One of the world's richest musicians is billionaire you've probably never heard of

Now, I'm a firm believer that billionaires simply shouldn't exist, but it's harder to dislike those that have made their money through the arts.

If you had to imagine a list of the world's richest musicians you'd probably include the likes of Beyoncé, Madonna and Rihanna. And you'd be absolutely right.

Given that Taylor Swift reportedly raked in around $35 million from the Australian leg of her Eras Tour alone (with a record-breaking total of $2.077 billion in ticket-sales) it's easy to see how these global superstars make so much money.

But there is one name on the list of the top 10 richest musicians that unless you're a big fan of jazz music, you might never have heard of... well, I certainly hadn't anyway!

According to Esquire, Herb Alpert trumps the likes of Bono and Beyoncé on the music rich list, with an eye-watering net worth of around $1.25 billion (£970 million).

Beyoncé's estimated net worth is $1.13 billion, while Bono's is $1.04 billion.

Herb Alpert is one of the world's richest musicians (Randy Shropshire/Getty Image)

Unlucky for Herb though, he's not quite achieved billionaire status here in the UK.

So, who is Herb Alpert?

The 89-year-old made his name in the world of music thanks to his talents on the trumpet and the piano, and he is held in high regard within the jazz world, which includes 72 million records sold worldwide, 28 albums - 14 of which went platinum - and eight Grammy Awards.

Obviously, there isn't quite as much revenue in jazz nowadays as there is in pop, for example, and there certainly wasn't as much when he was first performing - but that hasn't stopped him from earning his place among stars such as Jay-Z, who takes the gold medal on Esquire's list.

Alpert is also known for co-founding A&M Records alongside Jerry Ross in 1962.

The label grew to become one of the largest in North America, and he went on to sell it for the pretty price of $500 million (around £366 million).

He was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame back in 2006, and remains the only musician to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as both a vocalist and an instrumentalist.

The trumpet legend even outsold The Beatles and the Rolling Stones back in 1966, with the number one selling album of the year - Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

Sir Paul McCartney had the last laugh, however, as he takes third spot on the rich list, which also features Bruce Springsteen.

Like the former Beatles member, Alpert is still performing at the grand old age of 89 and he also sculpts in his spare time. What a life he must have!