Five years ago,Britney Spearscouldn't decide how her own money was spent. Now she's just sold the soundtrack of an entire generation.
The 44-year-old has sold her music catalogue to publisher Primary Wave in a deal worth approximately $200 million (£146.5 million), according to a source who spoke to NBC News. Signed on 30 December 2025, the agreement hands over her ownership share of songs like '...Baby One More Time,' 'Oops!... I Did It Again,' 'Toxic', and 'Gimme More'.'
Two sources confirmed the sale to Variety. TMZ, which first broke the story, called it a 'landmark deal' comparable toJustin Bieber's $200 million (£146.5 million) sale to Hipgnosis Songs Capital in 2023.
That's where it gets complicated.
Sony Music owns the master recordings of Spears' entire catalogue, so she didn't sell the actual masters. What she likely sold were her artist royalties and publishing interests, according to theHollywoodReporter.
Here's the catch: Spears isn't a credited songwriter on most of her biggest hits. According to reports, she holds co-writing credits on close to 40 songs, though few were chart-toppers beyond the ballad 'Everytime' and 'Me Against the Music.'
Before this deal, her net worth sat at roughly $40 million to $60 million (£30 million to £44 million). If the $200 million (£146.5 million) figure holds, one signature could triple what she's worth.
The numbers alone don't tell the full story.
Spears spent 13 years under a court-ordered conservatorship that stripped her of control over her finances and daily life. Her father, Jamie Spears, ran the arrangement until it ended in November 2021. According to the New York Times, court records showed he was paid $16,000 (£11,700) a month and took 1.5% of gross revenues from her Las Vegas residency, which pulled in $138 million (£101 million).
She once testified she wasn't even allowed to choose what she ate.
Source: International Business Times UK
