How much was George Michael’s net worth at the time of his death? Details explored

George Michael, the star who launched his career with Wham!, is getting another new documentary nearly seven years after his demise. The new Netflix offering will chart George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s journey in the 1980s, from school-friends to international pop stars with their hit album Wham!

The documentary has adapted its name from the same album. Following a brilliant career, George Michael, the English singer, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist passed away in 2016, leaving behind a net worth of $200 million at the time of his death.

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More about George Michael: His legend and fortune

George Michael was born on June 25, 1963, in East Finchley, London, where he grew up as well. He attended Roe Green Junior School and Kingsbury High School. Later, he met and befriended Andrew Ridgeley at the Bushey Meads School, and the duo bonded over music and their ambition to be musicians.

They formed a band named Wham! in 1981 and released their first album Fantastic, which had a series of top 10 singles including Young Guns, Wham Rap!, and Club Tropicana.

However, soon after dropping their second album in 1984, Michael and Ridgely officially disbanded Wham! in 1986. The former went on to have a very successful solo career. Just a year later, he released his debut solo album, Faith, which became an instant classic.

However, despite such a successful career, George Michael had a tumultuous private life and suffered from substance abuse. During his lifetime, he was arrested numerous times for drug charges and public indecency, and was sentenced to short terms in prison as well as fines.

In 2016, the gay icon and pop star died of heart attack at the age of 53. At the time of his death, Michael was estimated to be worth $200 million, with $12 million worth of real estate.

He had a mansion called Highgate House in north London, which he left to his sister Melanie. The singer also owned a 16th-century cottage in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, which he purchased and renovated in 2007. He renovated the building such that the house retained its original low ceilings and wooden beams - its true historical qualities.

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Netflix to release a documentary on George Michael called Wham!

The Netflix documentary will combine previously unseen interviews and footage from the archives of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley to chart the band’s whirlwind four-year career before they broke up and Michael went solo. It has been directed by filmmaker Chris Smith, whose credits include Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened and Jim & Andy.

The streaming giant has already released a trailer for the documentary and a young Michael is featured there saying in an archival footage:

“We met when I was 11 and Andrew was 12...Andrew changed my life in exactly the way someone needed to change my life if I was gonna be a pop star."

Confirming that the admiration was mutual between the two, Ridgeley added:

“And there was only ever one thing that I wanted to do — be in a band with George.”

According to a press release by Netflix, the trailer for the documentary features:

“Access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive including remarkable and never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid and previously unheard interviews, WHAM! charts their incredible journey from school friends to superstars.”

Wham! will arrive on the streaming platform this July 5, 2023, and will be preceded by screenings in some UK theaters the week before.