From being an underground artist to performing for millions as a part of one of K-pop’s most iconic boy groups — the meteoric rise of former BIGBANG rapper T.O.P (Choi Seung Hyun) is impressive, to say the least. The same could be said about his net worth — underlined by endorsements, sold-out records, and heady ventures. Here’s all about it.
To say that rapper, singer-songwriter, and music producer Choi Seung Hyun has had a thriving career would be an understatement. Between record-breaking albums as a member of the wildly popular K-pop group BIGBANG, hit digital singles like Turn It Up and Doom Dada, and numerous sold-out shows — the idol has established himself as one of the industry’s finest. This reputation, coupled with brand endorsements and acting gigs, has translated to a jaw-dropping wealth.
The artist’s passion for his craft has only added to this. “I wrote more than 100 songs over the past five years. It’s been my motivation, like wanting to fill up a bookshelf with my work… I realised how precious it is to pay back what I’ve received,” he revealed in an interview with Prestige, noting that he had big plans for the future as well. No surprise that he’s often spotted sporting luxurious outfits, splurging on art, or even using rare, exclusive credit cards to buy bread. Here’s a look at the net worth of T.O.P (Choi Seung Hyun).
Former BIGBANG’s T.O.P a.ka Choi Seung Hyun’s net worth
View this post on Instagram
Although there aren’t official records that point to exact figures, several sources online point to the artist’s net worth being about USD 40 million in 2023. This is significantly greater than the estimates in 2016 when Forbes reported BIGBANG’s collective net worth to be about USD 44 million. Back then, this figure was one of the biggest ever for a K-pop act and was attributed to record sales and sold-out shows across Asia. Needless to say, these factors added to T.O.P’s wealth as well. His current net worth, meanwhile, can easily be tied to his investments, solo endeavours, and endorsements. This includes over 50 song credits as a producer.
Fees per endorsement
Currently, T.O.P. has 17.5M followers, making him the perfect endorsement figure. This coupled with his illustrious career has brought many brands to his doorstep — Cass (Korean Beer), Millet, Nongfu Spring, Calvin Klein, Reebok, and more. The rapper has led several campaigns and starred in numerous TV commercials. South China Morning Post reports that he charges about USD 500,000 for a six-month deal or about USD 1 million for a year.
Limitless credit card
A significant mark of the K-pop idol’s wealth is the fact that he owns a Hyundai Black Card — a little detail fans spotted when he whipped it out to buy bread at a store. According to Korea Joongang Daily, this card offers benefits like a 100-million-won credit limit per month, gift vouchers for luxury brands and fine-dining restaurants, and automatic upgrades for airline seats. It’s also been noted that a very small, very wealthy percentage of Koreans have access to this card and owners are required to spend about USD 9,000 every month and have USD 8.3 million in assets. Other celebrities who hold this card include BTS members RM, V, and Jimin as well as EXO member Sehun.
Luxury homes and real estate
T.O.P lives in luxury, as all other members (former and current) of BIGBANG do. This includes a sprawling villa in Yongsan that numerous reports state is worth about USD 3 million. Other reports point to a building in Hannam that’s worth about USD 2 million. That aside, he also owns a vineyard in Argentina, although the value of the same remains a mystery. Korea Joongang Daily quotes him saying at a fan meeting, “We produced about 8,000 bottles of wine at the vineyard last year. Since there are 5,000 people here, I’ll [give one to each of you and] drink the remaining 3,000!”
Wine label ‘T’Spot’
View this post on Instagram
Poised to be a part of his income is the artist’s new wine venture T’Spot. The 2017 Bordeaux and Brut have been personally curated by T.O.P and will be produced in France. The bottle was designed by his friend Kohei Nawa, a Japanese contemporary artist. Bordeaux features Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It pours ruby red and offers notes of berries, cherries, plum and vanilla in every sip.
The Sparkling Brut meanwhile features Airen grapes and pours a bright yellow-gold. A quick sip offers notes of white flowers and crisp apples. While the red is priced at USD 15, the white sits at USD 13. In the interaction with Prestige, he explained that the wallet-friendly prices were a means to support an arts foundation — to which he’d send a portion of the sales. “It started when I was going through some tough times, as a way to pay back fan support. I came up with this idea that I wanted to share some good wines at a reasonable price. It doesn’t have to be only for certain people out there — I want to share with everyone,” he said.
High-end art
View this post on Instagram
Besides BTS’ RM, T.O.P is known to be an art aficionado — with the idol collecting exquisite art since his BIGBANG days. In part, this passion is courtesy of his upbringing, which was particularly marked by an abstract artist great-uncle Kim Whanki. He also owns original work by American pop art icon Andy Warhol. Such is his reputation that he was invited to lend pieces to Seoul’s Leeum, and Samsung Museum of Art and asked to curate an exhibition for Singapore’s ArtScience Museum.
Numerous reports note that he spends 95 percent of his income on this passion and he revealed to Prestige that it was more than that. And for a reason, “I believe that having the most unique art in my collection will inspire me to make the most unique music,” he stated before adding, “Art is my breakthrough. The visual inspiration and energy received from art stimulates me and becomes the driving force that moves me in new ways.”
All images: Courtesy T.O.P/BIGBANG/Choi Seung Hyun
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How old is Choi Seung Hyun?
Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P) is 36 years old as of November 2023.
2. What happened to T.O.P from BIGBANG?
As of 2023, T.O.P. remains withdrawn from BIGBANG and is pursuing personal endeavours.
Tags
Written by
Eshita Srinivas
Senior Digital Writer - Entertainment and Food & Drinks
Eshita is a food, alcohol, travel, and entertainment writer who spends her days zeroing in on the next big trend to write about. She’s a communication graduate with bylines in Conde Nast Traveller India, GQ India, Deccan Herald, and Girls Buzz. When not at work, you’re likely to find her hunting for a good read or charting out the perfect itinerary for a solo trip across Asia.
Most Popular
