Mariah Carey Makes This Much Money From Classic Christmas Song

A new analysis from finds Mariah Carey earns $2.5 to $3 million every year in royalties from “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Her co-writer, Walter Afanasieff, also gets a hefty annual check.
The 1994 hit has become the biggest holiday song in history — the most-streamed Christmas track of all time, raking in over $100 million by 2023, and the first holiday song ever to earn the RIAA’s Diamond Award for selling and streaming over 10 million units in the U.S.
Mariah has turned its comeback into a yearly ritual. Every November 1st, she releases a playful “defrosting” video to kick off the season — this year shrieking “It’s time!” in a skit with Billy Eichner — officially reopening Mariah’s Christmas cash register for another year.

