Tekashi69 Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Tekashi69’s Net Worth?

With a net worth estimated at $500 thousand, Tekashi69, an American rapper, social media figure, and convicted felon, stands out as one of the most polarizing rappers globally, both for his music and his personal troubles. In 2015, he entered a guilty plea for a felony charge involving a minor in a sexual performance. Subsequently, in 2018, he faced arrest due to charges related to racketeering, weapons, drug offenses, and a conspiracy to commit murder. He cooperated with authorities, testifying against former gang members in exchange for a reduced two-year prison sentence. Following his early release tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was placed under house arrest.

Despite a relatively short career to date, Tekashi has managed to make impressive amounts of money, reportedly signing numerous contracts and deals worth a total of tens of millions of dollars. Detailed insights into his financial situation will follow in the next paragraph.

Financial Issues

Honestly, it can be challenging to track Tekashi69’s financial standing month by month. Unquestionably, he has secured several lucrative contracts for records and concerts worth millions. Additionally, he has accrued significant earnings from streaming royalties, mainly from his YouTube channel, boasting 20 million followers and over 5 billion views on his videos.

However, after his prison sentence, his career effectively came to a standstill for two years.

In March 2022, Tekashi filed documents in court, stating he was experiencing significant financial difficulties due to lost income, primarily from the two-year hiatus in his career. He mentioned a complete lack of royalty earnings and an inability to generate tour income.

His filing stated:

“Right now, I am struggling to make ends meet. I do not know if I will ever command the kind of advances I was paid before my arrest and my career stalled.“

This document was part of a civil lawsuit from two former associates. Tekashi also asserted that if the lawsuit progressed, it could lead him to “bankruptcy.”

A month later, he shared a video on Instagram showcasing millions of dollars in cash and cars worth at least a million dollars:

 

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A post shared by @6ix9ine

The day following the posting of that video on Instagram, Tekashi appeared on “TMZ Live,” where Harvey Levin directly questioned him about the contradiction in his financial statements. Here’s the dialogue that unfolded:

Harvey Levin:

“You owe about a million dollars in restitution, yet you’ve informed a judge that you are broke.“

Harvey’s co-host contributed:

“Your attorney suggested that bankruptcy might be necessary.“

Harvey then remarked:

“But you’re also showcasing two million dollars. Doesn’t that put you at risk for having that money seized?“

Tekashi’s response:

“I don’t have it right now. I don’t have it. That was prop money.“

Early Life

On May 8, 1996, Tekashi69 was born as Daniel Hernandez in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York. His mother hails from Mexico, while his father is originally from Puerto Rico. Until he was nine, he was unaware of his father’s existence, mistakenly thinking he was deceased. Daniel Sr., however, was actually incarcerated due to heroin addiction.

Later, his father would assert that the family of his mother hindered Daniel Sr. from visiting Daniel Jr., even going as far as tearing up the letters sent from jail.

Financial hardships plagued the family, particularly after Daniel’s stepfather was fatally shot on the steps of their home in 2010 when Daniel was just 14. This tragic event resulted in significant psychological trauma, necessitating therapy for Daniel to address his PTSD and depression. Around this period, he began to act out in school, leading to his expulsion in the 8th grade. Following his departure from school, Daniel took on a job at a grocery store to contribute to the family’s finances.

Rap Career

At the age of 16, Daniel embarked on his rapping journey. An important opportunity presented itself when he encountered the CEO of a record label during his shift at a Brooklyn bodega. That executive, Peter “Righteous P” Rogers, operated a label named Hikari-Ultra and motivated Daniel to start releasing his original songs.

In 2014, he released his debut track, aptly named “69.” That same year, he would unveil a series of additional singles. Over the next three years, Daniel, who by then had adopted the stage name Tekashi 6ix9ine, dropped several albums and videos that garnered him a moderate following within the underground rap community. Following the release of his 2018 album “Dummy Boy,” Tekashi69 put out his second album, “TattleTales,” in 2020, which made its debut at #4 on the U.S. “Billboard” 200 chart.

Success

In 2018, Tekashi69 released his initial mixtape, “Day69.” His breakout single “Gummo” climbed to #6 on the US Rap chart, #7 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #12 on the “Billboard” Hot 100, earning a Gold certification. Another single, “Kooda,” also achieved Gold status, reaching #29 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #50 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. Furthermore, his collaboration on the single “Keke” (featuring Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie) reached #20 on the US Rap chart, #22 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #43 on the “Billboard” Hot 100.

Reported Record Deals

Throughout his rise, 6IX9INE has leveraged social media to boast about multiple record and management agreements. In January 2018, he alleged (in a now-deleted Instagram post) that he had inked a record deal worth $7.5 million. A month later, he claimed to have secured a $15 million management contract with Birdman’s RICHGANG company. Shortly thereafter, he alleged signing a $4.9 million endorsement deal with a headphone company. However, several insiders in the recording industry we consulted indicated that there is no substantiating evidence to support any of these claims.

$10 Million Deal

In October 2019, Tekashi finalised a confirmed record deal with the company 10K Projects. This agreement is reportedly valued at a minimum of $10 million and is set to include two upcoming albums, one in English and the other in Spanish.

GlobalStreamNow Deal

In July 2020, Tekashi announced that he had negotiated a $5 million agreement with the live-streaming platform GlobalStreamNow. This contract entails a single virtual performance scheduled for September 5, 2020.

Legal issues

Tekashi69 has faced multiple arrests throughout his life. In 2015, he accepted a guilty plea for a felony charge involving the use of a child in a sexual performance. This resulted in a sentence of three years probation, allowing him to avoid registering as a sex offender, provided he refrained from posting explicit images online and obtained his GED—which he ultimately failed to pass. In July 2018, an arrest occurred due to an outstanding warrant linked to allegations of choking someone in a Houston mall.

Further legal troubles arose in 2018 when he was charged with weapons, drugs, and racketeering offenses. To sidestep a potential 47-year sentence, he agreed to testify against several members of the Nine Trey Bloods gang. His testimony spanned several days in September 2019, revealing that the gang permitted him to portray himself as a member while he financially supported them. He disclosed that after releasing the song “Gummo,” his earnings surged to an average of $60,000 monthly from YouTube and live performances.

In December 2019, he entered a guilty plea in accordance with his agreement with government prosecutors.

Because of his collaboration, the judge decided that Tekashi would only serve 13 months in prison, while those he testified against face life imprisonment.

On March 22, 2020, he sought an early release due to the rampant spread of COVID-19 within the prison system. The government raised no objections, and he was released on April 2nd, ahead of his scheduled release in August 2020.

In March 2023, reports emerged of an assault on Tekashi in a steam room at an LA Fitness gym in Palm Beach County, Florida. Footage of the incident circulated on social media, showcasing his facial injuries, and one suspect has entered a not-guilty plea for the charges.

Release

On May 8, 2020, Tekashi debuted his new song “Gooba” alongside a music video, which quickly broke the record for the most significant 24-hour debut for a hip-hop video on YouTube, amassing 40 million views in 24 hours. This surpassed the previous record of 38 million views, held by Eminem for his 2018 track “Killshot.”

Within just one week, “Gooba” exceeded 150 million views.

On that same day, May 8th, Tekashi69 conducted an Instagram live session, drawing over two million simultaneous viewers, setting a new record by surpassing the previous one by over 1.7 million.

Claiming earnings of $2 million from “Gooba” alone in under a week, Tekashi attributed substantial income to YouTube ad revenue, Spotify royalties, and other sources. He also expressed his plan to donate 10% of his profits to charity.

Personal Life

Just weeks before his imprisonment at the end of 2018, Tekashi began a relationship with Rachel “Jade” Watley. He has a daughter, born in October 2015, with Sara Molina, as well as another daughter, born in November 2018, with Marlayna M.

Fluent in Spanish, Tekashi has recorded four tracks in the language: “Bebe,” “Mala,” “Yaya,” and “Bori.” He also suffers from asthma.

After his release from prison, Tekashi moved into a modest residence in Lido Beach. Following a neighbor leaking his whereabouts, he relocated to Water Mill in New York, residing in an 8,500-square-foot home overlooking an estate that features a tree farm. At the time, the property was listed for rent at $55,000.