As one of the most talked-about figures, Rita Marley has built a significant fortune. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.

What Is Rita Marley's Net Worth?

Rita Marley OD is a Cuban-born Jamaican singer who has a net worth of $50 million. Rita is the widow of reggae legend/musicianBob Marley, and she was a member of the trio the I Threes, who served as Bob's backup singers. Rita is best known for carrying on her late husband's musical legacy and developing her own career as a solo artist. After Bob's death in 1981, Rita established the Bob Marley Foundation, the Bob Marley Group of Companies, and the Bob Marley Trust, and in 1986, she converted their former Kingston home into the Bob Marley Museum.

Rita has released several albums, including "Who Feels It Knows It" (1981) and "We Must Carry On" (1988), and she published the memoir "No Woman, No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley" in 2004. In 1996, the Jamaican government awarded her the Order of Distinction, and she received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Award in 2010. Rita has been an honorary citizen of Ghana since 2013, and the University of the West Indies awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 2015. Rita has been nominated for two Grammys: Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording for "Reggae Sunsplash '81, A Tribute To Bob Marley" (1982) and Best Reggae Album for "We Must Carry On" (1991).

Bob Marley Estate

At the time of his death in 1981, Bob Marley was worth $11.5 million. That was equal to around $30 million in today's dollars. Bob died without a will because his Rastafarian faith prohibited acknowledging his own mortality. Following Jamaican law, when someone dies without a will, 10% of the estate immediately goes to their widow. In Bob's case that was Rita. Over time the widow can ultimately accumulate an additional 45% share of the estate, for a total of 55%. The remainder is equally divided among any living children. When Rita dies, the full 100% control is divided among his living children.

At the encouragement of some shady advisors, his widow Rita Marley forged Bob's signature on a will that supposedly pre-dated his death. This will left the majority of his estate to herself. When one of Marley's longtime business managers discovered what happened, he set off what became a 10 year legal battle that at up $6 million, roughly half the value of the estate, in legal fees.

In the end, the Jamaican court ordered that control of Marley's estate remain withChris Blackwell, the owner of Bob's record company Island Music. Blackwell managed the estate through Island Logic Ltd until 2001, at which point full control passed to Rita Marley and his 11 recognized legitimate children.

Early Life

In summary, the total wealth of Rita Marley reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.