Featured Image Credit: PA Images / REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Rihanna, Super Bowl, Sport, Music, Entertainment, US News
Dominic Smithers
Topics: Rihanna, Super Bowl, Sport, Music, Entertainment, US News
A man has revealed that he made an incredible fortune from Rihanna's Super Bowl performance.
The popstar blew everyone away with her musical interlude during the iconic halftime show last month.
In her first live gig in over five years, the 34-year-old singer descended from the rafters of Arizona's State Farm Stadium, dressed in a striking red outfit and flanked by a group of dancers.
She then belted out a medley of her biggest hits, including 'We Found Love', 'Diamonds', 'Rude Boy', 'Umbrella', and 'Work', to name just a few.
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Now, while most would assume that a huge megastar such as RiRi would be paid an inordinate amount to perform at such an event, the truth is that she didn't receive one red cent.
Because it's such a spectacle, artists such as her are able to get free promotion for themselves and any albums they've got coming out.
However, one person who absolutely raked it in as a direct result of Rihanna is Spyro Malaspinas, whose Arizona mansion was rented out by her for the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, the cybersecurity expert revealed that he was paid $500,000 by Rihanna to rent the five-bedroom property he bought for $7.3 million back in 2022.
"The last thing I am is a real estate baron," the 48-year-old told the outlet. "My pride’s not that big. I don’t mind moving out for $500,000 a week.”
At the time, though, he had no idea that it was the 'Umbrella' singer who wanted to stop over in his home.
"My [13-year-old] daughter was absolutely thrilled,” he said.
Mr Malaspinas said that the money will pay off his mortgage for the next two years.
Speaking about her decision to perform at the Super Bowl, despite having boycotted it for several years, Rihanna previously said that it was about time.
She said: "I felt like it was now or never for me. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it's an entertainer's dream to be on a stage like that."
And it went down an absolute storm with fans, who were full of praise for her performance.
"Now THAT was a halftime show!! DAMN," wrote one viewer.
"Everyone involved in the direction, choreography, staging, dancing, and construction deserves so much credit for that #SuperBowl HT show."
UNILAD has contacted Rihanna for comment.