Net Worth Ranker
What is Ben Folds’ Net Worth?
Ben Folds, the acclaimed singer-songwriter, musician, and producer, has accumulated a net worth of approximately $4 million. This valuation reflects his diverse career, encompassing his work as the frontman of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five, his solo musical endeavors, collaborations with other artists, and his involvement in television.
Early Career and Ben Folds Five Success
Born on September 12, 1966, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ben Folds began his musical journey at the age of nine when he developed an interest in the piano. He honed his skills by learning popular songs by ear, absorbing melodies and harmonies from the radio. During his teenage years at Richard J. Reynolds High School, Folds played in various bands, showcasing his versatility as a pianist, drummer, and bassist.
Folds’s higher education began at the University of Miami on a full percussion scholarship, but he later dropped out. He then attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In the late 1980s, Folds co-founded the alternative rock band Majosha with Millard Powers and Evan Olson. The band produced several local records and won Duke University’s Battle of the Bands in 1988.
In 1993, Ben Folds formed Ben Folds Five with bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 1995. Their breakthrough came with the 1997 album “Whatever and Ever Amen,” which featured the hit singles “Battle of Who Could Care Less” and “Brick.” In 1999, Ben Folds Five released “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner,” featuring the song “Army.” This marked the end of the band’s initial run, as they disbanded in 2000.
Ben Folds Five reunited in September 2008 for their first concert in nearly a decade at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, performing their entire third studio album. In 2012, the band reunited again to release their fourth studio album, “The Sound of the Life of the Mind,” which debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, marking Folds’s first top-ten album.
Solo Career, Collaborations, and Other Ventures
Ben Folds launched his solo career with the album “Rockin’ the Suburbs” on September 11, 2001, which reached number 28 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 42 on the Billboard 200. From 2003 to 2004, he released three EPs: “Speed Graphic,” “Sunny 16,” and “Super D.” His second solo album, “Songs for Silverman,” was released in 2005 and became his highest-charting album, reaching number 13 on the Billboard 200. In 2006, he released “Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP,” which compiled tracks from his earlier EPs.
His album “Way to Normal” debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 in 2008, marking a significant commercial success. In 2010, Folds collaborated with English novelist Nick Hornby on the album “Lonely Avenue,” which produced the single “From Above.” In June 2020, he released the COVID-19 pandemic-themed single “2020.”
Among his collaborations, Folds contributed piano to “Weird Al” Yankovic’s song “Why Does This Always Happen to Me?” and Angela Aki’s “Black Glasses.” In 2004, he produced, performed, arranged, and provided backup vocals for William Shatner’s album “Has Been.” He also produced and performed on Amanda Palmer’s first solo album, “Who Killed Amanda Palmer.” In 2015, following the premiere of a commissioned piano concerto with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Folds collaborated with the yMusic Ensemble on the album “So There.” Folds has toured with various musicians worldwide.
Ben Folds has also contributed to movie and television soundtracks. His song “Red is Blue” was featured in the 2005 animated film “Hoodwinked!,” and he wrote three original songs—”Heist,” “Family of Me,” and “Still”—for the 2006 animated film “Over the Hedge.” In 2017, he composed the soundtrack for the Netflix film “Handsome.”
In 2009, Folds became a judge on NBC’s “The Sing-Off” for four seasons. He has also appeared in an episode of “Community” and in various episodes of “You’re the Worst.” Since 2017, Folds has served as the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center. In 2019, he published his memoir, “A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons.” These diverse ventures have further added to Ben Folds’s net worth.
Real Estate Ventures and Financial Settlements
In 2016, Ben Folds purchased a 9,000-square-foot, three-story Victorian building in Hudson, New York, for $1.181 million. The building, previously a department store, karate studio, music club, and several bars, underwent an estimated $2 million renovation. The ground floor became a retail boutique, the second floor housed a dance studio for his then-wife Emma Sandall and a recording studio, and the top floor featured living spaces. Folds listed the property for $2.8 million in July 2020 and ultimately sold it for $2.45 million, likely incurring a loss considering renovation costs.
Ben Folds continues to own another home in Hudson, NY. He also owns property in Nashville, Tennessee, since the early 2000s. In 2007, he deeded a Nashville home to his ex-wife Frally Hynes. In February 2024, following his divorce from Emma Sandall, Folds agreed to pay her $500,000 for her share of their Nashville home, which they shared from 2017 to 2023. According to the divorce documents, Folds also agreed to pay Sandall roughly an additional $650,000 in 24 monthly payments of $27,083.33, $250,000 Australian dollars in a shared bank account, $50,000 to cover the furniture in their home and the title to a 2016 Honda CR-V. These real estate transactions and financial settlements have influenced Folds’s overall net worth.
