I had to save my money for a whole school year to get those Timberlands that I wanted, and I did it.”

After her parents split when she was just 14, Rihanna helped her mum to raise her younger brothers, and just two years later she left home.

‘Disgusting’ rumours and ‘betrayal’

 

Rihanna signed with Jay-Z’s label when she was a teenCredit: Rex Features

Rihanna’s career began in 2005, when she released her first single, ‘Pon de Replay’Credit: Rex Features

While she didn’t have music and dance classes growing up, Rihanna was still discovered at just 15, in 2003, when she auditioned with a friend for US music producer Evan Rogers.

They also auditioned separately, and it was Rihanna alone who blew the music mogul away.

“It was a really difficult place to be, because obviously I didn’t want to hurt my friend’s feelings, I didn’t want to betray her, but it was a reality,” Rihanna said.

“We had auditioned together, and individually, and that was it.”

Rihanna the subject of salacious rumours in her Barbados homeland when she got her precocious record deal

Some even speculated that she’d performed a 𝑠e𝑥 act on Jay-Z in order to get her record deal.

“That rumour was everywhere in Barbados,” Rihanna told The Guardian, “And it was so disgusting, it made me feel really weird – I would even be weird around Jay-Z.”

“We had auditioned together, and individually, and that was it.”

Building a billion-dollar brand

Rihanna launched her beauty range, Fenty Beauty, in 2017 – it’s become her most successful venture yetCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Like her mum, Rihanna had to overcome her own domestic violence horror story when she was attacked by ex-boyfriend rapper Chris Brown in 2009.

But she didn’t let Brown’s despicable violence derail her stunning music career, which has gone from strength to strength.

Rihanna has produced eight albums, won nine Grammy awards, and is the top-selling digital artist of all time.

Her Diamonds tour in 2013 netted her a cool £114m, and she’s said to have made £18m from music alone in 2016.

But she’s also conquered the business world too.

In 2017, she launched inclusive makeup brand Fenty Beauty in which she is said to own a 15 per cent stake worth £351m.

The fashion-savvy star also collaborated with River Island and Puma on fashion collections, before launching her own brand and luxury fashion house, Fenty.

Rihanna’s lingerie range, Savage X Fenty, has proved a huge international success

Rihanna has built up the Fenty brand to become a billion-dollar businessCredit: Refer to Caption

She also co-owns a lingerie collection, Savage X Fenty, which recently celebrated two years in business and is said to be worth £122m.

And like all self-respecting celebs, Rihanna has also expanded into the perfume business — with no fewer than 11 fragrances to her name.

The first one alone, Reb’l Fleur, was reported to have made £65m in sales.

Rihanna also has a line of fragrancesSplashing £16,000-a-week on rent 

With all this under her belt, there’s no doubt Rihanna’s ‘Work’ mantra has clearly paid off.

And it’s most apparent through her impressive property portfolio.

The star surprised fans last year when she revealed she’d been secretly living in London, renting a swish £16,000-a-week seven-bed mansion worth £30million.

Fans were surprised to discover the singer had been living in London for a year undetectedCredit: Zoopla

The London pad boasts its own gym and landscaped gardensCredit: Zoopla

And while she may be renting for now, she also owns a fair few properties herself.

Her LA Hollywood Hills mansion had previously been her base, which she now rents out for £28,000-a-month.

The singer bought the six-bed, eight-bathroom property for £5.5m in 2017, and it boasts facilities including a cinema room and swimming pool.

Rihanna’s Hollywood Hills home can be rented for £28,000-a-monthCredit: refer to caption

Rihanna’s tropical island home Barbados is one of her favourite places in the world — so naturally it made sense for her to also splash out on a £17m five-bed seafront pad at the luxurious One Sandy Lane Resort.

The palatial apartment boasts around the clock security and a private terrace and dressing area for each bedroom, and it’s the perfect place to call home when she visits family.

Rihanna’s hideaway at One Sandy Lane in Barbados is the height of luxurious island livingCredit: Rightmove

Every bedroom of Rihanna’s Barbados apartment boasts seafront terracesCredit: Rightmove£200k-a-week yachts and £13k strip club dates

Thankfully, it’s not all work, no play for the young business boss.

She may be from one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the world, but Rihanna still likes to travel the world herself and she is known for her luxurious trips.

Notable holidays include her £200k-a-week yacht vacation in the French Riviera, onboard a vessel that had its own salon and massage area, and she has also been pictured holidaying in luxury resorts in Portofino, Los Cabos and Honolulu in the past, usually flying by private jet.

Despite working so hard, Rihanna ensures she has time to relax tooCredit: Instagram

The star knows how to let her hair down and have a good time

The generous star also knows how to party in style.

She reportedly also once spent £11,000 in a strip club on a night out in Houston with Drake, partying until 5am while showering dancers with money.

Unsurprisingly given her love of the jetset lifestyle, RiRi also has a penchant for flash cars, and has been pictured driving a whole host of motors over the years, collectively worth around £250,000.

Rihanna’s first Porsche featured in her 2008 music video, Take A BowCredit: Insight News and Features

It wasn’t her first Porsche either, previously purchasing a 997 Turbo, which featured in her 2008 Take A Bow music video.

And when her LA mansion alone has parking facilities for 20 cars, it’s little wonder she’s keen to expand her fleet.

Just after her album Unapologetic went to number one in 2013, the star was gifted a £155,000 Porsche 911 Turbo S from her record label, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

Thankfully, despite being one of the richest musicians in the world, for Rihanna it seems success isn’t all about money.

Clearly delighted with her impressive record sales, Roc Nation also gifted the singer a £35,000 black Jeep Wrangler in 2012.

Rihanna is also known for her charity workCredit: Getty Images

“I never thought I’d make this much money, so a number is not going to stop me from working,” she told The New York Times.

But as well as making her a personal fortune, Rihanna works tirelessly to help others too.

It was recently announced her charitable foundation donated $5m to Coronavirus relief organisations.

Despite her staggering wealth, the singer has no plans to quit workingCredit: Getty – Contributor

She added: “I’m working out of what I love to do, what I’m passionate about.”

Which means she won’t be retiring anytime soon — news which will no doubt come as a relief to fans keen to see what she’ll do next.