Imagine being the parents of an 11-year-old Taylor Swift. She’s adamant she wants to be a musician but you know how tough it is to make it in the creative arts.

Do you tell her to do what she loves or urge her to become a doctor or an accountant or a lawyer because it will provide financial security? It’s a bit of a trick question, of course, given Swift’s net worth has just tipped over $US1 billion ($1.5 billion), according to Forbes.