He started his musical journey with the dream of making it big in the Korean pop industry. Today, he is the leader of the award-winning K-pop boy band NCT. Not only that, he is also one of the richest K-pop idols in the world. Ever wondered about the net worth of the popular NCT rapper Taeyong?
From being spotted on the street by the entertainment label SM Entertainment to finally becoming a popular K-pop face, NCT member Taeyong has come a long way. Standouts from his portfolio include hit records like “Swimming Pool”, “GTA1”, Baby Don’t Like It”, “GTA2”, “Love del Luna” and “Blue”.
The singer who enlisted in the military in April 2024, expressed his thoughts about the same in an Instagram post and said, “Looking back at the time, I realize how much I have grown up thanks to you and the members. With you, the moments were bright and shining. Thank you for giving me memorable and happy days.”
All details about NCT member Taeyong: Net worth, music career and more
Taeyong’s net worth
According to South China Morning Post, Taeyong has a net worth of around THB 333 million, as of 2022.
While it is challenging to quote an exact figure in 2024, Taeyong being the richest NCT member, earns quite handsomely from his music career, luxury brand deals, commercials and social media platforms.
Career
It was in 2012 that Taeyong joined one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea, SM Entertainment. He was officially introduced as a member of the pre-debut team of trainees, SM Rookies, in December 2013. However, it was only on 3 April 2016 that the then-rising rapper became a permanent member of the K-pop idol group NCT and its first sub-unit, NCT U.
On 8 April of the same year, Taeyong made his official debut with NCT U’s digital single “The 7th Sense”. It was later revealed that the rapper-singer had also taken part in the songwriting process of his group’s first single.
Following the success of NCT U’s debut, Taeyong was announced as a member and leader of NCT’s second sub-unit, NCT 127. The singer made his NCT 127 debut on 6 July 2016, with the group’s single “Fire Truck”. The same year, they also released their first extended play (EP), the heavy hip-hop and EDM-influenced NCT #127. The album was an instant commercial success and topped South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart in the third week. It ended up becoming the 32nd best-selling album in 2016, with over 83,272 physical copies sold. The album also gave the group their first entry on the Billboard World Albums Chart at #2.
Taeyong’s musical prowess continued to soar and in January 2017, the K-pop star co-wrote four songs on NCT 127’s EP Limitless. While the track “Baby Don’t Like It” marked him as a composer for the first time, the track, “Cherry Bomb” from their third EP of the same name, was titled one of the best K-pop songs of the year by Billboard. Meanwhile, the EP sold around 127,642 physical copies, as of December 2017.
In 2018, Taeyong appeared in five of the units featured on NCT’s first studio album, NCT 2018 Empathy — a project uniting all of its sub-units. One of the best-selling albums on Korea’s year-end album chart, NCT 2018 Empathy sold a whopping 330,335 physical copies after its release.
Taeyong’s success as a versatile musician led to him being chosen as one of the members of SuperM — a K-pop supergroup created by SM Entertainment and American record label Capitol Records on 8 August 2019. Taeyong collaborated with singer Punch for the hit K-drama OST “Love del Luna” from IU starrer fantasy romance Hotel Del Luna.
In March 2020, Taeyong co-wrote three tracks for NCT 127’s second studio album, Neo Zone. Also consisting of a repackaged version, Neo Zone: The Final Round, the album topped the US Billboard 200 list at #5, selling a total of one million copies in South Korea. In September of the same year, NCT released its second group project, NCT 2020: Resonance. Following this, Taeyong was announced as the leader of the group as a whole.
Taeyong started his solo endeavours in 2021 and in March, established a solo SoundCloud account with a self-written demo single “Dark Clouds”. Over the years, The NCT member has been part of several hit tracks. These include “Swimming Pool”, “GTA1”, “GTA2”, “Blue” and “Monroe,” featuring Baekhyun of Exo, and “Rose” featuring Seulgi of Red Velvet. The Korean rapper made his official debut as a solo artist in June 2023, with his first mini album Shalala. A seven-track album, the lyrics of Shalala are all co-written by Taeyong. With nearly 503,952 copies sold, the EP became one of the most successful projects of Taeyong’s career.
His latest endeavours include his first solo concert, which was held at Olympic Hall and online through Weverse Concert, on 24 February 2024. Taeyong also released his fully co-written second EP, Tap, on 26 February 2024. It became a commercial success and ranked #1 on the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 33 regions worldwide.
Luxury brand endorsements
Besides his music projects, NCT member Taeyong has been a part of multiple brand endorsements, which make a significant contribution to his net worth.
The K-pop idol’s group brand collaborations include POM – Sk Telecom, Lotte Duty Free, Coca Cola, Ivy Club, Design United, Masita Seaweed, Oeil Sunglasses, Astell & ASPR and Elite. Taeyong also has to his credit an array of solo endorsements for popular brands like Sk Telecom, Bulgari and Loewe.
In June 2023, Taeyong became the brand ambassador for Spanish maison Loewe. Founded in 1846 in Madrid, Loewe has been part of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) since 1996 and is considered the oldest luxury fashion house of the holding. Taeyong made sure to garner attention with his presence at the brand’s Spring Menswear show during Paris Fashion Week in 2024.
Additionally, the singer’s pictorials include prestigious magazines like Arena, Elle, Elle Japan and tmrw.
With over 11.7 million followers as of April 2024, Taeyong is also one of the most-followed K-pop idols on Instagram. He reportedly earns around THB 3,70,315 to THB 37,03,550 per post on the social media platform. The rapper also owns the YouTube channel TAEYONG, which he started in 2022.
Expensive things owned by NCT member Taeyong add to his net worth
According to various K-media sources, Taeyong owns an expensive apartment in one of the luxury estates in Seoul. He is neighbours with fellow NCT bandmate Jaehyun. Taeyong is also a keeper of expensive wheels and is often spotted by fans in Supercars.
Additionally, the NCT member is a proud celebrity pet parent and owns multiple dogs, including a Dalmatian, a Golden Retriever, a Husky as well as beetles, turtles and fishes.
Persona life
Born on 1 July 1995 in Seoul, South Korea Lee Tae-yong dreamt of becoming a musician since his childhood. He graduated from the School of Performing Arts Seoul and eventually pursued a career in the K-pop industry.
Taeyong enlisted in the Navy as an active duty soldier on 15 April 2024. The news was officially shared by SM Entertainment in March 2024. The agency also stated, “There will be no official events held on the day he enters the recruit training centre, and we ask for your understanding as his enlistment will be held privately to prevent safety incidents due to congestion on site.”
SM further urged NCT fans to “show continued support and love until the day Taeyong diligently completes his mandatory military service and returns in good health.”
(Hero and Featured image credit: Taeyong/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Why is Taeyong famous?
Taeyong is one of the most popular members of the K-pop group NCT. He is mostly famous for his hit tracks like “Swimming Pool”, “GTA1”, Baby Don’t Like It”, “GTA2”, “Love del Luna” and “Blue”.
– Is Taeyong a brand ambassador?
Yes, Taeyong is the brand ambassador of the luxury Spanish brand Loewe.
A PhD research scholar, Sushmita is a full-time writer and a part time poet. Notepads are Sushmita's one true love -- the unbothered victims drowned in the ink of her pen. An avid fan of K-pop and K-dramas, she mostly writes about Korean culture and entertainment. When not writing, Sushmita is dancing, reading, collecting books, learning about fashion, art, motion pictures, and appreciating BTS.
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