When System Of A Down aren’t melting your face with chaotic time signatures, politically charged lyrics, and more tempo changes than a caffeinated jazz band, they’re apparently stacking cash in wildly creative ways. The eternal question among fans (and nosy financial bloggers) remains: Who’s the richest member of System of a Down?
Let’s dive deep, shall we? Because this isn’t just about bank balances—it’s about who’s been hustling hardest when the guitars are unplugged.
💸 The Numbers (Straight From the Public Records… and Some Very Curious Googling)
| Band Member | Estimated Net Worth |
|---|---|
| Serj Tankian | $20 million |
| Daron Malakian | $20 million |
| Shavo Odadjian | $20 million |
| John Dolmayan | $16 million |
So it’s basically a three-way tie for the gold, with Serj, Daron, and Shavo sharing the financial throne while John lags just a drum solo behind. But how did they get there? Let’s break it down by who cashed in on what.
🎤 Serj Tankian – The Opera-Loving Rebel CEO
Serj isn’t just the soaring voice of System of a Down—he’s also a trained opera singer, solo artist, activist, and label owner. He’s released orchestral records (Elect the Dead Symphony), started his own label (Serjical Strike), and helped launch Axis of Justice with Tom Morello to annoy every conservative uncle on Facebook.
And when he’s not preaching peace and revolution? He’s buying Calabasas real estate and releasing jazz-electronic fusion EPs that sound like the soundtrack to an Armenian cyberpunk noir.
How he got rich: Music, touring, solo albums, smart investments, and one very fancy cabin in the California woods.
🎸 Daron Malakian – The Eccentric Guitar Sorcerer
Daron’s riffs are the brain-melting foundation of System of a Down’s sound. He’s the mad genius behind much of the band’s catalog and has taken that energy into Scars on Broadway, a solo project where he plays literally everything because… of course he does.
He doesn’t dabble in comic books or weed branding, but his songwriting credits alone are worth their weight in platinum records.
How he got rich: Songwriting royalties, full creative control of side projects, and probably a magical Les Paul hidden under his bed that prints money.
🎧 Shavo Odadjian – The Visual Alchemist and DJ Weed Wizard
Shavo might be the most unexpected of the bunch. Yes, he’s the bassist, but also the visual director, DJ Tactic, co-founder of the mind-bending project AcHoZeN with RZA from Wu-Tang, and CEO of 22Red, a cannabis lifestyle brand that sells premium flower and serious vibes.
He’s the guy you’d expect to hand you a joint at a gallery opening while showing you an NFT of your aura. A true modern Renaissance man—with a killer bass groove.
How he got rich: Music, directing, DJing, hip-hop collabs, and selling really fancy weed to stoned music nerds.
🥁 John Dolmayan – The Drum Demon and Comic Lord
John may have the smallest net worth here (a mere $16 million—peasant!), but he’s arguably the busiest outside of music. He owns Torpedo Comics, a store specializing in rare comics and serious fan-service. While the rest of the band debates politics through art, John just goes on podcasts and says it all out loud, to the horror (or amusement) of fans.
He also launched the solo project These Grey Men, covering Radiohead, Eminem, and others in his very own apocalypse remix style.
How he got rich: Drumming, comic books, solo music, and high-value hot takes.
🏆 So… Who Really Wins?
If we’re going by numbers, it’s a draw between Serj, Daron, and Shavo. But if we’re going by cool side hustles, Shavo takes the cake, eats it on a turntable, then rolls it into a pre-roll and sells it through 22Red.
If you’re team riffs, Daron’s your guy. If you’re team poetry and politics, Serj has your vote. If you want to get high and talk about art while basslines melt your brain—Shavo is your messiah. And if you want a Batman #1 in mint condition while arguing about geopolitics—John’s your man.
In the end, they’re all rich. But they’ve earned every dollar screaming about war, injustice, spiders on walls, and how we should probably steal this album.
Final Verdict: Nobody is poor in System of a Down… except maybe us after buying all their side projects, comic books, and limited-edition vapes.
Would you invest in a band member’s business? Let us know—just don’t ask John about politics.
