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, actor, entrepreneur, and producer. He gained fame in the early 2000s, largely due to his debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” which achieved multiple platinum certifications and produced hit songs like “In Da Club.” His later works, such as “The Massacre,” also enjoyed significant success. 50 Cent is recognized for his unique musical style that combines aggressive lyrics and memorable hooks, leading to millions of album sales globally. Beyond his music career, he has made notable business advancements, particularly by investing in Vitamin Water, which resulted in a major payout when Coca-Cola acquired the brand. Furthermore, he successfully ventured into film and television, both in acting and producing capacities, with his semi-autobiographical series “Power” becoming very popular and leading to several spin-offs.

Throughout his career, 50 Cent has reportedly earned between $200-300 million from his diverse ventures, especially through record sales, touring, and various brand collaborations. Unfortunately, he has also indulged in extravagant spending (primarily on real estate, vehicles, and legal disputes), which prompted him to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2015. We will explore this filing further in the article. Before his bankruptcy, 50 Cent’s wealth peaked at over $100 million.

Early Life

Born as Curtis James Jackson III on July 6, 1975, in Queens, New York City, 50 Cent was raised in South Jamaica. His mother, Sabrina, was a drug dealer and passed away when he was only eight years old, after which he was brought up by his grandmother. At the age of 12, he started dealing drugs after school. His troubles with the law began in high school when he was apprehended by metal detectors while trying to smuggle guns and drug money. In 1994, he was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover officer, and later, a police raid at his residence uncovered heroin, crack cocaine, and a firearm. He spent six months in a boot camp and subsequently earned his GED.

Early Career and Shooting

Gaining attention through the release of his provocative underground rap single “How To Rob,” Jackson’s popularity surged. In May 2000, he was ready to launch “Thug Love,” a collaboration with Destiny’s Child, when he was shot and hospitalized. The attack occurred outside his grandmother’s home in Queens, where a gunman (alleged to be Darryl Baum, former bodyguard to Mike Tyson) fired nine bullets, hitting 50 Cent in various body parts, including his hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. The shooter was killed three weeks after the incident. After 13 days in the hospital, 50 Cent signed a publishing agreement with Columbia Records, only to later be dropped when he attempted to release the track “Ghetto Qu’ran.” Subsequently, he was blacklisted from the U.S. recording industry and traveled to Canada to create mixtapes that would enhance his popularity. In 2002, he released the mixtape “Guess Who’s Back?”.

Rise to Fame

In 2002, Eminem discovered Jackson and was so impressed with “Guess Who’s Back?” that he invited him to Los Angeles.meeting Dr. Dre, 50 Cent entered into a record deal worth $1 million and subsequently released “No Mercy, No Fear.” A song by 50 Cent was included in the soundtrack of Eminem’s film “8 Mile.” His popularity skyrocketed in 2003 with the release of the debut album “Get Rich or Die Trying,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and achieved nearly one million copies sold within the first four days. The lead single, “In Da Club,” broke records within a week, becoming the most-listened-to song in radio history. Soon after, Interscope granted 50 Cent his own label, G-Unit Records. In March 2005, he released his next album, “The Massacre,” which was another major success, moving 1.14 million copies within its first four days and securing the top position on the Billboard charts for six consecutive weeks. In 2007, he released his third album, “Curtis,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The fourth album, “Before I Self Destruct,” came out in November 2009. Disagreements with his record label postponed the release of his fifth album, “Street King Immortal,” until November 2012. To date, over 21 million units of his studio albums have been sold.

Other pursuits

In the brief time he has been in the spotlight, 50 Cent established G-Unit Records, launched a clothing line named G-Unit, and has even performed alongside legends such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in several films. In 2012, he founded a boxing promotion company called The Money Team.

Bankruptcy Filing

The Wall Street Journal reported on July 13, 2015, that 50 Cent had initiated Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy protection proceedings. The bankruptcy was filed in the US bankruptcy court located in Hartford, Connecticut, as that was his residence at the time.

At the moment of filing, 50 Cent was residing in a mansion that previously belonged to Mike Tyson, situated at 50 Poplar Hill Dr, Farmington, CT 06032. According to the filing, his reported assets ranged from $10 million to $50 million, with debts claimed to be of equal value.

This bankruptcy filing occurred shortly after a jury mandated that 50 Cent pay Rick Ross’ ex-girlfriend, Lavonia Leviston, a judgment of $5 million for deliberately releasing a sex tape featuring her. This judgment included $2.5 million for unauthorized use of her image and an additional $2.5 million for emotional distress. The presiding judge also required Mr. Jackson to provide proof of income and net worth for the jury’s consideration of any additional punitive damages.

Interestingly, the $5 million judgment followed another case where a different judge ruled that 50 Cent must pay $17.5 million in damages pertaining to trademark infringement linked to a previous business partner involved in a headphone venture. Altogether, he was facing potential legal judgments totaling $22.5 million before accounting for punitive damages related to the sex tape case.

The bankruptcy filing was at least partially a strategic maneuver for three main reasons:

• #1) To safeguard against the judgment creditor (Lavonia Leviston) interfering with his business and placing liens on his assets.
• #2) To compel the creditor into negotiations aimed at reducing the $5 million judgment.
• #3) To preventprevented from awarding Ms. Leviston additional punitive damages by the jury in the sex tape case.

Subsequently, he would elaborate:

“When you achieve success, you become a target. I don’t want to be a bullseye. I prefer not to be the person from whom astronomical claims are pursued. I’m implementing safeguards that any prudent business person would employ in such circumstances.“

Following this, his attorney added:

“The filing allows Mr. Jackson to maintain his engagement with various business ventures and continue his career as an entertainer while he pursues a systematic reorganization of his financial matters.”

Vitamin Water Deal

One of 50 Cent’s shrewdest financial moves was securing a minority stake in Vitamin Water, in exchange for his role as a celebrity spokesperson and the endorsement for the “Formula 50” drink.

In 2007, Coca-Cola acquired Glacéau, the creator of Vitamin Water, for $4.1 billion. It is widely considered that 50 Cent realized profits from the Vitamin Water sale that were approximately ten times his total earnings from music up to that period.

Reportedly, 50 Cent’s equity interest in Vitamin Water was initially quoted at 10%, potentially leading to a pre-tax profit of $410 million. However, this figure was largely disputed by investment bankers familiar with the transaction, who suggested that 50’s actual stake was nearer to 2.5%. A 2.5% share would imply that 50 Cent made between $100 million and $150 million from the transaction (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

Reports emerged in July 2017, albeit unconfirmed, indicating that 50 Cent sold his minority interest in Effen Vodka for $60 million. He took to Instagram to acknowledge the transaction but remained non-committal about the $60 million figure, which originated from DJ Envy on The Breakfast Club radio show. While Envy mentioned this figure, he did not provide any source for it. If the information came from 50 himself, it could lend it credibility, yet it might also be an exaggeration. We await further verification from official sources, meaning this amount has not yet been included in the net worth stated above.

Starz Deal

A four-year overall agreement was struck by 50 Cent with Starz in October 2018, the network featuring his drama series “Power.” This deal encompasses a commitment to three series and could ultimately yield $150 million if all conditions are met.

Personal Life

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

Born in October 1996, Tompkins later initiated a lawsuit against Jackson for $50 million, which was ultimately dismissed. The two have repeatedly clashed on social media.

In 2005, 50 supported President George W. Bush following fellow rapper Kanye West’s criticism of the president regarding his delayed response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Later, Jackson endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Despite many lyrical references in his songs, Jackson does not engage in drug or alcohol use.

In May 2016, after passing through Cincinnati International Airport, Jackson confronted a janitor and insulted him, accusing him of substance use. It was discovered that the janitor was a teenager with autism and hearing impairment. The video of the incident went viral, prompting the teenager’s parents to consider suing 50 Cent. They reached a settlement where 50 Cent donated $100,000 to Autism Speaks and offered an apology.

Connecticut Mansion

50 Cent purchased a 17-acre estate in Connecticut in 2003, featuring a 50,000-square-foot home complete with 37 bathrooms, 21 bedrooms, a gym, a casino, and a nightclub. This estate was previously owned by Mike Tyson. At the time of the purchase, Tyson was experiencing personal issues, including a divorce and bankruptcy. He was mandated to transfer the mansion to his ex-wife, Monica Turner. Turner sold the property to 50 Cent for $4.1 million and subsequently invested an additional $6 million on upgrades such as a private movie theater, infinity pool, and a helicopter pad.

During 50’s bankruptcy proceedings in 2015, his legal team revealed that maintaining the house cost approximately $72,000 monthly, with utility expenses alone amounting to $18,000.

First attempting to sell the mansion in 2007 for $18.5 million, 50 Cent faced no buyers. Since then, he has continued his efforts to sell it without success, reducing the price to $4.995 million in September 2018 but still receiving no offers. Finally, in April 2019, he sold the home for $2.9 million, reflecting an 84% drop from his original asking price and a loss of $1.2 million compared to his purchase cost.