying fishing, swimming, and surfing. 

His parents had high hopes that James William Buffett would become a Naval officer or priest. They sent him to schools and activities that were in line with that. He participated in Boy Scouts and was an altar boy at St. Ignatius Parish. In 1964, Buffet graduated from McGill Institute, a Catholic high school. 

In 1965, he began attending Auburn and was a pledge at the fraternity Sigma Pi. There, he learned how to play guitar from another pledge named Johnny Youngblood. However, he couldn’t get the hang of balancing girls, music, college classes, and everything else. He flunked out of Auburn in 1966. He avoided the draft during the Vietnam War by enrolling at Pearl River Junior College in Poplarville, Mississippi. 

However, Jimmy Buffet struggled to pay the cost of tuition. This led to him being a street performer throughout the weekend in New Orleans. He joined a band called The Upstairs Alliance with Doug Duncan and Susan Pitman. Being in this band led to gigs all around the Gulf Coast. 

Throughout this, Jimmy Buffett kept his grades up this time and achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in History in 1969. He received a medical exemption when he attempted to join the navy, and a medical exam found that he had a peptic ulcer. 

Knowing that he would not have to serve in any of the armed guards and being done with college gave James Buffett new freedom to do what he wanted. Jimmy Buffett began a solo act, proposed to his girlfriend, Margie Washichek, and married her in 1969. 

Jimmy Buffett Career

Jimmy Buffett had a loyal fan base from his days performing along the Gulf Coast and his earlier years as a solo act when he recorded his first album in the 1960s called Down To Earth. He enjoyed the country music he found in Tennessee. In 1971, he went on a busking tour with Jerry Jeff Walker to Key West, Florida. 

Soon after, Jimmy Buffett moved to Key West. It was there, and through Key West’s inspiration, that Jimmy Buffett developed the combination of folk and country music with coastal lyrics that would later help him build a massive empire. Today, that sound is known as gulf western music. 

Jimmy Buffett gained a large following due to his hits being perfect for parties. The classic Margaritaville helped him become a mainstream artist. As he continued to play, his fame, and the Jimmy Buffett net worth, continued to increase. 

Soon, songs that were played at Jimmy Buffett concerts were known as the Big 8. Songs included in the Big 8 were: Margaritaville, Come Monday, Why Don’t We Get Drunk, A Pirate Looks 40, Fins, A Cheeseburger In Paradise, Volcano, and A Change In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes. These songs helped greatly increase Jimmy Buffett’s net worth. They also laid the foundation for future ventures that would help Jimmy Buffett’s net worth skyrocket. 

Notable moments during his career and exciting facts about the Jimmy Buffett net worth include: 

• He’s released at least 27 albums
• He’s had over 40 live tours
• His fan base is nicknamed the Parrotheads

Many of his hit songs are still played today. Margaritaville has become a classic that is still loved by many. 

Writing Career

His music is not the only thing that has contributed to the Jimmy Buffett net worth. Buffett is also an author. Tales From Margaritaville was his first book. The collection of short stories is still a fan favorite. Other books include: 

• Where Is Joe Merchant?, his second book, was also a New York Times best-seller
• He released a memoir titled A Pirate Looks Fifty
• Other novels include Swine Not? and A Salty Piece Of Land
• He co-wrote two children’s books with his oldest daughter titled The Jolly Mon and Trouble Dolls

Other Business Ventures And The Empire

The Margaritaville empire didn’t stop with songs and books. Jimmy Buffett continued to expand his empire and increase the Jimmy Buffett net worth as time went on. 

He collaborated with Herman Wouk, a novelist, to make a musical based on Wouk’s work Don’t Stop The Carnival. An album of songs from the musical was released in 1998. 

In 2017, the musical Escape To Margaritaville opened at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. After a six-month run, there were performances in popular cities like Houston and New Orleans. It also features a book by Mike O’Malley and Greg Garcia. Under the direction of Christopher Ashley, it opened on Broadway in 2018. 

Other business ventures and notable moments include: 

• Owner of restaurants Margaritaville and A Cheeseburger In Paradise
• Owner of Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain
• Has licensed several products under the Margaritaville name, including Margaritaville Food, Margaritaville Footwear, and Margaritaville Tequila
• There’s a Margaritaville brewing label.
• Opened the Margaritaville Casino at the Resorts Casino Hotel in 2013
• Latitude Margaritaville, a retirement village in Daytona Beach
• Launched Margaritaville Records in 1993

Jimmy Buffett Wife And Personal Life

James William Buffett married his first wife, Margie Washichek, in 1969. They divorced in 1971. He married his second wife, Jane Slagsvol, in 1977. Jimmy Buffett’s wedding date was August 27, 1977. Although they split up in the 1980s, they reconciled in 1991. Together, they have two daughters and an adopted son: Savannah Buffett, Sarah Delaney Buffett, and Cameron Marley Buffett.  

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