Diddy, Jay-Z and Dr. Dre are by far and away the richest hip-hop moguls on the planet. For many years, Diddy owned the #1 spot. In 2014, Dr. Dre grabbed the throne after he sold Beats by Dre to Apple for $3 billion. But don't count Jay-Z out. Believe it or not, Jay has seen a huge surge in his net worth thanks to music streaming service Tidal. Still, Diddy is a veteran and banks tons of cash not just from his music, but also from his Ciroq vodka brand, which has been doing quite well. So, who is the richest hip hop artist on the planet today? You got it! Jay-Z is now the richest person in hip-hop, knocking Diddy down to the number two spot with Dr Dre coming in third. This was made possible as Jay-Z went out and signed a brand new $200 million 360-deal with Live Nation just recently. Let's look more closely at these three heavyweights:
#3: Dr. Dre – Net Worth $800 million
Dr. Dre's current net worth is down just slightly this year from $830 million to $800 million. Dre still holds the record for the single year highest earnings. The year he sold Beats, Dre brought home an incredible $620 million. He's made some investments that have increased in value, like the 14,000-square-foot mansion he bought just days after the Beats deal was finalized. He paid $40 million for it. Thanks to the soaring real estate values in California, it is now worth 20% more than he paid. Still, Dr's other investments have slid just slightly in value in the last 12 months. Hence the drop from $830 million to $800 million.
#2: Diddy – Net Worth $820 million
After dominating the list of the richest hip hop stars for years, the artist formerly known as Sean Combs and Puff Daddy is now the second richest rapper on the planet. Diddy's net worth increased from $780 million to $820 million thanks largely to his stake in the vodka brand Ciroq. Diddy not only is paid tens of millions per year to promote the brand, he also has an equity stake based on certain valuation milestones that continues to expand his net worth.
#1: Jay-Z: Net Worth $900 million
Meanwhile, Jay-Z's net worth has increased 40% in the past year thanks largely to a $200 million investment in Tidal from Sprint. The music streaming service is now valued at $600 million, which is more than 10 times what Jay bought the company for just two years ago. Jay-Z's entertainment company Roc Nation and his champagne brand Armand de Brignac also helped boost his bottom line.
We now estimate that Jay'z net worth (after taxes/fees/upfront payouts) has jumped from $810 million to $900 million.
That safely secures Jay-Z's spot as the richest person in hip hop. He's also closer than any rapper has ever been to becoming the first billionaire hip-hop artist.
The New York-born rapper just entered into a 10-year, worldwide touring deal that Live Nation will produce and promote. Jay-Z announced the deal late last week and we needed a few days to confirm the specifics of how he is paid.
This new deal expands upon his relationship with Live Nation. His previous deal was worth $150 million over 10 years. With the announcement of this new deal, it is expected that Jay Z will announce a world tour soon. Speculation is that he may also drop an album in the near future.
Live Nation has produced several of Jay Z's concert tours, including his recent tours with Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake. The Grammy winning rapper has a number of performances lined up. He will be performing at Austin City Limits, the Meadows Music and Arts Festival, and his own Made In America festival.
Jay-Z has been on the hip-hop scene since he released his debut album "Reasonable Doubt" in 1996. He has become one of the most influential and wealthiest people in the music industry over the past two decades. The 47-year-old rapper has been married to Beyoncé's since 2008. They have one child, Blue Ivy, and are expecting twins. With his new net worth of $900 million, the couple has a combined net worth of $1.35 billion.
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