Jay-Z’s fortune holds flat at $1 billion nearly a year after Forbes first crowned him hip-hop’s first billionaire. He boasts an expansive kingdom encompassing spirits (his Armand de Brignac champagne and D’Ussé cognac),
art (including work by Jean-Michel Basquiat), real estate (homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, Tribeca) and stakes in companies from Uber to Robinhood.
“For a young person growing up, he’s the guy to learn from,” Warren Buffett once said of the Brooklyn-born rapper.
Jay-Z’s latest banner year of earnings ($81 million in 2019, good for No. 20 on our Celebrity 100) offset more recent declines across the market, helping to keep him on our list of Billionaires.
And though the coronavirus has impacted the value of his holdings from ride-sharing to real estate, many of Jay-Z’s core assets are in areas well-positioned to weather the downturn.
In addition to his aforementioned alcohol brands, Jay-Z’s Tidal is among the streaming services scores are consuming while quarantined at home. He gave the company another boost with the exclusive launch of Jay Electronica’s debut, A Written Testimony, providing uncredited vocals on most of its tracks.
Look for Jay-Z’s next jackpot to come from his $85 million Marcy Venture Partners fund, which has already placed bets on early-stage companies from scooter startup Wheels to Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line.
“If he’s a billionaire now, imagine what he’s about to be,” mused Swizz Beatz. “Because he’s only just starting.”
