Age, Biography, and Wiki
Lars Ulrich was born on December 26, 1963, in Gentofte, Denmark. He comes from an upper-middle-class family; his father, Torben Ulrich, was a professional tennis player. Initially, Lars pursued tennis but shifted his focus to drumming at a young age, eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. He co-founded Metallica in 1981 with James Hetfield. Lars Ulrich's biography is marked by his contributions to Metallica's success and his advocacy for artist rights.
| Occupation | Songwriter |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 26 December 1963 |
| Age | 61 Years |
| Birth Place | Gentofte, Denmark |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | Denmark |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Lars Ulrich's physical measurements are not widely documented, but as a musician, his focus has been more on his career and less on publicizing his physical attributes.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Lars Ulrich has been married three times and has two children. His personal life has included notable relationships, but he is currently married to Jessica Miller.
In February 1973, Ulrich's father obtained passes for five of his friends to a Deep Purple concert held in the same Copenhagen stadium as one of his tennis tournaments. When one of the friends could not go, they gave their ticket to the nine-year-old Lars, who was mesmerized by the performance and bought the band's album Fireball the next day. The concert and album had a considerable impact on Ulrich, inspiring the start of his music career.
As a result of his newfound interest in music, he received his first drum kit, a Ludwig, from his grandmother around the age of 12 or 13. Ulrich originally intended to follow in his father's footsteps and play tennis, and he moved to Newport Beach, California, in the summer of 1980. Despite being ranked in the top ten tennis players of his age group in Denmark, Ulrich failed to make it into the seven man Corona del Mar High School tennis team, contributing to his decision to focus on music.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Debbie Jones (m. 1988-1990) Skylar Satenstein (m. 1997-2004) Jessica Miller (m. 2015) |
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, there is a discrepancy in the reported net worth of Lars Ulrich. Some sources estimate it to be around $350 million, attributing this wealth to his successful music career with Metallica, real estate investments, and art sales. However, another source suggests a net worth of about $75 million, highlighting his earnings from music sales, touring, and strategic investments. Metallica's global popularity and lucrative tours have significantly contributed to Ulrich's wealth.
Career, Business, and Investments
Lars Ulrich's career with Metallica has been instrumental in his financial success. The band has sold over 125 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists ever. Ulrich has also invested in real estate, owning significant land in Marin County, California. Additionally, he is an avid art collector and has sold several pieces, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, for millions of dollars.
Between 1998 and 2002, Ulrich tried running a record label, the Music Company. The company was a joint venture with Metallica accountant Tim Duffy. It failed to catch on and folded in the spring 2002. His voice can be heard in the opening seconds of "Leper Messiah" and he also counts to four in his native Danish on the "St. Anger" music video. To unwind after some gigs, Ulrich listens to jazz.
In April 2000, Ulrich became a vocal opponent of Napster and file sharing as Metallica filed a lawsuit against the company for copyright infringement and racketeering. In July 2000, he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee after Metallica's entire catalogue, including the then-unfinished track "I Disappear" was found to be freely available for download on the service. The case was settled out-of-court, resulting in more than 300,000 Napster users being banned from the service.
Social Network
Lars Ulrich is known for his strong social media presence, often engaging with fans and sharing updates about his life and career. However, specific details about his social media following are not widely documented.
In the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Ulrich states that witnessing a Y&T show was his defining moment in deciding to become a musician. In 1981, he discovered British heavy metal band Diamond Head. He was excited about the band's style of music after purchasing their debut album Lightning to the Nations, and traveled from San Francisco to London to see the band perform live at the Woolwich Odeon. Ulrich remains a fan of Diamond Head and would later mix their album The Best of Diamond Head. Upon returning to the U.S., Ulrich placed an advert in a local classifieds newspaper looking for musicians to start a band with him. James Hetfield replied to the ad, and Metallica was formed.
Ulrich's drumming style has changed throughout his career. During the 1980s, he was known for his fast, aggressive thrash beats. Unlike most drummers, Ulrich does not have a ride cymbal in his kit and instead favors the China cymbal. He said that he does not like the "ding" sound of the former and prefers the loudness of the latter. Although, during some live performances on the M72 World Tour (particularly for "Until It Sleeps"), his drum tech places a ride cymbal next to his China cymbal, and removes it before the next song.
Education
Lars Ulrich primarily focused on music from a young age, moving to Los Angeles to train in drumming rather than pursuing formal education in music or other fields. His early life centered around tennis and music, eventually leading him to form Metallica.
He became known as a pioneer of fast thrash drum beats, featured on many of Metallica's early songs, such as "Metal Militia" from Kill 'Em All, "Fight Fire with Fire" from Ride the Lightning, "Battery" and "Damage Inc." from Master of Puppets and "Dyers Eve" from ...And Justice for All. He has since been considerably influential due to both the popularity of his band, as well as his drum techniques, such as the double bass drum in the song "One" (...And Justice for All) and "Dyers Eve". Since the release of Metallica, Ulrich adopted a less focused and simplified style of drumming, and reduced his kit from a 9-piece to a 7-piece.
