Sammy Hagar Or David Lee Roth: Who Was The Richest Van Halen Frontman?

Though Van Halen started its career with David Lee Roth as their lead singer, the band couldn’t escape the fate of going through a lineup change like most other acts in the music industry. While Diamond Dave fronted the legendary band from 1974 until 1985, he left because he was not getting along with the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The singer thought pursuing a solo career would be the right way to go.

Van Halen had lost their original singer, with whom they had achieved a lot, but the frontman who replaced him also had a lot of strengths. Sammy Hagar, who had been running a successful solo career then, agreed to join Van Halen as the new vocalist. After almost ten years, the Red Rocker departed from the band in 1996 as he couldn’t solve his problems with Eddie Van Halen.

No matter what happened between the two singers and the rest of the band, both DLR and Sammy Hagar strongly fronted Van Halen and brought the band success with their distinctive singing styles. So, unsurprisingly, the two vocalists have also built a fortune from their stints. However, one of them is by far more prosperous than the other.

How Much Is Sammy Hagar’s Net Worth?

Before stepping into a solo career and then joining Van Halen, Sammy Hagar was a member of Montrose, with whom he released two studio albums and achieved moderate commercial success. Although his first five solo albums did not sell very well, he started to produce hit songs in the following records. Yet, he took a break from his solo career when Eddie Van Halen approached the singer to replace David Lee Roth.

In Van Halen, Sammy Hagar released four chart-topping, multi-platinum albums, starting with his debut album, ‘5150’ to the last one, ‘Balance.’ After Van Halen, the Red Rocker formed several bands like Los Tres Gusanos, the Waboritas, and Planet Us, with whom he performed in various locations. Later, he reunited with Van Halen for two years between 2003 and 2005 for an extensive tour.

Then, the singer got involved in other side projects like Chickenfoot and the Circle and released several albums. Hagar’s current net worth is around $150 million, but his prolific music career is not his only source of income. The rocker launched his own tequila brand Cabo Wabo as well as a restaurant of the same name in the 1990s. Despite its popularity, he sold 80% of the company to Gruppo Campari for $80 million in 2007.

Hagar owns two homes; one in California, which he bought for $160,000 in 1978, and the other near Lake Tahoe, which he purchased for $450,000 in 2007. Thus, the frontman is also a successful businessman with considerable wealth. Besides his continuing musical endeavors with Chickenfoot and the Circle, his other business ventures also constantly add to his fortune. Let’s see whether David Lee Roth is richer or poorer than him.

How Much Is David Lee Roth’s Net Worth?

Surprisingly, despite being Van Halen’s original frontman, David Lee Roth’s total wealth is much lower than Sammy Hagar, with a net worth of $60 million. Although his era with the band was ahead of Hagar in worldwide sales, it looks like this commercial success was not enough for Roth to surpass Sammy Hagar in the total amount of fortune. Hagar’s other occupations may have had an impact on this. With Van Halen, DLR released several multi-platinum albums and became one of the most successful rock acts of the time.

He also stepped into a solo career while still a member of Van Halen in 1985. After leaving the band, Diamond Dave formed a virtuoso supergroup with notable musicians and released six solo studio records in the following years. When he reunited with Van Halen in 2007, Roth earned huge revenues from touring. He also contributed to the final Van Halen album, ‘A Different Kind of Truth.’

While most of his wealth is known to come from his musical projects, the singer also broadcasted a video webcast on his YouTube channel and then also on iTunes under the name the Roth Show. In 2018, DLR collaborated with the tattoo artist Ami James and created INK the Original, including skincare products to protect tattooed skin. Nowadays, Diamond Dave is busy releasing new studio live versions of some Van Halen classics. It seems like music will continue to be his primary source of income and add to his wealth.