Now that Jay-Z is hip-hop’s first official billionaire, the question has shifted to “who’s next?” With its annual richest rappers list, Forbes aims to answer that question — or at least, offer a reasonable prediction based on where everyone’s fortunes currently stand. The list is, as usual, compiled using financial documents, valuing major assets, and consulting with experts pulled from industry insiders, analysts, and attorneys.
While Jay-Z naturally leads the list thanks to his combined investments with Beyonce, the next runner up is a little less flashy, preferring to make most of his money behind the scenes. Dr. Dre actually declared himself hip-hop’s first billionaire, but Forbes predicted his actual earnings from the sale of Beats By Dre to Apple in 2014 to be more in the ballpark of $500 million. He’s also done plenty of spending in the years since, including a donation to USC, leaving him just an estimated $200 million under his billionaire aspirations.
Coming up behind Dre is Sean “Diddy” Combs — aka Puff Daddy, aka Love — with $740 million, a number Forbes says actually puts him closer to catching Jay-Z thanks to the increasing value of his Ciroc vodka brand. Kanye West lands at fourth with an estimated $240 million thanks to his recent deal with Adidas. Finally, the fifth-richest rapper on the list is none other than Drake, the youngest on the list — by a full decade! — with $150 million primarily due to real estate investments, his Virginia Black whiskey brand, and his residency at XS Nightclub in Las Vegas. It doesn’t hurt that he got his new private jet completely free of charge. Not having to pay for healthcare probably helps as well.
