Inside property empires ABBA built with $1bn fortune

Over 50 years after singing their way to Eurovision victory, the four members of ABBA are sitting on a staggering combined fortune of more than $1bn.

While record sales, the Mamma Mia! franchise, and the ongoing ABBA Voyage stage show pour millions into their bank accounts, the former bandmates have built wildly different property empires.

Here is how the pop icons spent their fortunes.

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ABBA. Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid ‘Frida’ Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Estimated net worth: $450m ($US300m)

Anni-Frid ‘Frida’ Lyngstad sits at the top of the band’s rich list, thanks in large part to an unexpected royal link.

Following her 1981 divorce from bandmate Benny Andersson, Lyngstad relocated to Europe and married Prince Heinrich Ruzzo Reuss von Plauen in 1992, gaining the title Princess Reuss.

When the prince died from lymphoma seven years later, Lyngstad inherited a royal fortune worth more than $173m today.

Her solo career also produced the most successful post-ABBA album of any member, with Something’s Going On selling more than 1.5 million copies.

Today, she lives in the luxury ski resort town of Zermatt, Switzerland, with her partner Henry Smith, 5th Viscount Hambleden.

Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss of Plauen in 2013.

Björn Ulvaeus

Estimated net worth: $450m ($US300m)

Tied for the title of richest bandmate, lyricist Björn Ulvaeus turned ABBA’s legacy into a commercial powerhouse.

Ulvaeus holds major stakes in Mamma Mia! The Party — a Greek taverna dining experience charging upwards of $200 a ticket — and acquired the site housing the ABBA Museum and Melody Hotel in Stockholm.

Ulvaeus famously fought the Swedish Tax Agency over a $12.8m back-tax claim in the 2000s, winning the legal battle outright.

He later admitted ABBA wore their outlandish stage outfits because clothing unfit for street wear qualified as a tax deduction.

Ulvaeus holds an extensive property portfolio, anchored by a mansion on its own private island in Djursholm, one of Sweden’s most exclusive enclaves.

He also owns a $3.7m waterfront estate on Hölö Island and maintains multiple rustic summer cottages across 14,000sq m of seaside land on Viggsö.

Bjorn Ulvaeus. Picture: supplied

Ulvaeus’ house in Stockholm, Sweden. Picture Google Maps

Benny Andersson

Estimated net worth: $345m ($US230m)

As one half of ABBA’s songwriting powerhouse, Benny Andersson composed the music behind the band’s biggest global hits.

When the group split in 1982, Andersson co-wrote stage musicals Chess and Kristina From Duvemåla, while managing the global Mamma Mia! brand rights.

The franchise generated $5.5m in annual royalties and dividends for the songwriting duo.

Andersson’s primary residence, Villa Lido, sits on a scenic island in central Stockholm.

He also holds a retreat on Viggsö Island — famously known as “ABBA Island” — where he and Björn built a wooden writing cabin to compose their hits.

Andersson previously owned a $3.25m waterfront estate in Florida, built in a classic Swedish Long House style, which was sold following the band’s divorces.

Benny Andersson in 2017. Picture: Stefan Hoederath/Getty Images

Andersson’s house in Stockholm, Sweden. Picture: Google Maps

Agnetha Fältskog

Estimated net worth: $300m ($US200m)

Agnetha Fältskog is the least wealthy of the four, despite holding a $300m fortune.

Bandmates Benny and Björn composed virtually all of ABBA’s catalogue, leaving Fältskog with a single writing credit on 1973’s Disillusion.

Her wealth has been sustained by solo album releases, catalogue royalties, and the $125m-earning ABBA Museum.

Agnetha Fältskog in 2022. Picture: Nicky J Sims/Getty Images

Fältskog’s house in Stockholm, Sweden. Picture: Google Maps

Following her split from Ulvaeus, Fältskog largely withdrew from public life and funnelled much of her money into private real estate.

Her holdings include her primary residence, Villa Nytorp, a secluded country estate in Ekerö, a private island farm in the Stockholm archipelago bought in 1984, and classic suburban homes in Lidingö and Vallentuna.

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