50 Cent Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is 50 Cent’s net worth?

With a net worth of $40 million, 50 Cent is an American rapper, producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He gained fame in the early 2000s, with his debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” achieving international recognition, going platinum several times, and producing hits such as “In Da Club.” Following this, his albums like “The Massacre” also enjoyed significant success. Renowned for his unique style that combines aggressive lyrics with memorable hooks, 50 Cent has sold millions of records globally. His impact, however, goes beyond music; he has made noteworthy advances in the business world, particularly with his investment in Vitamin Water, which provided him a considerable profit upon the company’s sale to Coca-Cola. Moreover, 50 Cent has successfully transitioned to film and television as both an actor and producer, with his semi-autobiographical series “Power” becoming a major hit, resulting in several spin-offs.

Throughout his career, 50 Cent has generated between $200 million to $300 million through his various pursuits, especially album sales, touring, and brand partnerships. Sadly, he also indulged in extravagant spending (notably on real estate, automobiles, and legal matters), leading him to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2015. Further details on that filing will be discussed later in this article. At the height of his success, prior to the bankruptcy, 50 Cent’s wealth exceeded $100 million.

Early Life

Born Curtis James Jackson III on July 6, 1975, in Queens, New York City, 50 Cent was raised in the South Jamaica neighborhood by his mother, Sabrina, who was involved in drug dealing. She passed away when he was only eight years old, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. At the age of 12, he started selling narcotics after school. In the tenth grade, he was apprehended by metal detectors at his high school while attempting to bring guns and drug money. In 1994, he was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover officer. A subsequent police search of his residence uncovered heroin, crack cocaine, and a firearm, leading him to serve six months in a boot camp, where he earned his GED.

Early Career and Shooting

Jackson gained attention with the release of a provocative underground rap single, “How To Rob.” In May 2000, he was ready to drop “Thug Love,” a collaboration with Destiny’s Child, when he was shot and hospitalized. This incident occurred outside his grandmother’s residence in Queens involving an assailant (alleged to be Darryl Baum, who was Mike Tyson’s bodyguard) who fired nine shots. 50 Cent sustained injuries to his hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. The assailant was killed three weeks afterward. After spending 13 days in the hospital, Jackson signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records; however, when he sought to publish the song “Ghetto Qu’ran,” he was dropped by Columbia. Blacklisted by the entire United States recording industry, he went to Canada to record mixtapes to enhance his popularity, culminating in the 2002 release of the mixtape “Guess Who’s Back?”.

Rise to Fame

In 2002, Jackson was discovered by Eminem, who, after being impressed by “Guess Who’s Back?”, invited him to Los Angeles.

meeting Dr. Dre. After signing a $1 million record deal, 50 Cent released “No Mercy, No Fear.” A song by 50 Cent was included in the soundtrack of Eminem’s film “8 Mile.” In 2003, 50 Cent skyrocketed to fame with his debut album “Get Rich or Die Trying,” which launched at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, selling nearly a million copies within its first four days. The lead single “In Da Club” achieved a record for the most-listened-to song in radio history in just one week. Soon after, Interscope granted 50 his own label, G-Unit Records. In March 2005, Jackson released his subsequent album, “The Massacre.” This album also proved to be a major success, with 1.14 million copies sold in the first four days and sustaining 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. November 2009 saw the release of his fourth album, “Before I Self Destruct.” Due to conflicts with his record label, his fifth album, titled “Street King Immortal,” was delayed until November 2012. To date, his studio albums have collectively sold over 21 million units.

Other pursuits

Within a relatively short period in the limelight, 50 Cent established G-Unit Records, launched the G-Unit clothing line, and acted in films alongside icons like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. In 2012, he also created a boxing promotion company named The Money Team.

Bankruptcy Filing

Report from the Wall Street Journal on July 13, 2015, revealed that 50 Cent had filed for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy protection. The filing occurred in the US bankruptcy court located in Hartford, Connecticut, as 50 Cent was residing in Connecticut at that time.

During the filing, 50 was living in the former mansion of Mike Tyson at 50 Poplar Hill Dr, Farmington, CT 06032. His reported assets were estimated between $10 million and $50 million, with debts claimed to be of similar amounts.

The bankruptcy filing occurred shortly after a jury mandated 50 Cent to pay a $5 million judgment to Rick Ross’ ex-girlfriend, Lavonia Leviston, for the unauthorized release of a sex tape featuring her. This judgment consisted of $2.5 million for unauthorized use of her image and another $2.5 million for emotional distress. Furthermore, the presiding judge instructed Mr. Jackson to present proof of his income and net worth to evaluate potential punitive damages.

About a year before this, a separate judge ordered 50 to pay $17.5 million in damages related to a trademark infringement case involving a former partner in a headphone business. When the totals were combined, he faced potential legal judgments amounting to $22.5 million, excluding further punitive damages from the sex tape case.

The bankruptcy filing was, at least in part, a strategic decision for the following three reasons:

• #1) To safeguard his business operations from disruptions and to prevent the judgment creditor (Lavonia Leviston) from placing liens on his assets.
• #2) To compel the creditor to negotiate and potentially reduce the $5 million judgment.
• #3) To avert

  the jury in the sex tape case prevented from granting Ms. Leviston additional punitive damages.

He later elaborated:

“Success often makes one a target. I prefer not to be a bullseye. I don’t desire to be the person that others approach with unreasonable claims and navigate through that turmoil. I’m adopting the necessary precautions, just as any prudent business person would in this circumstance.”

Following this, his lawyer provided the statement:

“This filing enables Mr. Jackson to maintain his participation in various business ventures while also continuing his career as an entertainer, all while he methodically reorganizes his financial matters.”

Vitamin Water Deal

50 Cent’s most astute financial move occurred when he secured a minority stake in Vitamin Water as a condition for serving as their celebrity ambassador and endorsing the “Formula 50” beverage.

In 2007, Coca-Cola acquired Glacéau, the parent company of Vitamin Water, for $4.1 billion. It is widely believed that 50 Cent profited approximately ten times more from the Vitamin Water transaction than he had from his entire music career up until that time.

Initially, it was stated that 50’s equity interest in Vitamin Water was 10%, which would have yielded a pre-tax profit of $410 million. However, this figure was mostly dismissed by investment bankers knowledgeable about the transaction, who later suggested that 50’s actual share was closer to 2.5%. With a 2.5% share, 50 Cent would have earned 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, it was reported (but not confirmed) that 50 Cent sold his minority interest in Effen Vodka for $60 million. He took to Instagram to acknowledge the deal but did not verify the $60 million figure, which was originally cited by DJ Envy on The Breakfast Club radio program. Envy mentioned the number without citing a source or providing verification. It’s possible the figure originated from 50 himself, which would be intriguing and may lend credibility, but it could also be an exaggeration. We are currently awaiting more official confirmations, so this figure isn’t included in 50’s net worth outlined above.

Starz Deal

In October 2018, 50 Cent entered into a four-year overall agreement with Starz, the cable network behind his drama series “Power.” This deal, which involves a commitment for three series, has the potential to reach a total value of $150 million if all conditions are met.

Personal Life

50 Cent has a son with his former girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins. Marquise Jackson was

Born in October 1996, Tompkins subsequently initiated a lawsuit against Jackson for $50 million, but the case was dismissed. Numerous times, the two have clashed on social media.

In 2005, 50 Cent expressed his support for President George W. Bush after fellow rapper Kanye West criticized the president for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina. Later, in 2008, Jackson supported Barack Obama, followed by Hillary Clinton in 2016. Despite the presence of drug-related lyrics in many of his songs, Jackson chooses not to use drugs or alcohol.

In May 2016, after passing through Cincinnati International Airport, Jackson confronted a janitor, making insulting remarks when he accused him of being intoxicated. The janitor turned out to be a teenager who was both autistic and hearing-impaired. The incident went viral, prompting the teenager’s parents to consider legal action against 50 Cent. They ultimately settled with a $100,000 donation from him to Autism Speaks along with an apology.

Connecticut Mansion

In 2003, a 17-acre estate in Connecticut was purchased by 50 Cent, which includes a 50,000-square-foot house featuring 37 bathrooms, 21 bedrooms, a gym, a casino, and a nightclub. This home was previously owned by Mike Tyson. At the time of 50 Cent’s purchase, Tyson was navigating a divorce and had also declared bankruptcy, resulting in an order to transfer the mansion to his ex-wife, Monica Turner. Turner sold the property to 50 Cent for $4.1 million, after which she invested an additional $6 million for upgrades that included a private movie theater, an infinity pool, and a helicopter pad.

During 50 Cent’s bankruptcy proceedings in 2015, it was revealed by his lawyers that maintaining and financing the house typically costs around $72,000 monthly, with utility bills alone reaching $18,000.

His initial attempt to sell the home occurred in 2007 with a listing price of $18.5 million, but no buyers emerged. He has continued to seek a sale ever since, facing continued challenges. By September 2018, he had lowered the asking price to $4.995 million but found no interest. Ultimately, in April 2019, he sold the property for $2.9 million, resulting in an 84% decrease from the original asking price and a loss of $1.2 million compared to his purchase cost.