Music
2015: No.36 £100m
2014: No.38 £82m    

Robert Plant’s companies are doing very nicely with combined assets of nearly £30 million. His total worth is around £100 million, but he could have tripled that by saying yes to Richard Branson.

The Virgin boss reportedly offered the 66-year-old Robert Plant more than £500 million to reform Led Zeppelin. He and fellow founders Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were offered £190 million each for 35 dates in three cities. It didn’t take the Black Country rocker long to say no.

He insists there would have to be a creative reason to get Led Zeppelin back together and is scornful of other 70s rock bands who still tour, churning out their back catalogues. “It’s not about the money. It’s because they’re bored,” he said.

The ex-Led Zeppelin singer is certainly not bored. He continues to keep busy, playing gigs with his latest band The Sensational Space Shifters. His recently released album – the 14th post-Zeppelin release – “Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar” is acknowledged as one of his best yet.

His 2014 European tour – 13 dates in all – included a home gig at Wolverhampton Civic Hall as well as shows in Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy and France.

And in the summer he headlined at the Glastonbury Festival playing to a delighted crowd on the famous Pyramid stage.

His 2007 pairing with country and bluegrass singer Alison Krauss was a musical and financial success. The album and sell-out tours brought in close to £10 million. They also received awards for album of the year and duo of the year at the Americana awards. All this is on top of earnings from Led Zeppelin publishing fees.

Passionate Wolves fan and club vice-president Plant had a Black Country childhood – brought up in Halesowen – and a promising career as a chartered accountant. He pursued his music career unprofitably to begin with, subsidising his income with a variety of jobs.

In 1968, Jimmy Page recruited Plant as lead singer for his new band. They were joined by drummer, the late John Bonham and John Paul Jones.

Led Zeppelin have since sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. In 1995 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011 readers of Rolling Stone voted Robert Plant the best lead singer of all time.

Plant divides his time between homes in England, Wales and Texas. He still has a home near Kidderminster.