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He may not have an outstanding net worth like Ye (Kanye West), who is the richest rapper alive with a net worth of $2 billion, or like Jay-Z who has a net worth of $1 billion. But over the years, Curtis James Jackson III, better known as 50 Cent, has been favored to experience both highs and lows not only in the music industry, but also as an entrepreneur, on his way to $40 million. During his prime, he was responsible for some of the biggest hit songs of his generation, such Many Men, In Da Club, and 21 Questions. He has also has some of the hottest collaborations with artists including rapper/actor Eminem, Snoop Dogg, rapper The Game, and members of his G-Unit group. Let's take a look at the many business ventures of 50 Cent.
His Music Career
Many rappers who understand the nature of the rap industry use it as a way to get their foot in door of different business opportunities before the hype around their name fizzles away. And if they're like 50 Cent, they make themselves into a living legend that can never be forgotten. According to AfroTech, 50 Cent was given a $1 million advance after signing to Interscope Records for his first studio album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. Since then, he has sold $30 million albums worldwide and won several awards for his work. He also went on to form his own rap group, producing stars such as Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck.
Movies And Television
Like many other rapper who transition into actors, sometimes indefinitely, such as the award-winning Will Smith, Ice-T, and LL Cool J, 50 Cent wasted no time in doing the same while still at the peak of his rap career. His first movie was Get Rich Or Die Tryin' which was released in 2005, the same name as his debut studio album which came out in 2003. In that movie, he starred alongside established Hollywood actors such as Terrence Howard, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Omar Benson Miller, Ashley Walters, and Bill Duke. He is also known for his role as executive producer and actor in the Starz hit series, Power, starring Omari Hardwick, Michael Rainey Jr., and Joseph Sikora, which was formed under his own G-Unit Films production company. He reportedly signed a four-year $150 million deal with the Starz network back in 2018 to get the show on its feet.
Liquor And Spirits Brand
With 50 Cent, it's follow the trail of money, so he really lives up to his album name Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Like several other celebrities who have leveraged the alcohol business with their own liquor brands, such as label executive and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs, actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Matthew McConaughey, and veteran actor George Clooney; 50 Cent has also dipped his finger in the business of Spirits. He is the proud owner of Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi, which he distributes through the Sire Spirits brand, named after his youngest son. In addition, he continues to maintain his share in Effen Vodka, a partnership which he solidified in 2014.
Vitamin Water Endorsement
It's hard to imagine a rap mogul like 50 Cent who was worth $260 million at the height of his popularity could've ever gone broke. But due to extravagant purchases on real estate, lawsuits, and extraordinary sports cars, he was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015. While he has since bounced back, telling by his current net worth, a large portion of his then $100 million empire was largely due to a deal he struck with Vitamin Water, owned by the parent company Glaceau. 50's healthy and fit image made it easy to market the brand using his star power, and Vitamin Water sales grew from $100 million in 2004 to $700 million in 2007. Then, also in 2007, the billion-dollar beverage brand Coca-Cola bought the parent company Glaceau for $4.1 billion, and 50 got a $100 million deal, according to Trapital.
Book Smart
For a man with a backstory like that of 50 Cent, it's truly amazing to see the many streams of income he has been able to create for himself. While he may be regarded as the last legitimate gangster rapper in the music industry, he's not all brawn and no brains. Known for writing his own song lyrics, 50 Cent has also penned a number of successful books, beginning with his memoir From Pieces to Weight in 2005, earning $1.9 million in total. The massive success from that book led him to establish his own publishing imprint in partnership with MTV/Pocketbooks in 2007 called G-Unit Books. Among the other books he has authored include The 50th Law, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter, and many others, totaling 16 books.
G-Unit Clothing
It's safe to say that Curtis Jackson has single-handedly marketed his G-Unit brand across a number of his business ventures, proving that the smartest rappers, or music artists in general, don't need to solely depend on royalties from their songs to be successful. Rappers such as Jay-Z with Rocawear Clothing and Drake with OVO Clothing have proved this to be true. Early on in his career in 2003, 50 Cent partnered with Mark Ecko Enterprises where the G-Unit Clothing Line was sold through Ecko Unlimited. Through G-Unit's sales, Ecko raked in $75 million in 2006, according to Business Insider. With a royalty share of 8%, 50 made $6 million from every piece of clothing with the G-Unit logo during that time.
Boxing Promotions
Given his health and fitness mindset, it's no surprise that Mr. Jackson invested his some of his fortune into the sporting industry, the full-contact sport of boxing to be specific. Arguably, one of the most relevant faces of boxing and definitely one of the most successful retired boxers, Floyd Mayweather, is thought to be the owner of TMT (The Money Team) boxing brand that he is often seen flaunting. But in 2012, 50 Cent became a licensed boxing promoter when he launched TMT with Floyd Mayweather and signed boxers like Yuriorkis Gamboa and Andre Dirrell. Mayweather parted ways with 50 Cent shortly after, but during a Hot 97 interview, 50 claimed to have trademarked TMT while Floyd was locked up, thereby still being the brand's rightful owner. Today, TMT is still one of the top boxing promotion agencies in the business.
Video Games
There seems to be virtually no business that 50 Cent won't try his hand at. After all, being a businessman is about taking calculated risks, and most of those risks have surely paid off for him. In November 2005, Curtis Jackson again used his supernova star power when he helped to develop and publish and action video game called 50 Cent: Bulletproof, made available for PlayStation 2 and X-Box. The game features the voices of members from the G-Unit crew as well as those of rapper/producer Dr. Dre and Eminem. Despite negative reviews, the video game sold more than 2.5 million copies at $50 per game, totaling $125 million in sales. The game's sequel, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, came out in 2009 but was not a commercial success.
Sources: HipHop Overload, Business Insider, Trapital, Sire Spirits, AfroTech