Pop legend Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75 following hospital treatment for an illness in Portugal, leaving behind a $57 million ($US40m) fortune and secret property empire.
The Welsh superstar built the vast real estate fortune alongside her property developer husband, Robert Sullivan.
The couple reportedly acquired 22 homes across Berkshire and London, a farm in New Zealand, and a premier villa in Albufeira, Portugal valued at $15 million ($US10m).
The international investments served as a financial safety net for the 1980s icon, who shot to superstardom with global smash hits Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero.
Despite Total Eclipse of the Heart passing one billion streams on Spotify, Tyler made the shock confession before her death that the legendary track raked in no ongoing income for her.
Appearing on Radio Wales to discuss the song’s evergreen success in movies and advertisements, the singer was asked directly about the money the track had generated.
“I’m really happy, when you think about it, there’s only 8.3 billion people in the world,” Tyler said of its streaming milestone.
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![Bonnie Tyler playing at the Palais Threatre in St Kilda](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 768 768"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Pop legend Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75.
However, when asked about the financial windfalls, she surprisingly confessed the song had made her “nothing”.
While she did not disclose the legal specifics, the royalty failure stemmed from the track being written by composer Jim Steinman, whose estate retains the vast majority of the publishing royalties.
The contract structure forced the singer to rely heavily on her property developer husband’s market plays to secure their wealth.
The music star worried fans earlier this year when she was rushed to a Faro hospital on April 30 and placed into an induced coma.
Her representatives stated at the time that she remained seriously ill but stable, and Ms Tyler later reassured fans she was still determined to rock the stage with her band.
Before her final health battle, she split her time between her Portuguese retreat and a luxury residence in Mumbles, an upscale district near Swansea popular with celebrities.
In Mumbles, she counted Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Hollywood heavyweight Michael Douglas among her immediate neighbours.
Speaking to the BBC about her deep connection to the Welsh coast, she said she loved the region and preferred keeping close to her family.
![Singer Bonnie Tyler dies aged 75 Photo of Bonnie TYLER](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tyler shot to superstardom with global smash hits Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero. Picture: David Redfern/Redferns
In an interview with The Times in 2023, Tyler revealed she purchased her landmark 1850s Swansea property in 1988, completely gutting the venue to install a new roof and custom flooring to capture unbroken views over Mumbles Bay.
However, her life in the property market was not without trauma. As a newlywed, she and her husband returned home on Christmas Eve to find the house completely thrashed by intruders.
The culprits, who knocked over the Christmas tree, poured water from the ceilings, and threw paint over the furniture, were never caught.
Ms Tyler also maintained a lifelong love affair with the Algarve region of Portugal since her first visit in the 1970s, describing it as a magical coastal haven.
The singer married Sullivan in 1973. The couple experienced a heartbreaking miscarriage later in life and did not have children, which the star described as her only regret in life.
“I’ve got my feet on the ground because I’ve got a lovely family waiting for me when I get home, even though they’re not my flesh and blood,” she previously said.
“I haven’t got children. That’s my only regret, I suppose.”
She is survived by her husband alongside her nieces, nephews, and godchildren.
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