AR Rahman is one of India’s most gifted musicians, with the kind of talent that comes along only once in a lifetime. He was born this day in 1967 and celebrates his 59th birthday today. Rahman has experienced one of the most remarkable transformations in the history of global arts.
While he is celebrated as a two-time Academy Award winner and a Grammy recipient now, it wasn’t an easy road to success. His path from a young boy struggling for survival in Chennai to becoming India’s wealthiest musician is a masterclass in persistence.
According to The Times of India report, Rahman’s net worth has reached an estimated Rs 1,728 crore, placing him among the richest people in the industry. His journey has been nothing short of extraordinary and is ultimately what sets him apart from his peers.
A childhood defined by loss and trauma
The most difficult phase of Rahman’s life began in 1976 when he was nine years old. As per biographical accounts from Britannica and The Indian Express, his father, RK Shekhar – a prominent Malayalam music conductor – passed away after a prolonged illness. The sudden loss caused a financial collapse for the family, forcing Rahman’s mother, Kareema Begum, to rent out his father’s musical equipment to provide for them.
In an interview with The Times of India, Rahman recalled being pulled out of his 4th-grade classroom to perform his father’s last rites, an image that he admitted still haunts him today.
Without a normal childhood, Rahman began working at age 11 to support his family of five. According to reports from Outlook Business, he started at the bottom of the professional ladder, earning Rs 50 as his first salary for operating a record player. To help him build his first recording studio, his mother sold her jewelry to purchase an amplifier and equalizer.
This act enabled him to master the synthesizers and keyboards his father left behind, subsequently leading him to leave school at fifteen to pursue music full-time. The turning point that launched his multi-crore empire finally arrived in 1992 with Mani Ratnam’s Roja. The movie had a soundtrack that, according to industry data from Jagran Josh, changed the sound of Indian cinema.
The Rs 1,728 crore empire and a milestone birthday celebration
Today, Rahman is the highest-paid musician in the country, charging fees of Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore per film and approximately Rs 3 crore per song. He owns several professional recording studios around the world, which form the foundation of his wealth. This global network grew from his flagship Panchathan Record Inn in Chennai, which he built in his own backyard. Over the years, he expanded his business reach to include AM Studios in Chennai and KM Musiq Studios with branches in London and Los Angeles. These state-of-the-art facilities allow him to produce Hollywood scores and international projects without the need for constant travel.
His financial success is further balanced by a strategic approach to assets and investments that go beyond the recording studio. According to reports from LiveMint and The Times of India, Rahman has invested heavily in premium real estate, including a $3 million residence in Los Angeles and a massive bungalow in Chennai. These properties often double as private creative sanctuaries. His earnings from these ventures, along with recurring international music royalties, have funded a collection of luxury vehicles. His garage includes a Mercedes-Benz S-Class valued at nearly Rs 3 crore and a Jaguar XJL, both of which represent just how far he’s come in life.
As Rahman celebrates his 59th birthday, he is entering new creative areas, including an acting debut in the upcoming film Moonwalk. Yesterday, on Sunday, January 5, 2026, he celebrated with over 10,000 fans at the grand audio launch of the film in Chennai. According to reports from IANS, Rahman performed all five songs from the film live and shared a dance on stage with Prabhu Deva to the song “Mukkala Mukkabla.” The event included a grand cake-cutting ceremony with the cast and crew. It was a tribute to a man who turned personal pain into a success that has influenced the world.
