When Selena met with her former employee Yolanda Saldivar on the day of her murder, she was attempting to retrieve financial records that pertained to her Selena Etc. boutique locations. The boutiques were Selena's own passion project and included full-service salons, memorabilia, and clothing designed by the late singer. Open less than a year prior to her death, the stores were proving to be successful. "Hispanic Business" magazine reported that in 1994, Selena had $5 million in gross earnings (via Billboard), some of which may have been from the successful boutiques — the singer had planned to open a third location in Mexico.
After her death, the Corpus Christi boutique remained open until the economic downfall in 2009, as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Some of the boutique's merchandise is now available at the Selena Museum, along with outfits and other memorabilia owned by the singer. The museum is located adjacent to the Quintanilla family studio, Q Productions.
According to Billboard, Selena only saw a small portion of the wealth she was amassing from her music while she was alive. Her father, Abraham, paid her a "net profits interest," or an estimated 25%. The rest was managed by her dad, who founded both the band and Q Productions.
Interestingly, two years after Selena's death, the IRS sued Abraham Quintanilla and his wife, alleging that they had underreported Selena's earnings while she was alive by over $1 million. The Quintanillas were forced to pay back taxes in the amount of $590,866.
