In
No. 1 is the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy. He is
ranked No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five 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
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.
No.
2 .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).
He
also boasts smaller stakes in Carol’s Daughter, the Brooklyn
Nets—and, more significantly, the Barclays Center itself—as well
as new partnerships with the likes of Duracell and Bacardi’s D’ussé
Cognac.
No.3 Andre
"Dr. Dre" Young ($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.
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—and their investment continues to soar in value with a
whopping 65% market share of the premium headphone market.
No.
4 The New Orleans native cofounded Cash Money Records two
decades ago with his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams (Birdman’s
net worth would be well over $200 million if his ownership in the
label wasn’t shared).
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.
No
.5 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.
Now
he’s trying to replicate the latter 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.
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