Usher Lives A Lavish Life

When Usher Raymond IV was a young boy growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he was determined to find his "thing." While other kids were drawn to team sports, he realized when he was still in grade school that life had another plan for him. As he recalled to Revolt in 2023, "I tried a myriad of other things until I realized maybe there's something there 'cause I feel a spark, I feel happy. I feel like I would do this even if no one paid me... I enjoy doing this. And this is something that can lead to something incredible."

That something turned out to be music. His family moved from Chattanooga to Atlanta, Georgia, so Usher could pursue a singing career. His mother, Jonetta Patton, took on the role of momager. In the end, it all worked out: After getting signed to a label when he was still a teenager, Usher launched a decades-spanning career that includes hits such as "You Make Me Wanna," "Think of You," "U Got It Bad," and "U Remind Me." Dubbed the King of R&B with more than 20 Grammy nods and eight wins, the singer's legacy is undeniable. What's more, he's paved the way for other artists, including singer Justin Bieber who was once his protégé.

All of Usher's hard work from the start has also paid off, literally. Estimates indicate that the hit singer is worth a cool $180 million. And with this much wealth, Usher is no stranger to the finer things in life.

From the moment he established himself in the music world, it was evident Usher has always had a knack for accessorizing. If there's one thing he doesn't cut corners on, it's wristwatches. Back in 2008, Usher dished to the Daily Mail that he had as many as 40 luxury timepieces. The collection was valued at an incredible £1.5 million (around $1.9 million) at that time.

Usher may be the one doing his watch shopping now, but when his career was first taking off, it was a different story. "I didn't start collecting watches just to show that I'd arrived. The first ones I got were ones I received as gifts," he said in the Daily Mail. This sparked Usher's interest in luxury timepieces, and before he knew it, he was acquiring some watches on his own. "Rolex was the first make I went to, because it represented success. You get a Rolex, put diamonds in it and you're balling," the singer said. 

Over the years, Usher has been spotted wearing the Rolex Daytona, the diamond-studded Rolex Day-Date President, and the Rolex Milgauss. He's also gone to add models from other luxury watch brands to his collection. These include a gold Cartier Pasha, a pink gold Audemars Piguet Juan Pablo Montoya, and a Bentley edition Breitling. Despite all the watches he owns though, Usher still struggles to figure out what time it is because none of his timepieces are set correctly. "To me they're like trinkets. I wear them as such," he explained.

Longtime fans of Usher may know that the singer was not the only legend in his family. His paternal grandmother, Ernestine "Tina" Berry Carter, was the first Black admissions nurse at the Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. She was also the first Black nurse in the Ask A Nurse program.

Sadly, Carter died just before Christmas in 2022. Usher confirmed her passing on social media as he dedicated an Instagram post to her. "She was my earth angel ...whatever it took, from fasting for me and prayer that GOD deliver me from what stress and strife I was blinded by at the moment," the singer wrote. In honor of Carter's 84th birthday, Usher commissioned jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche to make a portrait ring featuring his late grandmother. The sentimental piece also comes with a mother-of-pearl inlay and is studded with black diamonds. Though the price of the jewelry was never disclosed, similarly styled signet rings on the designer's website cost $8,000.

Usher's love affair with diamonds began early on. One could argue the "You Make Me Wanna..." artist's most iconic piece of jewelry is his glimmering "U" pendant necklace. As he dished in a 2023 video for GQ, he's upgraded his "U" necklace over the years, but the significance has never changed. 

In 2005, the music legend admitted to Forbes that he once splurged on a $100,000 customized bracelet that was studded with diamonds. Acknowledging that it was far from the most reasonable purchase he's ever made, Usher explained, "I know those things don't solidify success." That said, this hasn't stopped him from spending on more diamonds in the future. Years later, in 2022, the singer happily showed off his latest sparkly thing on Instagram: a diamond-encrusted toothpick. Once again, Usher commissioned jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche for his unique accessory.

Now, the singer might enjoy having various diamond-studded stuff, but he doesn't necessarily want diamonds on everything. This is especially the case when it comes to his expensive watches. As Usher said in the Daily Mail, "Occasionally it's cool to give your timepiece a little flash and wear something with diamonds in it, but I don't like it and I don't need it. I get more value in a watch's weight." That said, Damon Dash, the man behind luxury watch company Tiret and Usher's good friend, once gifted him a timepiece featuring over 1,000 diamond pieces. Needless to say, the singer didn't send that one back.

Usher's marriage to now ex-wife Tameka Foster got off to a messy start. The former couple's first wedding, which was set to take place in July 2007, was canceled; Usher's mother, Jonetta Patton, did not even show up to the ceremony because she either refused to attend or was not invited. Drama be darned, Usher and Foster ended up getting married a little over a month later and the event was as stunning as it could be.

After holding a civil ceremony, they exchanged vows in front of family and friends at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, a French chateau in Atlanta. Around 200 guests, including Oprah Winfrey's close pal Gayle King, were present. Usher's mother, however, did not attend. While we can't say for certain how much the big day cost, we have to imagine the five-tier cake covered in handmade flowers alone set the former couple back a buck or two.

While it may not have been the wedding that Usher and Foster initially planned, it was a celebration of love, nonetheless. "They had their reasons for not getting married (before), and that's their own business," a guest told People. "Now they could get things done the way they wanted to, their family and friends can be here now."  Usher and Foster went on to welcome two children before splitting up in 2009 after the singer filed for divorce. He also won custody of their sons following a nasty court battle.

Aside from watches and diamonds, Usher has also been into real estate for a long time. On a 2003 episode of the BET series "How I'm Living," the singer showed the cameras around his incredible home in Alpharetta, Georgia. He revealed that the first time he visited the house, it actually belonged to L.A. Reid, the music executive who gave Usher his very first record deal. "I remember walking through it and just being mesmerized at everything that I saw. I was just like, 'Man, I want to own a house like this.' I ended up buying this house," Usher shared. He bought the home in 1999 for $1.2 million. Later on, in 2018, Usher put the home on the market, eventually selling it for $1.5 million after originally listing it for $2.6 million in 2017.

The singer also once owned a Spanish-style villa in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles. The property, which dates back to 1926, features five bedrooms, a theater, a guest suite, a chef's kitchen, and a swimming pool. Usher purchased the home in 2015 for $3.36 million. Just like his other property, the singer also put this home up for sale in 2018, initially listing it for $4.2 million before lowering his asking price to $3.75 million.

In 2019, Usher purchased a 4,000-square-foot boho chic home in the Hollywood Hills. The property once belonged to actor Jared Leto before sisters Cara and Poppy Delevingne purchased it from him.

Back in the early 2000s, the Maybach was quite a status symbol in the hip-hop world. Mega stars like Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Lorde, and Kanye West have all referenced the luxury vehicle in their music. It was the car of choice for the likes of Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ja Rule. As for Usher? He not only mentions riding in a Maybach in the first verse of 2008's "Moving Mountains," but he bought one early on in his career. 

The "My Way" singer shelled out a hefty $500,000 on a Maybach when he was in his 20s. "That was something I had my eye on for a long time," the singer shared with Forbes in 2005. Evidently, Usher's team backed this purchase. "He deserves it," his business manager told Forbes. On top of that, the vehicle was relatively practical: As Usher noted, the Maybach featured its very own office setup. Oh, and let us not forget about the "luxury saloon" in the car.

A few years after Usher chatted with Forbes about his car, the Maybach brand went through a number of ups and downs; the manufacturer stopped making new Maybachs in the early 2010s due to poor sales. A few years later, Mercedes-Benz decided to give it another shot with the Mercedes-Maybach. As for Usher's Maybach? We don't know if he still has it, but we want to believe the "luxury saloon" is still going strong.

Clearly, Usher is a Mercedes-Benz guy. In a 2013 chat with eMercedesBenz magazine, the singer said he equates the brand with "luxury." He also revealed that he once gave his mom her very own Mercedes. "So it was a very special moment for me when I was able to buy a Mercedes-Benz for my mom. So far it was the only car I have given her as a gift," he said. 

Mercedes-Benz is also a fixture of the musician's own car collection. As eMercedesBenz magazine noted at the time, Usher was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a Mercedes SLS AMG. This was in addition to his Maybach, his CLS 63 AMG, and his Sprinter. The "Yeah!" singer even made his way to the Mercedes-AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, just to check on the progress of the SLS AMG and even participate in the assembly process. Given his loyalty to the brand, it makes sense that the company brought him on for their 2013 Super Bowl ad. 

All that said, Usher doesn't only drive Mercedes. He's reportedly scooped up a number of other vehicles, including Ducati motorbikes, a Porsche Carrera GT, a Ferrari 458 Spider, and a Tesla Model S.

Sure, Usher has been known to shell out on big-ticket things, but it's worth noting that the music legend is pretty practical when it comes to money. For instance, back in 2005, he revealed to Forbes that he has a 14,000-square-foot property in Atlanta and turned it into his very own office complex. The area provided an office for the singer's record label, Us Records, and his mom, Jonetta Patton, who also launched a talent management firm called JPat Management.

Patton also once spoke about the importance of making sure that Usher had a place to readily work on his music. "With the record company, I'm just not trusting them at all," she said on a 2020 episode of OWN's "Behind Every Man." "I see deception over here, deception over there...so I pray to God and I said, 'If you allow me to get through this, I'm going to buy my own building." Patton ended up owning a building. She also had it fitted with a recording studio, dance studio, wardrobe room, and an administration office.

Meanwhile, since launching JPat Management, Patton has also ventured into the food scene, opening J's Kitchen in Doraville. The company's facility is situated on a 21,000-square-foot property that features three kitchens, a baker's kitchen, and various state-of-the-art equipment. With J's Kitchen, Patton aims to provide private chefs and food businesses with a proper commercial kitchen space to efficiently cater to their customers and grow their businesses.

Usher may be a Grammy-winning music megastar, but whether he's on the stage or hanging out at home, being a dad comes before everything else. "You should never abandon your responsibility, which is to be there, reading with your child, being supportive of your child's growth," he once told Essence. "That is making the choice to put your child before your own vanity." Since having two sons with ex-wife Tameka Foster, the singer has also welcomed a daughter and a son with girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

When it comes to celebrating his kids' birthdays, it should come as little surprise that Usher pulls out all of the stops. When his and Foster's eldest child, Usher "Cinco" Raymond V, turned 16 in 2023, for example, the "OMG" singer threw a party for the ages. As Usher shared on Instagram, the bash featured amusement park rides, arcade games, a performance by G Herbo, and of course, a full dessert bar. On Cinco's actual birthday, Usher took a moment during his Las Vegas residency to send his firstborn some love. "This is a special night to me because my firstborn was born tonight. It's Cinco's birthday and I dedicated this performance to him which is why I was going so hard," Usher told the audience. Talk about a gift you can't put a price on.

When Usher hits the road, he clearly likes to do so in style. Why would air travel be any different? Whenever the singer needs to get somewhere by plane — be it a concert date across the globe or a family vacation to a distant destination — it seems he prefers to do so in a private jet. He has been spotted flying private a number of times over the years, and he has even posted photos with his loved ones as they jet out in style.  

Private planes are, without question, a major expense. Buying a private jet can set you back a pretty penny — for example, Taylor Swift's own aircraft is reportedly worth around $40 million — and chartering one on a regular basis is not exactly cheap, either. We do not know what Usher's private jet costs look like, but we would be willing bet that is not chump change.

Speaking of making wagers and private planes, MGM Resorts International gave a lucky person a chance to experience what it's like to travel in a private jet with Usher. In 2022, the company launched a scavenger hunt-style contest that promised the winner a trip on a private plane with the music legend. Oh, the winner also won tickets to Usher's show in Sin City. He likes it fly way, indeed.