Curious to see who the world’s richest hip hop artist is? While music is a profitable industry in its own right, numerous artists have ventured into other areas of activity, with varying degrees of success. Hip Hop artists in particular seem to be somewhat more prolific at creating business empires for themselves.
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We would like to present you with a countdown of the biggest businesses in the hip hop industry, in a style similar to our coverage of the world’s biggest IPOs. Since many of the following musicians turned entrepreneurs have more than one venture under the wing, we have ranked the artists according to their reported net worth and included a brief description of all businesses they have engaged in. Wondering who’s made the countdown?
Let’s see the richest hip hop artists on the following pages:
No. 5: 50 Cent
Net worth: $125 million
50 Cent has proven himself to be not only a talented hip hop artist, but also a great businessman. A few years ago, he became the mastermind behind a vitamin water and energizing drink called Formula 50. The drink was produced by Glaceau, a firm which was bought by the Coca-Cola Company for a whopping $400 million. $60 million out of the 400 were cashed directly by 50 Cent.
No. 4: Birdman
Net worth: $150 million
Birdman is one of the first successful entrepreneurs to gain a fortune by starting an indie record label. His biggest deal and accomplishment came when he discovered rapper Lil Wayne when he was only 11 years old. Other famous artists to have signed with Birdman include Nicki Minaj and Drake.
No. 3: Dr. Dre
Net worth: $350 million
Dr. Dre remains one of the biggest and most appreciated names in the hip hop industry. He started his signing career with the NWA group before making waves as a solo artist. Dr. Dre’s biggest achievement is discovering and signing hip hop phenomenon Eminem to his record label, Aftermath. The both of them then signed rapper 50 Cent, which was featured earlier on our countdown. Dr. Dre also started a headphone company called Beats by Dre, which has achieved tremendous success.
No. 2: Jay Z
Net worth: $480 million
Jay Z started out as a young rapper in the early 90s and became a hit almost instantly. Over the past two decades, he has developed his entrepreneur skills to the fullest and has become the second most valuable artist in the hip hop industry. His two most successful business ventures are represented by Rocca Wear, a clothing line and his own record label, Rocca Records. Rocca Wear sold for an outstanding $204 million back in 2007.
No. 1: Sean Combs
Net worth: $580 million
If Sean Combs doesn’t ring any bells, P.Diddy might. The artists gained his fame during the 90s under the pseudonym Puff Daddy. Although an appreciated and recognized singer, Sean Combs would soon make his first deals as an entrepreneur. His biggest move in the 90s? Signing rapper Biggie Smalls to his label. Since then, Combs has ventured more and more outside the music realm, investing in several businesses. Probably the biggest of them all is his clothing line, Sean John.
