One Direction earn £45m... in a year! Boyband revealed as richest in British music history (and their boss Simon Cowell is now worth £300m)

Just four years ago, they were unknown wannabes auditioning for a talent show.

But One Direction have now been revealed as the richest boyband in British music history, with a combined wealth of £70million.

Each member of the five-piece group, who achieved fame as runners-up on the X Factor in 2010, is now worth £14million according to the Sunday Times’ list of richest musicians aged 30 and under.

Each member of One Direction, who achieved fame as runners-up on the X Factor in 2010, is now worth £14million according to the Sunday Times list of richest musicians aged 30 and under

Simon Cowell, who championed One Direction on the X Factor, has seen his fortune grow to £300million

Their record label boss Simon Cowell has seen his fortune grow to £300million.

The huge success of a recent world tour, DVD and merchandise sales, and a series of lucrative endorsement deals have seen the personal fortunes of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, all 20, Zayn Malik, 21, and Louis Tomlinson, 22, rocket by £9million each over the past year – a total of £45million.

One Direction’s phenomenal success in America has also helped swell their bank accounts.

THE FORTUNES OF THE BOYBAND ONE DIRECTION

The boyband One Direction, who each are worth £14million each

Harry Styles
Age: 20
Known for his mop of curly hair, dating older women and tattoos
Wealth: £14million
Dating history: Presenter Caroline Flack, 34, DJ Lucy Horobin, 35, singer Taylor Swift, 24
Cars: Audi R8 coupe worth £100,000, 1970s Ford Capri worth £8,000, and a Range Rover Sport worth up to £80,000
Properties: £2.6 million mansion in LA, £3million home in north London, £575,000 flat in east London

Zayn Malik
Age: 21
Known for his quiff, tattoo of fiance Perrie Edwards on his arm
Dating history: Engaged to Little Mix singer Perrie, 20. The pair met on the X Factor.
Wealth: £14million
Cars: Bentley Continental GT worth £32,000
Properties: He bought his mother Tricia Brannan a ‘dream home’ in Bradford, Yorkshire worth £280,000, he owns a £2.2million mansion in north London 

Niall Horan
Age: 20
Known for playing the guitar
Dating history: Singer Ellie Goulding, 27, singer/actress Selena Gomez, 21, Victoria’s Secret model Barbara Palvin, 20, model Zoe Whelan, 19
Wealth: £14million
Cars: Range Rover worth £70,000
Properties: £2.2million home in London, £1.5 mansion in LA

Liam Payne
Age: 20
Known for being the sensible one and is jokingly referred to as the ‘dad’ of the band.
Wealth: £14million
Dating history: Dating his school friend Sophie Smith, 20
Cars: none
Properties:  Flat in London’s Canary Wharf worth £2m

Louis Tomlinson
Age: 22
Known for quick temper, being signed to Doncaster Rover football team
Wealth: £14million
Dating history: Childhood sweetheart Eleanor Calder, 21
Cars: Bought a £45,000 Porshe Boxter (which he later sold for £30,000), £90,000 Range Rover
Properties: Owns a £2.5million home in north London 

One Direction moments after their 2014 Brit Awards win

Sunday Times Rich List editor Ian Coxon: ‘The group performed 136 shows in 78 cities in 2013, which generated box office revenues of $114million. They played to total audiences of just under 1.5million people.

‘They’ve had top-selling albums, sell-out tours, DVDs, a book and they have even endorsed a perfume. There hasn’t been another boyband who have made so much money so quickly.

‘Whether they will carry on at the same rate is anybody’s guess.’

All five of the One Direction members are joint fourth on the list of the wealthiest young musicians, only topped by singer/songwriter Adele, DJ Calvin Harris and former Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole.

Adele, who has seen her fortune swell by around 50 per cent this year, even though she has not released any new material, is estimated to be worth £45million.

Adele, left, and Calvin Harris, right, who is pictured with singer Rita Ora, are the wealthiest people under 30 in the UK in the entertainment industry

Adele laughs with Prince Charles as she collects MBE

Calvin Harris, whose real name is Adam Richard Wiles and can command £10,000 per performance, is a new entry on the list, worth £30 million.

The former shelf stacker, who has been linked to Rita Ora, has now earned £1million for every year of his life.

Meanwhile Cheryl Cole, who has recently signed up to return to the X Factor drops one place to third, although she has banked a further £2million this year.

Making up the young top ten are Leona Lewis, who is estimated to be worth £14million closely followed by Mumford and Sons singer Marcus Mumford, who along with actress wife Carey Mulligan have a fortune of £13million.

But despite the young performers boosting their coffers, the veterans of the music industry remain top of the musicians list.

Len Blavatnik, far left, who is the richest man in the music industry with a fortune of £10 billion. The wealthiest performer on the list is Sir Paul McCartney, right

Topping the music list - as he did last year - is London-based Ukrainian businessman Len Blavatnik, whose empire includes the Warner Music Group which was acquired in 2011.

He is estimated to be worth £10 billion, way ahead of nearest rival Clive Calder - the boss of the Zomba group of music companies - who is worth around £1.4 billion.

Sir Cameron McIntosh follows closely behind as his worth has shot up by £175million to make him a billionaire for the first time.

Sir Paul McCartney remains in fourth place with his and wife Nancy Shevell's fortune said to be at £710 million, up £30 million on last year.

In a largely static top 10, Lord Lloyd-Webber retains fifth place on £640 million - up £20 million - and Irish rock band U2 are sixth with a combined wealth of £428 million. Their figure is down £92 million on last year due to their former manager Paul McGuinness no longer being included in the total.

Simon Cowell follows with his value boosted by a new deal with ITV for further series of The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.

David and Victoria Beckham have a combined wealth of £210million, according to the list

He remains behind his media mogul rival Simon Fuller - a one-time colleague - who is at seventh place in the list on £382 million, up £7 million on last year.

Entering the top ten for the first time sharing eighth place with Cowell is Mohammad and Kamaliya Zahoor, stars of the TV series Meet the Russians.

And completing the top ten is Sir Elton John, who earned an extra £20million this year with a total worth of £260million.

Just missing out on the top ten is art collector Lord Palumbo, whose fortune stands at £250million.

Also making up the top twenty are Rolling Stone members Sir Mick Jagger, who is worth £215million and Keith Richards who stands at £200million.

David and Victoria Beckham are said to be worth £210 million and are ahead of dancer Michael Flatley, and singer Sting.

Former Beatle Ringo Starr and the wife and son of the late George Harrison, Oliva and Dhani Harrison also make it into the top twenty.

It is rounded off by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters, in 19th worth £160million and Irish mogul Denis Desmond and Caroline Downey in 20th place, with a wealth of £153million.

£5M BOOST FOR TAX-DODGER GARY BARLOW

Gary Barlow's fortune soared by £5million over the past year

He faces a huge bill after a judge ruled he was part of a tax avoidance scheme.
So news that Gary Barlow’s fortune soared by £5million over the past year could not have come at a better time for the singer.
The 43-year-old has seen his wealth grow to £65million, the Sunday Times Rich List has revealed.
It makes him the joint 48th wealthiest musician in the UK, with singer Engelbert Humperdink and Mamma Mia! creator Judy Craymer.
Barlow and fellow Take That members Howard Donald, 46, and Mark Owen, 42, are expected to have to pay back up to £20million after investing in tax shelter Icebreaker.

DM