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
himto 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 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' whooping 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 GTVodka.
"We have to build different brands," he told FORBES last month.
"That's what it's all about."
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 ofhis 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 Vitamin Water 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."
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.
-Forbes
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