Damon Dash Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Damon Dash’s Net Worth?

An American record producer, entrepreneur, and music executive, Damon Dash has a reported net worth of $100 thousand. In contrast to his former partner Jay-Z, who is now a billionaire, Damon Dash has faced numerous financial struggles in recent years. In late 2019, he informed a judge in New York that he was financially unable to meet child support obligations as a significant portion of his earnings were being garnished by various creditors. In September 2024, he accused Jay-Z of undermining an auction related to Dash’s share of the album “Reasonable Doubt,” subsequently making it more difficult for him to settle the approximately $130,000 in child support and millions owed in back taxes to both the state of New York and the IRS. This article will explore his financial history in detail.

Damon Dash is perhaps best known for co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records, a music label he started with rapper Jay-Z. Additionally, he established two clothing brands, including Rocawear alongside Jay-Z. Rocawear ultimately evolved into a highly profitable brand and was sold for hundreds of millions. When his businesses thrived, Damon leveraged his influence to diversify into numerous sectors, including film production, marketing, merchandise, and talent management. His film production company was behind several significant films, such as “The Woodsman,” featuring Kevin Bacon, and “Paid in Full,” starring Mekhi Phifer.

Financial Problems

In 2014, Dash was mandated by a court to pay Linda Williams, the mother of his son Boogie, $50,000 for her prosecution related to harassment charges from 2009. Reports in August 2015 indicated that Damon had an outstanding tax bill of $4.14 million to New York State.

While going through divorce proceedings with Rachel Roy, Damon disclosed to the court that he was facing $2 million in back taxes and was on the verge of losing two apartments in New York City due to foreclosure. He was also embroiled in numerous lawsuits from various law firms and creditors seeking payment. Following his inability to keep up with the $700 monthly payments, his Chevy Tahoe was repossessed. Ultimately, Damon had to leave his $9 million Tribeca home, which was later sold in foreclosure for $5.5 million.

In September 2019, Dash approached the court to terminate his child support payments to Roy. Initially, during their divorce, he agreed to pay $6,000 per month in child support beyond the age of 18 for their two daughters. In his court documents, Damon asserted that he earned $56,000 in 2018, while Rachel supposedly had an income exceeding $500,000.

In March 2019, a court ordered Dash to pay Rachel Roy $341,991 along with $25,000 for legal fees.

Later in November 2019, Dash was taken into custody for failing to meet his child support obligations amounting to $400,000. It was reported that he paid over $1 million for his release. Toward the end of that month, Damon filed legal documents stating he was financially broke and unable to settle a personal debt of $2,400. He claimed that his only income source was his business, which was yielding no profit. He also stated that he had received $2 million from producer Lee Daniels as part of a lawsuit settlement, but that amount had been mostly garnished by creditors.

By January 2024, Damon reappeared in court to request a reduction in his child support payments. His filing indicated he had earned only $5,140 the previous year and could manage a maximum monthly payment of $430.

Roc-A-Fella Share Auction

Despite his ongoing controversies, Damon Dash has not sold his 33.3% share in Roc-A-Fella Records. In July 2024,

It was disclosed that the U.S. Marshall’s service would auction his stake to fulfill an $800,000 civil judgment arising from a copyright and defamation lawsuit won by a film director in 2022. The rights to Jay-Z’s album, “Reasonable Doubt,” remain with Roc-A-Fella Records. The auction paperwork identifies this album as the company’s most valuable asset. A minimum opening bid of $1.2 million has been set for Dash’s 33.3% stake.

In September 2024, Damon expressed frustration on social media, alleging that Jay had intentionally undermined the auction, leading to a significant decline in the value of his 33.3% stake. Consequently, he indicated that he might struggle to meet his approximately $130,000 child support obligation and the million owed in back taxes. The New York City Department of Social Services also intervened, voicing concerns about Jay and clarifying that the new rights holder would possess them until 2098, countering prior online claims of a 2031 end date.

Legal Issues

In 2012, rapper Curren$y filed a lawsuit against Dash for $1.5 million, alleging he released music without authorization. Dash’s attorney responded, asserting that the music was released in accordance with legal protocols.

In June 2022, a lawsuit was resolved involving former Roc-A-Fella Records label owners Jay-Z and Damon Dash, who accused Dash of intending to sell his ownership stake of the record label’s initial album, “Reasonable Doubt,” as an NFT. The previous year, Jay-Z had secured a restraining order to thwart Damon’s efforts.

Early in 2023, Dash was largely exonerated from a sexual assault allegation by a federal jury. Monique Bunn had sued him in 2019, claiming he touched her inappropriately while she slept in his home during a video shoot. Initially seeking tens of millions in damages, jurors ultimately awarded Bunn $30,000 after determining Dash was not liable.

Early Life

Damon Dash, born Damon Anthony Dash on May 3, 1971, in Harlem, New York, attended private schools in New York and discovered his passion for music at a young age. As a teenager, he took up jobs sweeping floors at a local barbershop and selling newspapers to finance his sneaker and t-shirt purchases. Damon has stated that he “learned to hustle” from his mother, who tragically passed away from an asthma attack when he was only 15.

Career

Dash co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records alongside rapper Jay-Z. In his role, Dash collaborated closely with Jay-Z and made strategic contributions to the company’s success.

business partner at Roc-A-Fella Records, as well as previously serving as Jay-Z’s manager. In 1999, Dash successfully arranged a tour for Jay-Z that generated $19 million. With Roc-A-Fella Records achieving tremendous popularity, Damon experienced a significant increase in his net worth, reaching a high of $50 million. Sadly, this success was not everlasting. The bond between Jay-Z and Damon deteriorated following the acquisition of Roc-A-Fella Records by Def Jam Recordings in 2004. Jay-Z soon accepted the role of president at Def Jam. By late 2005, Jay-Z bought Damon out of his shares in Rocawear, which solidified the end of their relationship due to these developments.

Other Ventures

His achievements in record production inspired him to explore various other industries where he also found significant success. Among his ventures, he launched two clothing brands, including Rocawear alongside Jay-Z, which became a highly profitable label that was later sold for several hundred million dollars. As his business flourished, Damon leveraged his influence to enter multiple other sectors. He expanded into film production, marketing, merchandise, and talent management. His film production company created several notable films such as “The Woodsman” and “Paid in Full,” in which Dash made appearances, although his primary role was as a producer. Additionally, Damon established DD172, a media collective that encompasses a magazine titled “American Nu,” a web design company named VNGRD79, an art gallery, and a record label division called BlueRoc Records.

Relationships

From 2000 until her untimely death in August 2001 due to a plane crash, Damon was in a relationship with R&B singer Aaliyah. While the couple was not officially engaged, Dash indicated in interviews that they had plans to marry. Between 2005 and 2009, Damon was married to Rachel Roy, whom he met while she was an intern at Rocawear. They share two daughters, Ava Dash (born in 1999) and Tallulah Dash (born in 2008). Their divorce in 2009 led to a contentious custody dispute, with Roy accusing Dash of domestic abuse, resulting in her being awarded sole custody along with a three-year restraining order and considerable financial support.

Damon also has a son, Dame “Boogie” Dash, who was born in 1991. He shares parenthood of Boogie with his former partner, Linda Williams. Boogie is featured in the reality series “Growing Up Hip Hop” on WE tv.

With his fiancée, film producer Raquel Horn, Dash has a son named Dusko Dash, born on November 14, 2020.