British rock band Coldplay was formed in 1997 and is still going strong. Photo: @coldplay/Instagram
When Coldplay hit the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury on June 29, they became the only band in history to headline the event for the sixth time.
Chris Martin and his indie rock colleagues also astonished audiences when they invited Michael J. Fox on stage with them. During the group’s performance of their iconic single “Fix You,” the actor played guitar with them.
Coldplay is regarded as one of the most successful bands of all time, having won over 300 accolades, had over nine billion songs streamed, and sold over 100 million albums globally. They’ve collaborated and formed connections with several celebrities, including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Frank Ocean, Kanye West, and Jay-Z.
Here’s a breakdown of its members’ fortunes, according to Celebrity Net Worth:
5. Phil Harvey, manager and creative director, 47
Estimated net worth: US$50 million
Harvey, the band’s manager and creative director, is commonly considered the group’s fifth member. According to Client Earth, Harvey has had a relationship with Coldplay since the late 1990s, despite the fact that he does not participate on stage. Harvey has been with the band since its early days of selling merchandise outside gigs to its current status as a global hit. Harvey previously stated in an interview that “staying close with the guys” was his greatest triumph in the music industry.
4. Will Champion, drummer, percussionist and keyboardist, 45
Estimated net worth: US$100 million
Champion, like his bandmates, was born and reared in Southampton, United Kingdom. He met the trio while studying anthropology at University College London. In an interview with the BBC, Champion described the beginning of their musical collaboration: “I remember in the first week or so people sitting around and playing music, and I remember specifically jamming with Chris.”
Champion also appeared in Game of Thrones as a musician at the Red Wedding.
3. Jonny Buckland, lead guitarist, 46
Estimated net worth: US$100 million
Martin has stated that “Jonny is the silent brains in Coldplay,” with his other band members repeating that sentiment. In an interview with Ellen, Martin and Buckland joked that their longest relationship was with each other. Martin stated that hearing Buckland play guitar was like “love at first sight, but in a musical way”. The band’s main singer has publicly stated that Buckland changed his creative direction since he was “the guy I had been looking for my whole life”.
2. Guy Berryman, bassist, 46
Estimated net worth: US$100 million
Berryman met his bandmates at university, where he studied engineering and architecture. Recently, the Scot has been experimenting with his other passions, such as starting his Amsterdam-based men’s fashion business, Applied Art Forms. He cited Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, and Raf Simons as inspirations in an interview with Vogue Singapore.
1. Chris Martin, lead singer, 47
Estimated net worth: US$160 million
Martin, the band’s lead singer and dubbed “the most popular man in showbiz” by British media, is also the richest member. Martin co-founded the group in 1996, when it was called Pectoralz. In 1997, the group changed its name to Starfish, which was then changed to Coldplay.
Martin has cemented his place in the music industry by working with major artists such as West, Rihanna, Jay-Z, and Avicii. He was married to Gwyneth Paltrow for over a decade and they had two children together. Martin is now engaged to actress Dakota Johnson.
Martin began a 15-year tenure as curator of the Global Citizen Festival, a once-a-year music festival that brings people together to alleviate global poverty.
