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Jan 27, 2025

Top 10 Celebrities and Their Favourite Books

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Have you ever wondered what the super-wealthy read in their spare time? Which stories have inspired acts of greatness from some of society’s most admired figures, and which tales have kept the world's most powerful people up at night? These are the questions we've been asking ourselves, so we did some digging and came up with a list of some of the most popular celebrities and their favourite books.

Unfortunately, Taylor Swift and President Trump were a little too busy to take our call, still, we have done our best to search the internet, scouring through countless interviews, video clips, and news articles to bring you the most up-to-date reading habits of the rich and famous.

Let’s dive in

Donald Trump

Favourite Book: The Bible

Donald Trump and the cover of The Bible.png As you will likely know, Donald Trump is an American politician and businessman serving his second term in office as President of the United States. So, being one of the most powerful men in the entire world, what could he possibly read in his spare time? Well, there has been a great deal of debate around what Trump’s favourite book is, with some sources saying it’s The Power of Positive Thinking, a book that is designed to help you get more control over your own thoughts, but in a video released after his first term as president, while promoting the sale of his own version of the Bible, Trump explicitly states “All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many,” he continued “It’s my favourite book.”

Elon Musk

Favourite Book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Elon Musk and the cover of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.png Best known as the man behind Tesla, founder of Space X, and the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk is a devoted and somewhat controversial businessman. So, what does the richest person in the world like to read? Over the years, Mr Musk has talked about various books that have influenced him including The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Ignition! by John D. Clark, and Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson, but, there is one book that stands out above the rest, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Musk claims that this book gave him a new outlook on life and approach to problem-solving.

Jeff Bezos

Favourite Book: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Jeff Bezos and the cover of The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.png American Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos is a business magnate best known as the founder of Amazon. The achievements of Mr. Bezos are well-known, but what we really wanted to know is - whats his favourite book? After a bit of digging, we discovered he is, in fact, an avid reader, enjoying books like Built to Last by Jim Collins, Memos from the Chairman by Alan C. Greenberg, and The Innovator’s Dream by Clayton M. Christensen. However, the book he's mentioned most often is The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Taylor Swift

Favourite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Taylor Swift and the cover of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.png Taylor Swift is undoubtedly one of the most successful artists on the planet, or so say the millions of ‘Swifties’. The life of a global superstar must be a busy one, so what would a megastar like Taylor Swift read in her rare moments of downtime? Like many people on this list, Taylor has mentioned several books that have influenced her over the years including Normal People by Sally Rooney and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but there is one book that stands out from the rest To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Mark Zuckerberg

Favourite Book: The Aeneid by Virgil

Mark Zuckerberg and the cover of the Aenid by Virgil.png Next on the list of celebrities is Mark Zuckerberg. Best known for his role as co-founder of social media titan Facebook (now Meta), Zuckerberg has revolutionised digital communications, social interaction, and digital commerce. So, what does a tech billionaire read in his spare time? Over the years, Zuckerberg has mentioned several books that focus on the science and philosophy behind human development, one such book stands out as one of Zuckerberg's favourites, The Aeneid by Virgil.

Bill Gates

Favourite Book: Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker

Bill Gates and the cover of Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker.png The next titan of the tech industry to enter the list is Bill Gates. Best known for being a co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates is an American business magnate, philanthropist, and author. On many occasions, Gates has said his favourite book is The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker. Gates has a well-known fondness for books based around human development and The Better Angels of Our Nature is a prime example, offering insights into human philosophy and ideals as it explores the gradual decline of violence across the globe.

J.K. Rowling

Favourite Book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

J.K. Rowling and the cover of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.png Next on the list of celebs is J.K. Rowling. Known all over the world as the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling has revealed, on various occasions, several books that have stuck with her throughout her life including The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. There is one book however that holds a special place in Rowling's heart - Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Lady Gaga

Favourite Book: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Lady Gaga and the cover of Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.png Next up we have Lady Gaga, the chart-topping queen of pop. Not only is Gaga a talented musician she is also a respected actor, finding her way onto the set of some of Hollywood’s most anticipated films like A Star Is Born, Joker, and House of Gucci. So, what kind of books does Lady Gaga read? Of course, it’s hard for anyone to put their finger on exactly which book is their absolute favourite. Still, Lady Gaga has shown a particular fondness for the book Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, which has heavily influenced her views on art and creativity.

Robbie Williams

Favourite Book: The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton

Robbie Williams and the cover of The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton.png Global superstar Robbie Williams got his first taste of fame with the successful boyband Take That, eventually however, he split from the band and became a best-selling solo artist with hits like Candy, Rock DJ, and Angels. And what do British pop icons read in their spare time? Well, according to an article from The Guardian, Robbie is actually quite the connoisseur when it comes to art and literature, and the same article claims that his favourite book is The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton, an interesting choice.

David Attenborough

Favourite Book: Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of the Human Species

David Attenborough and the cover of Foxes Book of Martyrs.png David Attenborough is one the world’s most beloved TV personalities, perhaps best known as the man behind shows like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Life on Earth. But which books does someone who has accomplished so much read? In the past, Sir David Attenborough has expressed his love for many books, including those that align with his lifelong passion for natural history, books including The Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of the Human Species, and Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton. Which of these is his favourite we do not know, but these select few alone are a testament to Attenborough's lifelong dedication to the natural world.

That brings our guide through the reading habits of the rich and famous to an end. If you want to see your name on the next list then you might want to pick up a couple of the books we've mentioned to see if they can help you on your way to stardom. Of course, reading these books won't make you into a millionaire overnight, but you might be surprised by what they could open your eyes to.

If you want to see your heroes on this list, let us know on our Insta page and we can unlock their reading habits together!

Have you read all of the books on this list? Don't leave them lying around to clutter up your home, sell them with the WeBuyBooks app and make some extra money.

Related articles:

Top 10 Richest Authors in the World

25 Most Valuable Novels that Could Make you Rich

Mindset Shifts to Help You Make Money Fast

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