Tijs Michiel Verwest, known by his stage name, Tiësto, is a Dutch DJ and record producer. Among his other accomplishments, Tiësto is a Grammy Award-winning act and was fan-voted the “the Greatest DJ of All Time” in a poll by Mix Magazine.
He is also one of the richest DJs in the world, with his net worth reportedly being as high as $150 million.
In this article, we look at the life story of the man behind the Tiësto persona to find out how he made his prodigious net worth.
Breakdown of Tiësto’s Salary & Net Worth
Tiësto is attributed as one of the forefathers of the EDM movement and has consistently been ranked as one of the best — if not the best — DJ of all time. His net worth comes from his record sales as well as the hefty salary he gets for performing in music festivals, events, and the sort.
He started amateur DJing at age 12 but upon realizing that he had more than a passing interest in the field, he committed himself heavily at age 14.
READ MORE: Payroll Giovanni-Net Worth, Professional Life, Songs, Age, Wife
He started performing at school parties and made the rounds of clubs all over the Netherlands. He found his stride performing at the Spock club in his hometown.
His career kicked off when he signed with the Rotterdam-based record label, Basic Beat Recordings, in 1994. The next couple of years saw Tiësto drop numerous records including four EPs.
In 1997, Tiësto left Basic Beat to co-found Black Hole Recordings, with Arny Bink. After releasing the trance mix-compilation series, Magik, and founding the labels sub-labels, SongBird, and, In Trance We Trust, under Black Hole, Tiësto founded the trance duo, Gouryella, with fellow Dutch DJ, Ferry Corsten, in 1998.
He experimented with his sound over collaborations with such DJs as Benno de Goeij and Armin van Buuren, before venturing into a solo act.
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Source: The San Francisco Examiner
To date, he has released five solo studio albums, six compilation CDs, five video albums, two EPs, and over a hundred singles.
Throughout the years, Tiësto has been consistently ranked as the best DJ in the world. He is the only person in history to hold the title of DJ Magazine‘s “No. 1. DJ in the World” for three consecutive years (2002, 2003, and 2004).
In February 2015, Tiësto won his first Grammy Award for remixing John Legend’s hit single “All of Me“.
Earnings by Year
| Earnings in 2012 | $22 Million |
| Earnings in 2013 | $32 Million |
| Earnings in 2015 | $36 Million |
Philanthropy
Tiësto has been involved with many charity drives through the years.
He spearheaded a benefit concert in De Dam, Amsterdam, in January 2005, featuring other Dutch artists, the proceeds of which went to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.
In April 2006, he became the official ambassador for Dance4Life — an organization that promotes HIV/AIDS awareness and preaches safe sex.
In that same vein, Tiësto released the compilation album, Dance (RED) Save Lives, in collaboration with Product Red, with the proceeds going to HIV/AIDS relief and awareness.
He has also headlined festivals like the Thank You Festival and the Global Citizen Festival which helped altruistic causes.
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How Old is Tiësto? Where was he Born?
Tiësto was born Tijs Michiel Verwest on January 17, 1969, in Breda, Netherlands. The 51-year-old is the youngest of three children.
His parents divorced when he was four, leaving his mother, and his older brother and sister to fend for themselves.
Tiësto realized his passion for DJing at age 12 and started training professionally at 14.
Tiësto Married his Girlfriend, Annika Backes, in 2019
As of September 2019, DJ Tiësto is officially off the market!
The Dutch-born DJ married his girlfriend of four years, model Annika Backes, at the Amangiri resort in the middle of a Utah desert, on September 21, 2019.
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Source: Vogue
According to Vogue Magazine, Tiësto booked out the entire resort to accommodate the 80-some guests that were in attendance to witness the matrimony.
The-then 50-year-old Tiësto married his 23-year-old girlfriend after knowing each other since February 2015. They met via mutual friends at the Catch restaurant in New York City and hit it off immediately.
Tiësto proposed to Backes over Thanksgiving 2018 and fast forward nearly a year later, they were married.
