Monday, September 17, 2007

NO. 1 - THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN HIP HOP


Dollar Status - $500 Million (R3.5 Billion)
Portfolio – Rocawear clothing, Roc-a-fella records, S.Carter sneakers, New Jersey Nets, 40/40 Clubs and more.


By Kopano Marumo


Hova has gone from being a neighbourhood drug dealer to being the head of the most prestigious hip hop record label. The president of Def Jam is entrusted with billions and earns $3 million per annum to sit in his high rise suave sanctuary, otherwise known as his office.

To lend his name to products, he lands $9 million in endorsements per annum.

Just a few months ago, he was sitting at the number two spot on this very list - a "mere" six million separating him from Diddy's $346 million shiny suits. Not only did he manage to make up the shortfall and reclaim the number one spot, he now sits on over half-a-billion dollars.

The sale of his clothing label Roc-a-Wear, which he founded just a scant 8 years ago, to Iconix Group landed him over $200 million. He still has his S.Carter sneaker range with Reebok, which still holds the title of being the best-selling sneaker line in the sportswear brand’s history, and his cool chain of sports clubs 40/40, which gives him a $5million annual pay cheque and is due to expand further than New York and Atlantic City.

He also owns a minority stake in NBA team New Jersey Nets, a transaction that set him back around 5 million green ones. Even with poor sales from his post-retirement offering Kingdom Come, high royalty rates have ensured $2million in his Cayman Island bank accounts.

Damn, Jigga really wasn’t lying when he said “Put me anywhere on God’s green earth, I’ll triple my worth”.

No comments: