50 Cent once amassed a massive net worth thanks to his career. In addition to his success in music, he continued making a fortune off of his several business and entertainment ventures. But how close has the mogul come to the coveted billionaire status after building his media empire?
What 50 Cent thinks about being a billionaire
50 Cent showed how savvy of a businessman he could be not too long after achieving mainstream success in music. He famously struck a vitamin water deal that earned him even more millions in 2004. Later, he’d become an even more versatile entrepreneur. He experimented with his own headphone company, SMS audio, which started in 2011. He found more success in television thanks to his lucrative Power franchise.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he’s accumulated $60 million over the course of his career. But at his richest, the “In Da Club” artist was worth $100 million. Still, given his many projects, 50 Cent’s finances may only continue to grow in the future. However, the ambitious artist doesn’t necessarily need to become a billionaire anytime soon.
“I have far exceeded anyone’s expectations of me,” 50 Cent said in an interview with Us Weekly. “I think my longevity and staying power in the industry have surprised many, but that’s what drives me further. [Besides,] I’m not in a hurry to reach billionaire status. I’ve reached a point where I don’t want anything I don’t have. What’s the rush? I’ve bought every car I wanted, multiple times over.”
50 Cent was also aware that officially becoming a billionaire potentially came with a new set of problems. This might’ve also played a part in him taking his time to reach that kind of status.
“When people publicly say you’re a billionaire, they come for what you have. The IRS might suddenly decide they want 58 percent of your money. The ambulance chasers, the attorneys — it’s an army of ’em after you. Then you’d have to protect yourself because you have deep pockets,” he said.
Why 50 Cent already technically considered himself a billionaire
Another reason 50 Cent was in little hurry to become a billionaire was because he didn’t need to be one. He figured there would be no change in his lifestyle if he earned more than he already did.
“Being a billionaire won’t be much different from where I am now. At that point, you have to figure out how to give back,” he said. “You start building a legacy, doing more sophisticated things. People remember those who helped others more than those who just accumulated wealth. They’ll ask, “How did he benefit others? How significant was his success if it didn’t affect other people’s lives?”
Furthermore, the BMF creator felt that he already reached billionaire status a long time ago. Especially when comparing his current position in life to his past lifestyle in the streets.
“So when they financially say, ‘Oh, you’re a billionaire, this person is a billionaire,’ it’s like, ‘I’ve been a billionaire since 2007. I’m that far from where I came from that I’ve been a billionaire financially because everybody around me is being paid,” 50 Cent said on The Enthusiast podcast. “Resources that I compensate for people to be there, and I really don’t see things that I want that I can’t go get it.”
He illustrated his point by highlighting the differences between two categories of people which he called the givers and takers.
“You got givers and takers, right? People they’ll come, and you’ll feel them looking at you like, ‘I’m excited because he’s such and such…,’ or, ‘I wanna meet him because I wanna talk to him, and maybe this will happen for me,’ or, ‘Maybe he’ll finance my idea,’ right? Those people are takers ’cause you see them once. Then you have the guy that hears you talking about an idea and says, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea; let’s do it, man.’ That’s a giver because finance means nothing to ’em,’” he added.
