The success of Kelly Clarkson after winning “American Idol’s” first season is nearly unparalleled, turning her into one of the best-known and most beloved singers in the entire world. The singer has built herself a net worth of almost $30 million thanks to having millions of very dedicated fans.
Clarkson’s debut single started off in the top 100, but quickly jumped to number one, making it the single largest popularity leap for a song in music history (a record she took away from The Beatles). The singer took a huge risk on her second album and went for a more rock-oriented direction, which ended up paying off, as it became her most successful album to date.
Scotty McCreery - $4 Million
In the tenth season of "Idol," the main guy was Scotty McCreery. The young singer basically blew over the competition with his inspirational voice and charming personality. He won the season and just kept going.
Since his win on "American Idol," McCreery went on to release several albums which went platinum and gold. He’s also quite a big fan of baseball and used his status as a celebrity to score the first pitch at a White Sox game. The talented singer's albums and media fame helped him achieve a net worth of just over $4 million, and the rest of the future looks extremely bright for this young star.
Kris Allen - $3.5 Million
Kris Allen is proof that grit, determination, and courage can truly make a difference when it comes to becoming famous. The singer and guitarist was quite active even before appearing on "American Idol," which prepared him for his incredible win on the show’s eighth season. After this, Allen released a self-titled album that reached eleventh place on the Billboard 200.
Since his appearance on the show, Kris Allen decided to focus on two things: making great music and helping improve the planet. Regarding his music career, the singer has released four albums that have all been moderately successful. His humanitarian ventures have been a mixed endeavor, as he once contracted a rare form of hepatitis during a mission that nearly killed him.
Clay Aiken - $7 Million
Clay Aiken is one of the most successful "American Idol" “losers” of all time. The singer brilliantly used his exposure to launch an extremely successful musical career, while also pursuing Broadway performances and even attempting a run in United States politics. Despite starting out as a shy and geeky contestant, he’s now known as an extremely outspoken celebrity.
Aiken has had multiple albums go platinum, played in various hit TV shows such as "The Office" and "Law and Order: SVU," and almost became a North Carolina congressman. His daring ventures, entertaining personality, and huge talent helped him build a net worth of around $7 million. Aiken has since become an established public personality and definitely plans to stay that way.
Josh Gracin - $2 Million
Josh Gracin is an extremely rare case of a U.S. Marine who decided to turn into a full-time singer, and it seems that his discipline and hard work really paid off. The singer appeared on the second season of "American Idol," reaching fourth place just after mega stars Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, and Kimberley Locke. This was all he needed to launch his career.
Since his appearance on the show, Gracin has released three studio albums. The first one ended up going gold and even featured an amazing single, “Nothin’ to Lose,” which hit number one in the charts. Since then, the singer has been touring and recording music all across the United States. He also received a lot of praise for sharing his difficult struggles with depression.