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# JAY-Z Becomes World's First Billionaire Rapper
- URL: https://celebritykind.ghost.io/jay-z-becomes-worlds-first-billionaire-rapper-2/
- Published: 2019-06-04T05:24:35.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-30T04:13:12.000Z
- Author: Nehal Dalgliesh
- Tags: Equality, Kindness, #Migrated-1790726633553, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-09-30 00:04

Ok, the title isn't all that accurate is it? Because we all know **Jay-Z** is much more than a rap star.

He's a songwriter, a producer, a record executive, an investor and an entrepreneur. From clothing lines, to beverages, to stakes in **Uber**, million dollar art collections and real estate, **Jay-Z's** name seems to be everywhere. So really, it's no surprise he's become the first hip hop artist to achieve billionaire status.

According to **Forbes**, his wealth *"conservatively totals"* US$1billion (approximately AU$1.43billion), beating other major players from the entertainment scene like **Diddy** (worth US$825 million) and **Dr Dre** (US$770 million).

That figure takes into account Jay-Z's $75 million music catalogue, his stakes in champagne and cognac companies worth $310 million, his entertainment companies like **Roc Nation** worth $75 million, his properties in the Hamptons and Bel Air and much, much more.

![Jay-Z with a friend in Trenton, New Jersey circa 1988](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cf/bb/cfbb8a7e-9a81-48ec-83e6-18e106bf4f7a/content/images/2026/09/img_0598-2.jpg)

Jay-Z with a friend in Trenton, New Jersey circa 1988

It's clear he's come a *lonnnng* way. **Jay-Z,** whose real name is **Shawn Carter,** grew up in one of Brooklyn's housing projects with his mother and three siblings. He speaks openly about how rough his early years were, selling cocaine as a teenager and being shot at three times in his neighbourhood. He pleaded guilty to stabbing a fellow record executive in 1999 and while he could've been up for 15 years in jail, he received 3 years probation instead. Throughout the 90s and 2000s, he made a name for himself as a rapper, doing duets with **Mariah Carey**, **Lenny Kravitz,** and his future wife, **Beyoncé.** 

While he and Queen Bey have had a joint net worth over the billion dollar mark for sometime, this is the first time a rap star has made the list.