Earlier this week it was revealed that Janet Jackson has managed to amass a personal fortune of $1 billion over the course of her career in the entertainment industry. The youngest of the Jackson siblings may be the richest of them all, but in actual fact the singer/actress/TV personality hasn't quite reached the $1 billion mark just yet.

The frenzy surrounding Jackson's massive wealth began when Variety published the story of how the singer is a "billion dollar entertainer," but story didn't actually say that she herself was a billionaire, and depending on how you calculate net-worth, Janet may have some way to go before she can join the illustrious billionaires club as a legitimate member. The Variety story never once mentions that Janet is herself a billionaire, nor does it feature any quotes taken from the youngest Jackson herself. Her career has been marked by appearances in some high grossing films and on television as well as the 35 No. 1 singles she has amassed and the 100 million + albums she has sold worldwide, but all this doesn't necessarily add up to her being a billionaire.

Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet has amassed a huge personal wealth over the years, but has she raised enough to call herself a billionaire?

Over her lifetime, there is no doubt that Janet has raked in up to a billion dollars, but unless she kept hold of every last cent, never spending a dime of her hard earned cash, then it is highly unlikely that she is a billionaire. Forbes magazine's Dorothy Pomerantz has since pointed out that in their next rich list Janet won't be making an appearance in the billionaires club, stating "Net worth is based on the value of the cash and assets you have at the moment, not on how much your work has brought in over a lifetime."

Whatever her wealth stands at, the fact remains that Janet is exceptionally rich and whether of not she is a billionaire is kind of beside the point. The Jackson camp have yet to confirm or deny that Janet has reached the billion dollar point just yet, and even if she hasn't then we doubt she'll be losing too much sleep over the fact she isn't quite as rich as people think.

Janet Jackson
Janet has been in the entertainment industry for four decades