Quincy Jones left behind a sizable fortune when he died on Sunday, thanks largely to his storied career in Music and film and his later entrepreneurial pursuits.
Legendary musician and producer Jones—who worked with some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles—died aged 91 at his home in Bel Air, California.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” Jones’ family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
With a career spanning more than 70 years, Jones revolutionized music by crossing genres, breaking boundaries, and promoting collaboration, leaving a lasting impact on jazz, pop, soul, film scores and hip-hop. His ability to curate and direct entire projects paved the way for future super-producers.
Quincy Jones is pictured in Denver on November 2, 2019. The legendary music producer left behind a sizable fortune when he died on Sunday.
Tom Cooper/Getty Images for Global Down Syndrome Foundation
Among Jones’ collection of honors are 28 Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, and an Emmy. He was also the recipient of a Kennedy Center tribute for his contributions to American culture, the Legion d’Honneur from France, and Italy’s Rudolph Valentino Award. Time named Jones as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century.
Jones’ decades-long working partnership with Jackson saw him produce the pop star’s seminal albums Off the Wall, Bad and Thriller—which continues to hold the distinction of being the bestselling album of all time.
As well as composing the soundtrack to dozens of movies and TV shows, Jones obtained the rights to the novel The Color Purple and approached Steven Spielberg to direct a screen adaptation. The resulting 1985 film—starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover—received widespread acclaim and 11 Academy Award nominations. Jones scored the film.
Jones also produced and conducted “We Are the World,” a 1985 charity track featuring a host of music stars that went on to become one of the bestselling singles of all time.
What Was Quincy Jones’ Net Worth?
While Jones established himself as a titan in the music industry, his net worth was greatly boosted by his many business moves, which included owning the rights to a vast catalog of music, including his own work and that of the artists he produced.
As such, Jones had a fortune of $500 million at the time that he died, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Jones produced classic 1990s TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airwhich propelled a young Will Smith to superstardom. His projects also included launching hip-hop magazine Vibe in 1993, and publishing SPIN and Blaze magazines.
He also launched his own music label Qwest Records and broadcasting company Qwest Broadcasting, through which he respectively worked with numerous artists and acquired TV networks throughout Atlanta and New Orleans.
Over the years, Jones sold many of his business interests, including the 1999 sale of Quincy Jones Entertainment for $270 million, per The Associated Press.
What Is Rashida Jones’ Net Worth?
Quincy Jones was married three times and had seven children with five different women. His children are Jolie, 69, Rachel, 59, Martina, 58, Quincy III, 55, Kidada, 50, Rashida, 48, and Kenya, 31.
Rashida Jones, whose mother is late Twin Peaks star Peggy Lipton, has become a celebrity in her own right, thanks to roles in a number of hit TV shows and movies that include The Office, Parks and Recreation, Boston Public, I Love You, Man and The Social Network.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rashida Jones’ fortune currently stands at $25 million.
The Harvard graduate has also worked behind the camera, cowriting screenplays for such films as Toy Story 4 and Celeste and Jesse Foreverin which she starred. She also cowrote Nosedivea film featured in the hit Black Mirror series.
She has worked as a producer, including on projects like the documentary Hot Girls Wanted. She also served as an executive producer on Hulu thriller series The Other Black Girl.
Rashida Jones directed and wrote Quincya critically acclaimed documentary about her father’s life and work. The film, which debuted on Netflix in September 2018, went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Music Film in 2019.
