Chris Cornell Net Worth at $60 Million at Time of Death

By Emmanuelle Espiritu, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, May 21, 2017

Chris Cornell, frontman of the popular Seattle rock band Soundgarden, has died while on tour on Wednesday, May 17. He was 52.

Fans of the American musician were shocked when news of Cornell's death spread just hours after Soundgarden's performance at the Fox Theater in Detroit as part of their tour. According to a statement released by the Wayne County medical examiner's office, the cause of death has been identified as "suicide by hanging."

Cornell has been considered a powerful and dynamic performer, and Soundgarden has been considered as one of the pioneers of grunge music and was also one of the most successful bands in the 1990s. Their unique sound has been known as the "Seattle grunge" and has helped them sell countless of albums in their prime. The band has also earned two Grammy Awards for their hits "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman."

When Soundgarden disbanded in 1997, Cornell went on to have an equally successful solo career until his band reunited again in 2010. Overall, Cornell's net worth was reportedly at $60 million at the time of his death. Earn the Necklace has provided a chart of the breakdown of the musician's earnings by album, which went from $1 million in 1991 for "Temple of the Dog" to $9 million in 1994 for "Superunknown."

Their final listed album released in 2012 titled "King Animal" went on to earn a decent $235,000.

Brian Bumbery, who serves as Cornell's representative, said that the death was "sudden and unexpected." Prior to Cornell's death, Soundgarden was expected to perform at the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, May 19.

Cornell was even noted to have been active on social media in the hours leading up to his death. His final Twitter post was an announcement of the band's arrival in Detroit, while on his Facebook account, he posted a clip of Soundgarden's 2012 release, "By Crooked Steps."

The musician has previously admitted that he had struggled with drug use all through his life. However, details about the possible reasons behind Cornell's untimely death remain scarce.

Cornell is survived by his wife, Vicky Karayiannis and two kids.