50 Cent Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is 50 Cent’s net worth?

50 Cent, an American rapper, producer, actor, and entrepreneur, boasts a net worth of $40 million. He rose to fame in the early 2000s with his debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” which propelled him to international stardom; it went platinum multiple times and featured hits such as “In Da Club.” His following albums, like “The Massacre,” continued to enjoy significant success. Famed for his unique style that mixes aggressive lyrics with memorable hooks, 50 Cent has sold millions of albums around the globe. His influence, however, transcends music, as he has made remarkable advancements in the business realm. Notably, his investment in Vitamin Water yielded a considerable payout when Coca-Cola acquired the company. Furthermore, 50 Cent has successfully transitioned into film and television both as an actor and a producer, with his semi-autobiographical series “Power” gaining much popularity and spawning multiple spin-offs.

Throughout his career thus far, 50 Cent has accumulated at least $200-300 million through various activities, primarily through music sales, touring, and numerous brand partnerships. Nevertheless, lavish spending (especially on real estate, cars, and legal disputes) led him to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2015. More will be discussed regarding this filing later in this article. At his zenith, prior to the bankruptcy, 50 Cent’s wealth peaked at over $100 million.

Early Life

Born Curtis James Jackson III on July 6, 1975, in Queens, New York City, 50 Cent was brought up in the South Jamaica neighborhood by his mother, Sabrina, who worked as a drug dealer. She passed away when Jackson was only eight years old, leading to his upbringing by his grandmother. At 12, he started dealing drugs after school. During the 10th grade, he was apprehended by metal detectors in his high school while trying to bring firearms and drug money. In 1994, after selling cocaine to an undercover officer, he faced arrest again and was later found to have heroin, crack cocaine, and a firearm in his residence after a police search. He served a six-month term in a boot camp and obtained his GED.

Early Career and Shooting

Jackson attracted attention with his underground rap single, “How To Rob,” which was considered controversial. In May 2000, he was preparing to launch “Thug Love,” a collaboration with Destiny’s Child, when he suffered a shooting that left him hospitalized. The incident occurred outside his grandmother’s home in Queens, where an assailant (reportedly Darryl Baum, Mike Tyson’s bodyguard) fired nine shots, hitting 50 Cent in several areas including the hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. The assailant was killed three weeks later. 50 Cent spent 13 days in the hospital, during which he secured a publishing agreement with Columbia Records. Nonetheless, Columbia dropped him after he attempted to publish “Ghetto Qu’ran,” and he was subsequently banned from the U.S. recording industry. To regain his footing, he traveled to Canada to record mixtapes and enhance his popularity, eventually releasing “Guess Who’s Back?” in 2002.

Rise to Fame

In 2002, Eminem discovered Jackson. Impressed with “Guess Who’s Back?”, Eminem invited him to Los Angeles…

meeting Dr. Dre. After signing a $1 million record deal, 50 Cent released “No Mercy, No Fear.” Featured on the soundtrack of Eminem’s movie “8 Mile” was a song by 50 Cent. With the release of his debut album “Get Rich or Die Trying” in 2003, 50 Cent skyrocketed to immense popularity. This album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and sold nearly a million copies within its first four days. In a historic moment, the lead single “In Da Club” set a record for the most-played song in radio history just one week after its release. Soon thereafter, Interscope granted 50 Cent his own label, G-Unit Records. His subsequent album, “The Massacre,” was released in March 2005, achieving another tremendous success by selling 1.14 million copies in the first four days and maintaining the number-one position on the Billboard charts for six consecutive weeks. His third album, “Curtis,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2007. The fourth album, “Before I Self Destruct,” was launched in November 2009. Due to disputes with his record label, the release of his fifth album, “Street King Immortal,” was delayed until November 2012. To date, his studio albums have exceeded sales of 21 million units.

Other pursuits

Throughout his relatively brief time in the limelight, 50 Cent established G-Unit Records, launched a clothing line under G-Unit, and even acted alongside icons such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. He also initiated a boxing promotion company called The Money Team in 2012.

Bankruptcy Filing

On July 13, 2015, the Wall Street Journal disclosed that 50 Cent had sought Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy petition was filed in the US bankruptcy court located in Hartford, Connecticut, as 50 was a resident of the state at that time.

When he filed, 50 was residing in Mike Tyson’s former mansion at 50 Poplar Hill Dr, Farmington, CT 06032. In the paperwork, 50 Cent reported his assets were valued between $10 million to $50 million, while claiming debts of a comparable amount.

The bankruptcy filing followed closely after a jury mandated 50 to compensate Rick Ross’ ex-girlfriend, Lavonia Leviston, with a $5 million judgment for the unauthorized release of a sex tape featuring her. This judgment included $2.5 million for the misuse of her image and $2.5 million for emotional distress. Additionally, the presiding judge required Mr. Jackson to provide evidence of his income and net worth, which would allow the jury to assess potential further punitive damages.

This $5 million ruling came about a year subsequent to another judge ordering 50 to pay $17.5 million in damages related to a trademark infringement case involving a former partner from a headphone venture. Altogether, he faced $22.5 million in possible legal liabilities before accounting for punitive damages in the sex tape case.

The act of filing for bankruptcy served at least in part as a strategic maneuver for three key reasons:

• #1) To shield the judgment creditor (Lavonia Leviston) from interfering with his business operations or placing liens on his assets.
• #2) To compel the creditor to negotiate and potentially reduce the $5 million judgment.
• #3) To avertthe jury prevented from awarding further punitive damages to Ms. Leviston in the sex tape case.

Later, he elaborated:

“Achieving success often makes you a target. I don’t want to be a bullseye. I would prefer not to be the person anyone approaches with exorbitant claims and has to go through all the trouble that entails. I am implementing safeguards typical of any prudent businessperson in a similar situation.“

Following this, his lawyer stated:

“The filing allows Mr. Jackson to maintain his engagement with various business interests while continuing his career as an entertainer, all while he systematically reorganizes his financial matters.”

Vitamin Water Deal

50 Cent made his most astute financial move when he arranged for a minority stake in Vitamin Water in exchange for serving as their celebrity spokesperson and endorsing the “Formula 50” drink.

In 2007, Coca-Cola acquired Glacéau, the producer of Vitamin Water, for a staggering $4.1 billion. It is widely asserted that 50 Cent earned nearly ten times the amount from the Vitamin Water sale than he ever made throughout his music career up to that point.

Reports initially indicated that 50 Cent held a 10% equity stake in Vitamin Water, which would translate to a pre-tax profit of $410 million. However, this figure was largely dismissed by investment bankers involved in the transaction, who later suggested that 50’s actual stake was closer to 2.5%. If that were the case, 50 Cent would have made between $100 million and $150 million from the sale (before taxes).

Earnings By Year

2007: $32 million

2008: $150 million

2009: $20 million

2010: $8 million

2011: $6 million

2012: $7 million

2013: $7 million

2014: $8 million

2015: $4 million

2016: $6 million

2017: $5 million

2018: $4 million

2019: $4 million

Total: $261 million

Effen Vodka Deal

In July 2017, reports surfaced (though unconfirmed) that 50 Cent had sold his minority stake in Effen Vodka for $60 million. While 50 Cent took to Instagram to acknowledge the occurrence of the deal, he did not verify the $60 million figure, which originated from DJ Envy’s comments on The Breakfast Club radio show. Envy mentioned that number without providing a source or confirmation. It is possible that this figure came from 50 himself, though it could also be an embellishment. We await more reliable sources for confirmation, and as such, this figure has not yet been included in 50’s stated net worth above.

Starz Deal

In October 2018, 50 Cent entered into a four-year overall agreement with Starz, the network airing his drama series “Power.” This deal, which encompasses a commitment for three series, could ultimately amount to $150 million if all conditions are met.

Personal Life

50 Cent has one son with his former partner Shaniqua Tompkins. Marquise Jackson wasBorn in October 1996, Tompkins later filed a lawsuit against Jackson, seeking $50 million, but the case was dismissed. The two have engaged in numerous feuds on social media.

In 2005, 50 supported President George W. Bush after fellow rapper Kanye West criticized the president for his slow response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Later, in 2008, Jackson endorsed Barack Obama, and in 2016, he showed support for Hillary Clinton. Despite the drug-related lyrics in many of his songs, Jackson abstains from the use of drugs and alcohol.

In May 2016, while walking through Cincinnati International Airport, Jackson confronted and insulted a janitor, accusing him of being under the influence. The janitor turned out to be a teenager who is autistic and hearing-impaired. The incident went viral, prompting the teenager’s parents to consider a lawsuit against 50 Cent. They ultimately reached a settlement, which included a $100,000 donation from 50 Cent to Autism Speaks along with an apology.

Connecticut Mansion

In 2003, 50 Cent acquired a 17-acre estate in Connecticut, which boasts a 50,000-square-foot mansion featuring 37 bathrooms, 21 bedrooms, a gym, a casino, and a nightclub. This property was formerly owned by Mike Tyson, who in the same year faced a divorce and filed for bankruptcy. Tyson was instructed to transfer the mansion to his ex-wife, Monica Turner, who sold it to 50 Cent for $4.1 million. Following the purchase, he invested an additional $6 million into various upgrades, such as a private movie theater, an infinity pool, and a helicopter pad.

During his bankruptcy proceedings in 2015, 50 Cent’s lawyers revealed that maintaining and financing the house generally cost around $72,000 monthly, with utility bills alone amounting to $18,000.

Initially, 50 attempted to sell the property in 2007 for $18.5 million but was unsuccessful. His efforts to sell the mansion continued, yet he remained without success. By September 2018, he further reduced the asking price to $4.995 million without finding any buyers. Finally, in April 2019, he sold the mansion for $2.9 million, which reflected an 84% reduction from his original asking price and resulted in a $1.2 million loss compared to his purchase price.