Jay-Z's Net Worth Makes Him the Richest Rapper in the World
Being a prominent figure in the music industry brings in a pretty penny, but no rapper can top Jay-Z's net worth. The "99 Problems" singer, born Shawn Corey Carter, has a massive net worth of $1.3 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, an amount that makes him the richest rapper in the world.
Jay-Z hit billionaire status back in 2019, the year he was officially crowned hip-hop's first billionaire, and he has since accumulated an additional $300 million to his name thanks to his sprawling and diversified empire that includes everything from record sales and touring to merchandise, endorsements, and investments like Armand de Brignac champagne, Tidal and D'Usse cognac. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the musician earns between $70 million to $80 million in any given year. Since 2020, Jay-Z's net worth has grown by an estimated $100 million annually.
Jay-Z's rise to the top began in the '90s when co-founded the independent label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke. Just a year later, he released his 1996 album Reasonable Doubt, which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200. He has gone on to release numerous other albums, including 1997's In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, 1998's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, and Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, among many others. With hits like "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," the musician has not only won 23 Grammys and released more than a dozen No. 1 albums, but has also risen to become one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time.
In addition to music and touring, Jay-Z has also added to his net worth via various business ventures. In 1996, he started his own clothing line, Rocawear, which sold for $204 million to Iconix in 2007. In 2003, he founded the luxury sports bar chain the 40/40 Club, and from 2003 to 2013, he was part-owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. In March 2015, Jay became the majority owner of music streaming service Tidal through a $56 million acquisition. In 2021, Tidal was sold to Square for $300 million. That same year, 50% of Armand de Brignac, one of his other business ventures, was sold to Brignac to LVMH at a $640m valuation. Along with various other business ventures and investments, Jay-Z also owns equity in SpaceX, Oatly, Ethos, Uber, and Sweetgreen.
But Jay-Z is far from the only musician with a massive net worth. His wife, Beyoncé, boasts a $500 million net worth, which she has accumulated over the past several decades since her first brush with fame in the 90s TV show Star Search. Combined, Jay-Z and Beyoncé have a net worth of $1.8 billion, having first hit the $1 billion mark in July 2014.