It appears, indeed, to be all about the benjamins for Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The rapper has topped 2017’s edition of Forbes‘ annual ranking of the top five wealthiest hip-hop artists, for the sixth year running. Diddy is worth about $820 million, beating Jay-Z by $20 million, although Jay-Z gained significantly on Diddy over last year with a 30% increase in net worth — thanks largely to Sprint’s $200 million investment in his music streaming service Tidal.
Following Mr. Carter is Dr. Dre at $740 million. Although he lags behind Diddy and Jay-Z by about $100 million this year, Dr. Dre still holds the record for the largest single-year payday by a living musician, with his 2014 sale of Beats by Dre to Apple for $3 billion.
The rest of the high earners are worth significantly less than the top three, with $730 million separating Diddy (at No. 1) and Drake (at No. 5).
Birdman, co-owner for Cash Money Records, which is home to Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne, comes in fourth with $110 million. Rumors indicate that the three superstars might be leaving the record company so Birdman’s days on the list may be numbered.
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Finishing fifth is Aubrey “Drake” Graham, whose “Views” world tour raked in almost $1 million per night. He’s worth a comparatively small $90 million. At only 30 years old, however, and with deals with Apple, Nike, and Sprite, Drake’s fortune is only growing.
