JAY-Z once rapped, "Oh what a feeling. F**k it, I want a billion." Well, now he's got at least two billion.
The "Holy Grail" rapper has officially been named the wealthiest person in hip hop with a $2.5 billion net worth, according to Forbes, which recently updated its ranking. According to the business outlet, his net worth makes him far and away the leader among his counterparts. P. Diddy is second on the list, but he's a distant second with a net worth of around $1 billion.
Forbes reports that, even without a tour or an album release, the rapper's champagne, Armand de Brignac, and his cognac, D’USSÉ, hauls in millions of dollars. JAY-Z, who earned the billionaire status from Forbes in 2019, also owns Roc Nation, which has established itself as one of the preeminent agencies with a stronghold in artist and athlete representation.
The outlet also reports that JAY-Z's fine art collection has also helped boost his net worth, like work by Jean-Michel Basquiat, which he rapped about in "Picasso Baby." Then there's the venture firm he founded in 2018, Marcy Venture Partners (named after Brooklyn's Marcy Projects where he grew up), which in 2021 closed its second fund with $325 million in capital commitments, according to Tech Crunch.
Back in 2019, Forbes valued his Armand de Brignac, his liquor brand, at $310 million; his cash and investments at $220 million; D’USSÉ, his joint venture with Bacardi, at $100 million; Tidal, his music streaming service, at $100 million; Roc Nation, his entertainment company, at $75 million; his music catalog at $75 million; his art collection at $70 million; and his real estate holdings at $50 million.
According to Deadline, JAY-Z settled his months-long legal war with Bacardi over D’USSÉ, paving the way for Bacardi to acquire a majority stake in JAY-Z's cognac brand reportedly worth around $750 million. That acquisition proved to be a key indicator in helping elevate his net worth.
Like Jay once said, can't knock the hustle.
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