Do You Agree with These Numbers? The Fifty Wealthiest Rappers
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Maximus Rex
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The thirty-nine wealthiest rappers according to Celebrity net worth. http://www.celebritynetworth.com/list/top-50-richest-rappers
The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2013
http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2013/03/27/the-forbes-five-hip-hops-wealthiest-artists-2013/
This story appears in the April 15, 2013 issue of Forbes.
Sean “Diddy” Combs rose to mainstream fame in the late 1990s rapping about his desire for Benjamins, otherwise known as $100 bills. A decade and a half later, he might need to consider some larger denominations—McKinleys, Clevelands and Madisons, perhaps—to express his wealth.
Diddy ranks No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five, our list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists, with an estimated net worth of $580 million. The bulk of the Bad Boy Records founder’s wealth comes from non-musical ventures, namely his deal with Diageo ’s Ciroc. The agreement entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall if the brand is ever sold—and Ciroc’s value has never been higher.
“It is one of the fastest-growing brands within vodka,” says Jack Russo, an equity analyst at Edward Jones & Co. “Consumers are feeling a little bit better about their situation, and with that, they’re willing to spend more on premium products.”
The Forbes Five: Full Coverage
The No. 2 spot goes to Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, with a net worth of $475 million. He’s still rolling in cash from megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation the following year. He continues to hold stakes in Roc Nation, Carol’s Daughter, the Brooklyn Nets—and, more significantly, the Barclays Center itself—while adding new partnerships with the likes of Duracell, Budweiser and Bacardi’s D’ussé Cognac. (For more on his rise as a businessman, check out “Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office”).
Andre “Dr. Dre” Young ranks third with $350 million, thanks mostly to his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. A year after selling 51% of the company to handset maker HTC for $300 million in August 2011, Dre and his partners bought back half of the half they sold in 2012—and their investment continues to soar in value due to Beats’ whopping 65% market share of the premium ($99 and up) headphone market.
Bryan “Birdman” Williams owns the No. 4 spot, riding his Cash Money/Young Money empire to a fortune of $150 million. His roster includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne (the latter crossed the $100 million threshold for the first time this year, by our estimates, but remains just outside the top five). Birdman also recently launched a YMCMB clothing line and a spirit called GT Vodka.
“We have to build different brands,” he told FORBES last month. “That’s what it’s all about.”
The Forbes Five: In Pictures
Rounding out the list is Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson at $125 million. He’s another master of brand building: The bulk of his fortune came from heavy sales of his music, merchandise, video games and books in the wake of his smash debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’—and particularly from his payout for the sale of his stake in VitaminWater parent Glacéau to Coca-Cola in 2007.
Now he’s trying to replicate that feat with companies like SMS Audio, his answer to Dr. Dre’s Beats, and SK Energy, which has its sights set on category leader 5-Hour Energy. When informed that his net worth would be estimated at a little over $100 million this year, 50 Cent said simply, “That’s cool.” After being asked to elaborate, though, he changed his tune slightly.
“Oh, you want me to tell you an exact number?” he said with a grin. “I’ve got way more.”
The Forbes Five: Methodology
If his new ventures continue to grow, 50 Cent’s number on this list should begin to reflect that belief as soon as next year.
As for Diddy, he may need to stick to Benjamins after all. According to a recent tally, there were only 165,372 $1,000 bills still in use—not even enough to cover one-third of Diddy’s fortune.
5) 50 Cent-$125 Million
He reaped a fortune from heavy sales of his music, merchandise, video games and books in the wake of his smash debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’—not to mention a massive haul from the sale of VitaminWater in 2007.
4) Birdman-$150 Million
Cash Money continues to flourish, with a roster that includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. Birdman is still looking for ways to diversify, launching the YMCMB clothing line and GT Vodka.
3) Dr. Dre-$350 Million
The legendary superproducer owes his fortune mostly to the success of his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which he cofounded with record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2008.
2) Jay-Z-$475 Million
Still rolling in cash from megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation the following year, Jay-Z’s net worth has continued to grow in tandem with his Roc Nation label and management outfit (according to one insider, the rapper owns the company outright and merely shares profits with Live Nation).
1) Puffy-580 Million
The Ciroc agreement entitles Diddy to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall of the brand is ever sold—and Ciroc’s value has never been higher.
The 39 Richest Rappers http://www.celebritynetworth.com/list/top-50-richest-rappers/
39) Cee Lo-$22 Million
38) Soulja Boy-$23 Million
37) Ludacris-$25 Million
36) The Game-$25 Million
35) Rick Ross-$28 Million
34) Flo Rida-$30 Million
33) Common-$35 Million, (This is was pleasant surprise. I'm happy to see the game has been good to Common.)
32) Drake-$35 Million
31) Ice T-$35 Million, (It seems like Ice T would be caked up a little bit better than that.)
30) 2Pac-$40 Million, (How is Biggie worth more than Pac, when Pac has a bigger body of work?)
29) Big Boi-$40 Million
28) Andre 3000-$45 Million
27) Nicki Minaj-$45 Million, (This number is fugazi as ? . How in the ? is Nicki Minaj is worth $45 million dollars?)
26) DMC-$45 Million
25) Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-$45 Million ( I ? with Bone Thugs, but I don't how how these ? are worth $45 Million.)
24) Wyclef Jean-$50 Million
23) Nelly-$60 Million, (Guess that ? didn't blow 30 mil like he was Hammer,)
22) Busta Rhymes-$65 Million
21) Swizz Beats-$65 Million
20) Rev. Run-$70 Million
19) Ad Rock-$75 Million
18) Will.I.Am-$75 Million
17) MCA-$75 Million
16) Mike D-$75 Million
15) Timbaland-$80 Million
14) Pharrell-$80 Million
13) Kanye West-$100 Million
12) L.L. Cool J-$100 Million
11) Ice Cube-$120 Million
10) Snoop Dogg-$120 Million
9) Lil Wayne-$135 Million
8) Eminem-$140 Million
7) Biggie Smalls-$160 Million (Someone has to explain to me how Biggie is worth more than Pac.)
6) Birdman-$170 Million
5) 50 Cent-$260 Million
4) Master P-$350 Million (I find it very hard to believe that Master is worth $350 Million dollars.)
3) Dr. Dre-$360 Million
2) Jay-Z-$500 Million
1) Puffy-$580 Million
Now the reason why my list has thirty-nine rappers instead of fifty is because this ? up list has people like Russell Simmons, J Prince, and Usher, (how in the ? is Usher a rapper?) categorized as rappers.
The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2013
http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2013/03/27/the-forbes-five-hip-hops-wealthiest-artists-2013/
This story appears in the April 15, 2013 issue of Forbes.
Sean “Diddy” Combs rose to mainstream fame in the late 1990s rapping about his desire for Benjamins, otherwise known as $100 bills. A decade and a half later, he might need to consider some larger denominations—McKinleys, Clevelands and Madisons, perhaps—to express his wealth.
Diddy ranks No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five, our list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists, with an estimated net worth of $580 million. The bulk of the Bad Boy Records founder’s wealth comes from non-musical ventures, namely his deal with Diageo ’s Ciroc. The agreement entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall if the brand is ever sold—and Ciroc’s value has never been higher.
“It is one of the fastest-growing brands within vodka,” says Jack Russo, an equity analyst at Edward Jones & Co. “Consumers are feeling a little bit better about their situation, and with that, they’re willing to spend more on premium products.”
The Forbes Five: Full Coverage
The No. 2 spot goes to Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, with a net worth of $475 million. He’s still rolling in cash from megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation the following year. He continues to hold stakes in Roc Nation, Carol’s Daughter, the Brooklyn Nets—and, more significantly, the Barclays Center itself—while adding new partnerships with the likes of Duracell, Budweiser and Bacardi’s D’ussé Cognac. (For more on his rise as a businessman, check out “Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office”).
Andre “Dr. Dre” Young ranks third with $350 million, thanks mostly to his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. A year after selling 51% of the company to handset maker HTC for $300 million in August 2011, Dre and his partners bought back half of the half they sold in 2012—and their investment continues to soar in value due to Beats’ whopping 65% market share of the premium ($99 and up) headphone market.
Bryan “Birdman” Williams owns the No. 4 spot, riding his Cash Money/Young Money empire to a fortune of $150 million. His roster includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne (the latter crossed the $100 million threshold for the first time this year, by our estimates, but remains just outside the top five). Birdman also recently launched a YMCMB clothing line and a spirit called GT Vodka.
“We have to build different brands,” he told FORBES last month. “That’s what it’s all about.”
The Forbes Five: In Pictures
Rounding out the list is Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson at $125 million. He’s another master of brand building: The bulk of his fortune came from heavy sales of his music, merchandise, video games and books in the wake of his smash debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’—and particularly from his payout for the sale of his stake in VitaminWater parent Glacéau to Coca-Cola in 2007.
Now he’s trying to replicate that feat with companies like SMS Audio, his answer to Dr. Dre’s Beats, and SK Energy, which has its sights set on category leader 5-Hour Energy. When informed that his net worth would be estimated at a little over $100 million this year, 50 Cent said simply, “That’s cool.” After being asked to elaborate, though, he changed his tune slightly.
“Oh, you want me to tell you an exact number?” he said with a grin. “I’ve got way more.”
The Forbes Five: Methodology
If his new ventures continue to grow, 50 Cent’s number on this list should begin to reflect that belief as soon as next year.
As for Diddy, he may need to stick to Benjamins after all. According to a recent tally, there were only 165,372 $1,000 bills still in use—not even enough to cover one-third of Diddy’s fortune.
5) 50 Cent-$125 Million
He reaped a fortune from heavy sales of his music, merchandise, video games and books in the wake of his smash debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’—not to mention a massive haul from the sale of VitaminWater in 2007.
4) Birdman-$150 Million
Cash Money continues to flourish, with a roster that includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. Birdman is still looking for ways to diversify, launching the YMCMB clothing line and GT Vodka.
3) Dr. Dre-$350 Million
The legendary superproducer owes his fortune mostly to the success of his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which he cofounded with record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2008.
2) Jay-Z-$475 Million
Still rolling in cash from megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation the following year, Jay-Z’s net worth has continued to grow in tandem with his Roc Nation label and management outfit (according to one insider, the rapper owns the company outright and merely shares profits with Live Nation).
1) Puffy-580 Million
The Ciroc agreement entitles Diddy to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall of the brand is ever sold—and Ciroc’s value has never been higher.
The 39 Richest Rappers http://www.celebritynetworth.com/list/top-50-richest-rappers/
39) Cee Lo-$22 Million
38) Soulja Boy-$23 Million
37) Ludacris-$25 Million
36) The Game-$25 Million
35) Rick Ross-$28 Million
34) Flo Rida-$30 Million
33) Common-$35 Million, (This is was pleasant surprise. I'm happy to see the game has been good to Common.)
32) Drake-$35 Million
31) Ice T-$35 Million, (It seems like Ice T would be caked up a little bit better than that.)
30) 2Pac-$40 Million, (How is Biggie worth more than Pac, when Pac has a bigger body of work?)
29) Big Boi-$40 Million
28) Andre 3000-$45 Million
27) Nicki Minaj-$45 Million, (This number is fugazi as ? . How in the ? is Nicki Minaj is worth $45 million dollars?)
26) DMC-$45 Million
25) Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-$45 Million ( I ? with Bone Thugs, but I don't how how these ? are worth $45 Million.)
24) Wyclef Jean-$50 Million
23) Nelly-$60 Million, (Guess that ? didn't blow 30 mil like he was Hammer,)
22) Busta Rhymes-$65 Million
21) Swizz Beats-$65 Million
20) Rev. Run-$70 Million
19) Ad Rock-$75 Million
18) Will.I.Am-$75 Million
17) MCA-$75 Million
16) Mike D-$75 Million
15) Timbaland-$80 Million
14) Pharrell-$80 Million
13) Kanye West-$100 Million
12) L.L. Cool J-$100 Million
11) Ice Cube-$120 Million
10) Snoop Dogg-$120 Million
9) Lil Wayne-$135 Million
8) Eminem-$140 Million
7) Biggie Smalls-$160 Million (Someone has to explain to me how Biggie is worth more than Pac.)
6) Birdman-$170 Million
5) 50 Cent-$260 Million
4) Master P-$350 Million (I find it very hard to believe that Master is worth $350 Million dollars.)
3) Dr. Dre-$360 Million
2) Jay-Z-$500 Million
1) Puffy-$580 Million
Now the reason why my list has thirty-nine rappers instead of fifty is because this ? up list has people like Russell Simmons, J Prince, and Usher, (how in the ? is Usher a rapper?) categorized as rappers.
Comments
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Top 10 seems legit outside of Biggie.
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So forbes got it wrong and shouldve had master p in the top 5? uhuh
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# 2,238,995,378
me -
Common been doing movies so that's not a surprise but someone has to explain biggie for me
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[34) Flo Rida-$30 Million
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Biggie had a movie made about him right? I think that plays a factor in his estate, not to mention when his songs are sampled and such and his songs being in random movies got to count for something right?
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Is this how much money they have made over their career? or how much money they just might have right now?
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Souljah Boi?? ? that little ? be doing besides snorting mountains of blow???
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tbh, i didnt expect Beats by Dre to blow up like it did. 300 dollar headphones... sounds great, but cmon.. 300 dollars..
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[34) Flo Rida-$30 Million
Low key dudes like him and pitbull and lil john be caking off that global club music ? .
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? make money off their singles that's why. And nicki making money from perfume and now her clothes
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on some real ? tho i like how lil john and pitbull knew they werent ? rap wise and made it a hustle in the pop world. They ain't try to be 50 cent and be bitter and outstay their welcome. I don't ? with they pop ? but they realized it was time to stop and found a niche to feed they family. Same with florida too.
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Pitbull can rap better than a lot of ? tho. His ? just didnt jump off like he wanted it to.
http://youtu.be/tRY4oPSr_sU -
Pitbull is smart that he did not get stuck in the gangster rap category and is making way more cash off positive music with a global fanbase rather than these myopic one track minded rappers.
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Lou Cypher wrote: »Is this how much money they have made over their career? or how much money they just might have right now?
It's net worth over the course of their careers. Unless you're that Ukrainian "What's App?" cat, you don't come up on a half a billion dollars over night.
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Lou Cypher wrote: »tbh, i didnt expect Beats by Dre to blow up like it did. 300 dollar headphones... sounds great, but cmon.. 300 dollars..
Real talk, the first time I saw the name, "Beats by Dre," I was in the Apple store. Sometimes, to ? off time, I'll in there an listen to the iPods and ? . Anyway, I see that name and I thought, "Cool, Dre got some new ? out." I scroll through the iPod song list and I'm trippin' off of the fact the Ipod is talking about "Beats by Dre," but there aren't any new songs.
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Pitbull was/is a competent/decent rapper and Lil John had a nice little run with his crunk movement.
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theBlackbeard wrote: »Pitbull was/is a competent/decent rapper and Lil John had a nice little run with his crunk movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCuaImd0KW0
This ? still go.
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waits for it
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No way in hell bone thugs worth 45 mil and and busta 65. Busta and bone thugs don't = 65 combined. Stop it 5
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Damn, where's TI at?
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Baby looks like a dope fiend
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@stew chinny chin chin tell me Tip wouldn't have been on that list if he ain't go to jail?
Ole ti ain't really fall off ass ? -
Net Worth is an accumulation of assets, supposed salary and any other revenues (made by their brand) minus expenses... Most of the amounts they state are not liquid however which most people misunderstand
A good estimate for the spending money these celebss have on any given day, would probably be about 10% of their stated worth