Mathew Knowles has pushed back against the long-standing belief that his daughter, Beyoncé, made him wealthy.
Speaking in a resurfaced interview with TS Madison, Knowles said he and his former wife, Tina Knowles, had already built a million-dollar fortune years before Beyoncé became a global superstar.
We made our first million in 1985.
Knowles said the family’s wealth came from business ventures, including Tina’s successful Houston hair salon, long before he managed Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé’s solo career.
He has shared the same story before. In a 2024 interview with The Record Business, Knowles said he built his career in corporate sales before helping Tina grow the salon into a thriving business.
Beyoncé has also addressed her upbringing, previously telling Vanity Fair that her family lived comfortably, owned a nice home and cars, employed a housekeeper, and sent her to private school.