Barbados declares Rihanna a 'national hero'

Bridgetown: Barbados declared hit singer Rihanna a national hero at its republican celebrations in her hometown of Bridgetown.

The country's prime minister, Mia Mottley, said, ‘On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefore present to you, the designee, for national hero of Barbados, ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty may you continue to shine like a diamond.' 

"May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation by your works, by your actions,” Mottley told Rihanna, a reference to her 2012 chart-topping single Diamonds.

Popstar Rihanna’s net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion, making her the richest woman musician in the world, but her music is not the primary source of her wealth, Forbes magazine said earlier this year.

The Barbados-born singer, whose birth name is Robyn Fenty, derives an estimated $1.4 billion of her fortune from her 50% stake in the Fenty Beauty cosmetics line, Forbes reported.

The rest of Rihanna’s wealth comes from her share of the Savage x Fenty lingerie company and her income as a singer and actor, the magazine said.

In 2019, Rihanna had been named as the World's Richest Female Musician by the publication with an estimated fortune of $600 million with the bulk of that coming from her Fenty beauty range. She's overtaken Madonna and Beyonce, who previously topped the list, the BBC reported.