Sting, one of the most successful rock stars in modern history, didn’t grow up with money. His mother was a hairdresser and his father a milkman. Famously inspired by a sighting of the Royal family in his youth, Sting (real name Gordon Sumner) was determined to use his voice and guitar to build a fortune for himself and drive a Rolls Royce.
photo: Keith Bedford/Reuters/Landov
“The Queen Mum waved and looked at me, and I looked back at her and that was it. There and then I thought, i am going to be rich, famous, successful and drive a Rolls-Royce like her,” he said as he recounted the story to the Daily Mail this week.
Struggling to build his music career up from gigs in small pubs in London and a day job as a teacher, Sting is now a household name, has sold more than 100 million records and is worth over $300 million. He owns seven homes in Britain, Italy, and the U.S.
This, however, doesn’t mean that his children should expect to live comfortably off a trust fund.
“I told them there won’t be much money left because we are spending it!” Sting jokes about the inheritance he will leave to his children. “We have a lot of commitments. What comes in we spend, and there isn’t much left. I certainly don’t want to leave them trust funds that are albatrosses round their necks.”
Sting is confident that his six children, ranging in age from 18 to 37, will be able to stand on their own two feet. The five eldest have careers in film and music. Daughter Mickey had a major role in the film Frances Ha.
“They have this work ethic that makes them want to succeed on their own merit. People make assumptions, that they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but they have not been given a lot,” he said.
Despite his great fortune, Sting has always been famous for his humbleness. “I demand a citizen’s life — I really do. Walking the street; going to a bar on my own. I want to be able to pick up my bags from the carousel and walk to the car. There are times when I don’t want or need attention.”
His latest project, the musical The Last Ship, is currently running in Chicago and expected to premiere on Broadway in the fall.
