“In the age of overshare, Beyoncé Knowles exists as an anomaly. Ever since she took full control of her brand three years ago, she’s raised herself to the status of music icon- almost without uttering a single word in public and delighting us with two secret albums in the process…
… As the richest celebrity couple on the planet, at last count, Bey and Jay’s combined net worth totalled over $1 billion dollars (more than R13.7 billion). At the moment, $610 million (R8.4 billion) of that belongs to Jay, with Bey following closely behind at $419 million (R5.7 billion)– not including sales of Lemonade, which has earned the Queen B a cool $1.5 million (R20 million) this year alone. Ticket sales from her Formation world tour are estimated to gross $260 million (R3.5 billion). And last year, according to Forbes, Bey out-earned Jay – bringing in $54 million (R743 million) to his $53.5 million (RR734 million)”
In issue 233 of Grazia, we highlighted on the success that Beyoncé Knowles has accomplished as a businesswoman but more so how running her empire has little if anything to do with her husband.
There has always been a general perception and ideal that a woman earning more than her spouse can be somewhat devastating to that relationship. In today’s age, as gender roles seem to be changing, the idea of women out-earning their better halves isn’t that far-fetched nor as shocking as what it would be deemed many years ago. Unfortunately, not all men are comfortable with the notion of women as the primary breadwinner, for many men, it can feel like a slap in the face, emasculating. In today’s society, there is still that stereotypical association that being a man means being the ‘provider’ and providing is automatically associated with ‘true manliness’.
If you aren’t earning a living for your family, how can you be a ‘true’ man? And what are you supposed to do with yourself if your identity isn’t necessarily wrapped up in earning more than your spouse?
Women like Beyoncé Knowles, Tasha McCauley, Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey stand out from the rest of the crowd as they break such stereotypes and in a big way too.
Not all relationships that have the woman as the breadwinner result in failure but most do.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
Written by: Mawatle Mpuru