After her debut with 2NE1, CL continued her career as a solo artist. More than a decade in the entertainment industry, how much has the “SPICY” hit-maker made so far? Want to know what her net worth is? Keep reading to find out!
CL’s Net Worth Is 8 Million USD
CL has an estimated net worth of $8 million USD, which is not surprising considering the huge success 2NE1 had achieved at the time. Although 2NE1 is no longer active, the former four-member group had an estimated net worth of nearly $50 million USD in 2016, given their status as one of the legendary K-pop girl groups. Most of CL’s net worth comes from her time as a member of 2NE1, along with group promotions and music releases, such as the income they earn from endorsement deals, show appearances, music, and more. With 2NE1’s success both domestically and internationally, each member has earned significant income. In addition, the cost of the group’s appearance is high considering that they are highly sought after due to their influence. CL was also credited by the Korea Music Copyright Association for her participation in writing and composing many of 2NE1’s songs, which allowed her to earn royalties.
Lee Chae-rin Came From a Wealthy Family Prior to Debuting as a Female Rapper
Lee Chae-rin, better known by the stage name CL, is the former leader of the girl group 2NE1. Born on February 26th, 1991, CL was born into an educated family, her father is known to be a physics professor. Born in South Korea, CL spent a significant part of her childhood in another country following her father’s occupation. At the age of 15, CL auditioned for YG Entertainment and passed. Previously, she had also been a trainee of JYP Entertainment. When she was a trainee, CL participated in BIGBANG’s song Intro “Hot Issue”.
She and other 2NE1 members also collaborated with BIGBANG on the song “Lollipop” before officially debuting. In 2009, CL finally officially debuted with the song “Fire” with Bom, Sandara Park, and Minzy. With this song, 2NE1 received quite a lot of attention due to their unique concept.
CL Worked as a Solo Artist Since 2014
In 2014, CL was rumored to be making her American debut and working with Scooter Braun. A year later, she collaborated with Diplo, for the song “Doctor Pepper”. In the same year, she also released her first hit single entitled “Hello Bitches”. Previously, CL released her first solo song entitled “The Baddest Female” in 2013. A year later, CL had released a song with Diplo, Riff Raff, and OG Maco entitled “Doctor Pepper”. In 2016, CL released a single titled “Lifted” as her debut in the United States, but luck was not on her side.
CL made her debut as a Hollywood artist in the movie Mile 22 which also starred Mark Wahlberg. In the film, she played a character named Queen. Not only that, CL also collaborated with several singers to be featured in songs. On May 26th, 2017, CL was featured with Shaiana on Lil Yachty’s song titled “Surrender”. CL also worked on the soundtrack song for My Little Pony: The Movie with a song titled “No Better Feelin’”.
At the closing of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, CL performed the song “The Baddest Female” as well as “I Am the Best” by 2NE1. During the event, she met the president of South Korea and the First Lady of the United States, Ivanka Trump. On November 8th, 2019, CL decided not to renew her contract with YG Entertainment and prepared to pursue a solo career. “Without waiting for others to choose me, I will return to being CL and move forward on my own, step by step,” said the former 2NE1 member.
Shortly after leaving the agency, CL released new singles with an EP project In The Name of Love for 3 weeks. A year later, in 2020, CL revealed that she was working on several new projects and finally managed to release an album titled ALPHA in October 2021.
CL as a Fashion Icon in Magazines
Now a solo singer, CL is a fearless fashion lover, using fashion to prop up her public persona, which she described in the past as a kind of “armor”. It can make something risky look tame and lift something weak to look strong. Through an interview with Harpers Bazaar, CL shared her story about the fashion that inspired her, “Now, from a fashion standpoint, if I like a brand, I dig a little bit about that brand. I would love designers and really understand what they make even beyond clothes and fashion shows. To me, what they do is like creating characters. I love watching that.”
Be it fashion or music, she has worked with many new talents, and she shared the personal reasons behind her decision to choose this activity. She also flaunted the denim look of up-and-coming British fashion designer Masha Popova in a recent video with Vogue. CL revealed that she enjoys working with emerging artists because they tend to remind her of herself, and now she is in a position to give back, working with them to help and empower them in their own careers. “I’m a fan of wearing new designer and graduation pieces, and I love listening to new music all the time. I’ve been doing that my whole life and it never changes. But now, I have the opportunity to give back, and collaborate with and empower those artists,” CL said. Not only as a fashion icon who appears in magazines, but CL is also present at the 2021 Met Gala and shows that she is a real fashion icon. The denim dress worn by CL fits the theme of the 2021 Met Gala, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. In addition to her extraordinary fashion and music talent, CL also has one more interesting thing to explore, which is choosing someone else’s talent. She appreciates how hard they work and gives her a positive side. That’s why CL also wants to try to give feedback by giving her best work. This is a good form of cooperation, isn’t it?
CL’s Endorsements
As an entertainer and a member of one of the most popular girl groups, CL has received several endorsements since she actively promoted 2NE1. The endorsements she received are Nikon, Intel, Samsung, and LG. CL has also been chosen as a celebrity model for endorsement of some international cooperations, such as Lancome (2011), Cass Light Beer, Cyber Dance Battle. A few years later, CL got an offer for various endorsements, including:
Glacéau’s Vitamin Water KGB Lemon Vodka Adidas Maybelline New York Magnum Volume Express mascara Tumi Taco Bell Nike’s Korea ‘Play New’ Johnnie Walker
Well, that was all the information about CL’s net worth and earnings. Let’s continue to give support and love to CL, hopefully, her future career can shine even brighter. If you like this article, please don’t forget to kindly share it on your social media, and stay tuned for more, interesting upcoming articles from Channel-Korea!