Whitney Houston’s Estate Quadruples In Value Ten Years After Her Death. Hollywood Biopic Readies For Release.

Despite Whitney Houston’s estate’s financial troubles after her untimely passing in 2012, several key business deals have placed the estate’s finances on the uptick. 

When Houston died, the estate was in debt, now it is worth more than $14 million.

LAS VEGAS, NV ? SEPTEMBER 15: Singer Whitney Houston performs during the 2004 World Music Awards at the Thomas and Mack Center on September 15, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Songstress Whitney Houston passed away in February 2012 after a career that spanned close to 30 years. Houston sold more than 200 million albums. She won six Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, 22 American Music Awards and 30 Billboard Music Awards. At the peak of her career, Houston was able to earn an estimated $30 million annually just from touring, according to Celebrity Networth. However, in the year’s leading up to her death, Houston suffered many personal and professional financial setbacks. And despite having a $100 million contract with Sony/Arista, dismal album sales and advances left Houston $20 million in debt with the record label.  

A Financial Turnaround 

Since Houston’s death ten years ago, several business deals have helped the artist’s estate bounce back. 

One of the most significant contributions to the estate’s ability to bounce back has been its partnership with Primary Wave Music. In 2019, the estate began working with the company, which took 50 percent stake in Houston’s music assets. 

“We have massively, over the course of our three-year partnership, improved the earnings of the estate,” Primary Wave founder and CEO Larry Mestel told Variety.

“We’ve basically quadrupled the earnings stream of the estate through a lot of low-hanging fruit: renegotiation of partnerships, focusing on merchandise, digital strategy, and social media enhancement — upping the game in general,” Mestel added. Through their partnership, Primary Wave Music has released new music from Houston including a dance remix of the hit, “Higher Love.” In addition, posthumous album releases such as live and gospel albums are also in the works.  

“It was time to rebuild Whitney’s business, and Primary Wave, with its arsenal of industry professionals, were the right fit, a team packaged to elevate Whitney’s legacy to the next level,” Pat Houston, Houston’s sister-in-law and former manager and an executor of her estate, told AfroTech. 

Next, Houston’s estate has partnered with OneOf, a company back by Quincy Jones, and released several non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in her likeness. Most recently, an NFT of 17-year-old Whitney Houston sold for just under $1 million. 

Sony/Arista owns the rights to Houston’s back catalog. With Houston’s increased royalties as unit sales grew after her death, the label has been recouping losses on a $100 million advance it gave the singer. 

Finally, a live hologram performance of Houston is currently playing at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

The Much-Hyped Bio-Pic

A biopic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” will hit movie theaters in December. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, it was written by Anthony McCarten, with Houston’s former record producer and mentor Clive Davis also serving as a producer on the film. It stars Naomi Ackie as Houston and Stanley Tucci as Davis. Ashton Sanders was cast as Bobby Brown, Whitney’s husband of 15 years.

On April 22, 2020, Stella Meghie was set to direct. McCarten self-financed an option for Houston’s life rights, wrote the script on spec, and lined up rights and music. TriStar Pictures acquired the film in August 2020, and a year later in September 2021, Kasi Lemmons took over directing duties. Meghie switched to an executive producer. Sony Pictures is distributing the film.

What people are saying

7 thoughts on “Whitney Houston’s Estate Quadruples In Value Ten Years After Her Death. Hollywood Biopic Readies For Release.

  1. It’s fascinating to see how Whitney Houston’s legacy continues to grow, even a decade after her passing. The biopic sounds promising, and I can’t wait to see how they capture her incredible life and talent. Her music still resonates with so many people today!

  2. It’s incredible to see how Whitney Houston’s legacy continues to thrive even a decade after her passing. I’m excited to see the biopic and hope it captures the true essence of her talent and struggles. Her influence on music and culture is undeniable, and it’s heartwarming to know her estate is flourishing!

  3. KWG GAME says:

    It’s incredible to see Whitney Houston’s estate grow in value after her passing. Her legacy continues to resonate with fans, and I’m excited to see how the upcoming biopic will bring her story to a new generation. Houston truly was a remarkable talent!

  4. Puns Art says:

    This is such a fascinating update! Whitney Houston’s legacy continues to shine brightly, and it’s amazing to see how her estate has grown in value. I’m really looking forward to the biopic—her story deserves to be told in a big way!

  5. It’s incredible to see how Whitney Houston’s legacy continues to thrive even after her passing. The quadrupling of her estate’s value speaks volumes about her impact on music and culture. I’m excited to see the biopic and hope it does justice to her remarkable life and career!

  6. Wow, it’s incredible to see Whitney Houston’s legacy continuing to thrive! Her talent was unmatched, and it’s amazing that her estate has quadrupled in value. I can’t wait to see how the upcoming biopic brings her story to life. She truly deserves all the recognition!

  7. This is incredible! Whitney’s legacy continues to grow, and it’s fascinating to see how her estate has quadrupled in value. I’m really looking forward to the biopic; I hope it does her story justice and introduces her music to a new generation!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top