Category:
Richest Celebrities › Singers
Net Worth:
$180 Million
Birthdate:
Mar 27, 1963 (61 years old)
Birthplace:
Santa Rosa
Gender:
Female
Height:
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Profession:
Singer, Presenter, Actor, Businessperson, Record producer, Model
Nationality:
Brazil
Xuxa Meneghel is a Brazilian singer, film actress, businesswoman, TV host, and entertainer who has a net worth of $180 million. One of the richest self-made women in all of Brazil, her shows have reached audiences across the nation. She began her career hosting children’s television series, earning the nickname “Queen of the Little Ones” and winning two Latin Grammy Awards. By the early 90s, she became one of the richest artists in the world and one of the wealthiest people in Brazil. After 30 years in the entertainment industry, Xuxa has sold 30 million records. This makes her the most commercially successful Brazilian female singer. Outside of her entertainment career, Meneghel has become extremely successful as a businesswoman and entrepreneur, pursuing a wide range of endeavors.
Maria da Graa Meneghel was born on March 27th, 1963, in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Raised in a family with Portuguese, Italian, Polish, German, and Swiss roots, Maria earned her nickname after her father prayed to Xuxa, Saint Mary of Graces, during her birth. Xuxa grew up in Santa Rosa but moved to Rio de Janeiro with her parents at the age of seven. At the age of 15, she began modeling for the first time. She started modeling professionally at the age of 16. Over the next few years, Meneghel posed for magazines like “Playboy” and became famous after starting a relationship with soccer player Pele. By the mid-80s, she had been hired by Ford Models.
Xuxa began her career with the romantic movie “Amor Estranho Amor,” a film that featured a sex scene between the 19-year-old and the lead actor. She was then given a chance to host a children’s program called “Clube da Crianca” for the network Rede Machete. During this period, she continued to work as a model in New York while traveling to Brazil during the weekends to tape her show.
In 1986, her show was expanded into “Xou da Xuxa” on TV Globo. This elevated her to nationwide fame as millions of children across Brazil woke up to her show. 2,000 episodes later, the show came to an end in 1992. During this time, Meneghel released a number of platinum records and was celebrated for imparting positive messages to children. In total, she released six albums, which have proven to be the best-selling albums in Brazil’s history, selling millions of units. Xuxa also toured extensively to support these albums, and her shows were extremely popular.
By the late 80s, Meneghel was one of the most famous women on the entire planet and one of the most famous Brazilians. During this period, Xuxa started a relationship with another extremely famous Brazilian Ayrton Senna. Senna tragically died in 1994 due to a Formula One accident. Meneghel also hosted a game show called “Bobeou Dancou.” In 1990, she starred in the film “Lua de Cristal,” which set a number of box office records. Over the years, Xuxa starred in many other films which were seen by more than 37 million people. She was also recognized in the United States with an International Emmy Award. In 1992, Meneghel started a new show called “Paradao da Xuxa.” The three-hour show featured several music acts.
By the early 90s, Xuxa decided to branch out with her first Spanish-language album, “Xuxa 1.” This album sold considerable units in Argentina, prompting her to record a new show in Argentina called “El Show de Xuxa.” During this period, Xuxa became popular in the United States as well due to the fact that “El Show de Xuxa” was also being broadcast on the Univision network. By this point, she was being referred to in the United States as “the Latin American Madonna.”
This increase in popularity eventually prompted Xuxa to release her first English-language series in the United States, entitled simply “Xuxa.” However, the show wasn’t as popular as her other series, and it was canceled after just one season due to low ratings. She also started airing shows in Japan, Russia, Israel, Australia, Romania, and a few Arab countries. This incredibly demanding schedule took its toll eventually, and Xuxa had to be hospitalized for exhaustion. This caused her to abandon her international career.
Over the next few years, she focused more on weekend shows in Brazil and released several videos for small children. This continued until 2015, at which point she left TV Globo and explored other entertainment opportunities.
Xuxa created her first company in 1982, and this company later managed tours of artists like Michael Jackson in Brazil. She later made considerable investments in real estate mostly within Brazil.
In 1991, Xuxa was reportedly earning an annual income of $19 million. By that point, her net worth was estimated to be well over $100 million. Her net worth has increased significantly over the next few decades, and she is now the wealthiest female entertainer in all of Brazil.
In 2021, it was reported that Xuxa had sold her home in Rio De Janeiro for 45 million Brazilian Reais. That is equivalent to about $8.25 million in US dollars. Located in one of the most luxurious parts of Rio, the home lies in the West Zone and spans 2,780 square meters. It also features five bedrooms, a gym, and a six-car garage. Xuxa apparently sold the home shortly after her mother passed away from Parkinson’s Disease. The buyer was another semi-famous singer in Brazil.
In 1991, Xuxa paid $4.6 million for a home that had previously been owned by Madonna on Star Island in Miami. Today, this home is likely worth $30-50 million.
