Andrew Lloyd Webber is the strongest candidate for the richest composer associated with Broadway, but no reliable public source establishes a current, audited, like-for-like ranking of Broadway composers’ net worth. The figures that circulate come from different years, different methods and different kinds of measurement, so they cannot be placed in a single league table without misleading the reader.
Why a ranking is hard to pin down
Three different numbers are often treated as one. Personal net worth is an estimate of a person’s assets minus debts. Show-level income, such as author royalties and profit participation from a production, measures what one show paid out over a period. Business assets, such as theatres or companies, are a third category. A composer can earn large royalties from one production and still have a personal net worth that no public source measures. Wealth estimates also rarely disclose how they were built, which makes them hard to check.
![Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording (Explicit Version) [2CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jLpPIQAQL._SL160_.jpg)
Composer by composer
Andrew Lloyd Webber
His official biography credits him as composer of The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and other musicals, and states that he owns six London theatres. Those are documented career and business facts. The biography does not give his current personal net worth. The most-cited wealth figure is a 1996 profile in Billboard, which reported an estimated fortune at that time. It is historical reporting, not a current estimate, and it is the reason he ranks first in this article: it is the only figure with a named publication and a stated date among the composers covered here, though it is also the oldest.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
His official biography names him as creator and original star of Hamilton and In the Heights, and identifies him as a songwriter, actor, producer and director. The one documented financial figure in this group is production-level. A Broadway Journal report from 2018 cited a Hamilton Broadway production financial statement filed with the New York Attorney General. That statement covers a single twelve-month period ending July 2017 and measures author royalties and profit participation for that production. It does not measure his total income, his royalties from other works, or his net worth. A 2026 Tatler Asia article gives a broader estimated range, attributed to estimates rather than to a financial disclosure.
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Stephen Sondheim
The Stephen Sondheim Society and PBS document the scale of his catalogue and his influence on the form. His wealth figure comes from Celebrity Net Worth, a celebrity-finance site that estimates his net worth at death. That is an unofficial estimate, not an audited estate value, and the page does not show how the number was reached. Catalogue importance and personal wealth are different measures, so his position in any wealth comparison rests entirely on that estimate.
The figures side by side
The table below lists every wealth or royalty figure covered in this article. The currencies differ, and the figures have not been converted, because a conversion would add a second date-dependent assumption on top of the estimates themselves.
Rank #2
![Ragtime: The Musical (2025 Broadway Cast Recording)[2 CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51S4AlfVU4L._SL160_.jpg)
- "It was the music of something beginning
| Composer | Figure | Source and date | What it measures | Confidence for current use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Lloyd Webber | £400 million | Billboard, October 19, 1996 | Estimated personal fortune, as reported in 1996 | Low. Historical report, not a current estimate |
| Andrew Lloyd Webber | Current personal net worth | Not stated in his official biography | Not stated | Not established |
| Lin-Manuel Miranda | $12.7 million | Broadway Journal, 2018, citing a Hamilton Broadway production financial statement filed with the New York Attorney General | Author royalties and profit participation from one Broadway production, twelve months ending July 2017 | Documented for that production and period only. Not total income or net worth |
| Lin-Manuel Miranda | $80 million to $100 million | Tatler Asia, 2026 | Estimated net worth range, attributed to estimates | Low. Secondary estimate, not a financial disclosure |
| Stephen Sondheim | $20 million | Celebrity Net Worth, page accessed 2026 | Estimated net worth at death | Low. Unofficial estimate, not an audited estate value |
How to read a Broadway wealth claim
Before accepting any ranking of Broadway composers, check the following:
- The date. A 1996 report and a 2026 estimate describe different moments and should not be compared as if simultaneous.
- The measure. Personal net worth, production royalties and business assets are different things. A royalty figure for one production is not evidence of overall wealth.
- The period. A single twelve-month production statement is not a lifetime income.
- The source type. Official biographies and filed financial statements are primary documents. Celebrity-finance sites and magazine estimates are secondary and usually undisclosed in method.
- The currency. Pound and dollar figures sit side by side here without conversion.
- Reputation is not income. The number of hit shows, or how long a score has been performed, shows artistic reach. It does not prove a particular net worth.
Further reading
Miranda’s official bibliography lists Hamilton: The Revolution (2016) and The Lin-Manuel Miranda Collection: Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook (2022), which are useful for readers who want the creative background behind the productions discussed here. Check current availability and edition details with the publisher or a retailer before buying.
Quick Recap
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