New York City native Curtis James Jackson III, known by his professional name 50 Cent, enjoys a career as a successful hip hop and rap star, as well as a prolific businessman. In fact, all of his professional pursuits have netted a 50 Cent net worth that right now stands at $270 million, an impressive figure for someone who has been in the entertainment for less than 20 years. He got his start in music as an amateur deejay who would spin records in his friend’s basement. In short time, however, he met Jam Master, half of the famous hip hop duo Run-DMC, who brought 50 Cent to the record label Jam Master Jay Records.
Under the tutelage of Jam Master, 50 Cent learned the skills needed to hone his musical craft and break into the music industry. He released his first album, entitled Power of the Dollar, in 2000. That album contained 18 songs; however, his song “How to Rob” was met with some controversy. Nonetheless, by 2002, he was actively collaborating with established acts like Eminem, who is credited with helping 50 Cent reach the mainstream media’s attention. In 2003, 50 Cent released his first commercially successful album, which was called Get Rich or Die Tryin’. He has since released six more commercial albums, the most recent being Animal Ambition in 2014. Songs from that LP include “Funeral” and “Hold On”.
With such an impressive net worth to his credit, it is understandable that 50 Cent has his fair share of critics. In fact, he has been in famous feuds with contemporaries Rick Ross and Kanye West. He also has not shied away from making his political beliefs known to the public. He most famously garnered criticism when he vocally supported President Bush following the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
How Much Is 50 Cent Worth Now?
For such a young star to have a 50 Cent net worth of $270 million, a person would naturally have to wonder from what avenues all of this income stems. In fact, 50 Cent has proven himself to be quite business savvy and has brokered deals that would be on par with any found on Wall Street. For example, he had a direct hand in creating and marketing a beverage called Vitamin Water. His brand of Vitamin Water, called Formula 50, was a collaborative effort between him and Glaceau. The partnership eventually sold Vitamin Water to Coca-Cola for a reported $4.1 billion. His cut of the deal, reported to be $100 million, substantially bulked up his net worth.
He has an active partnership with Reebok to create a line of shoes for his G-Unit Clothing Company. He also has his own film production company called G-Unit Films. As a respected actor, 50 Cent has starred in movies like Spectacular Regret, which also starred Nicolas Cage, and the 2006 film Home of the Brave. He has also worked with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Righteous Kill.
Along with acting and doing voice over work in cartoon shows like The Simpsons, 50 Cent also has a creative hand in reality programming like his MTV show 50 Cent: The Money and the Power. He paid the winning contestant of that show $100,000 as an investment opportunity. Despite getting his start in entertainment and music as a deejay and rapper, 50 Cent has proven that he has business savvy to broker deals to his advantage. As an actor, owner of a film production company, and also the owner of a clothing line, 50 Cent has undertaken a range of professional endeavors that makes his net worth one of the highest for entertainers and celebrities his age.