50 Cent is an American rapper, actor, television & record producer, recording artist, record executive, businessman, and entrepreneur. He has made more than $260 million, notably from his music records, song royalties, brand partnership deals, performance, tours, etc., which makes him one of the richest rappers in America.
Shockingly, 50 cent has a net worth of $40 million. The spendthrift hip-hop star spent lavishly on cars, real estate, properties, and lawsuits. His fortunes dropped due to his extravagant lifestyle, which made him file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2015. However, his net worth was above $100 million before the bankruptcy.
Many rap artists reverence 50 Cent as a legend due to his contributions to the American hip-hop music industry. His debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, released in 2003, was a game-changer. The album sold six million units and finished the year as the top seller. He had an agreement with Dr. Dre and Eminem and received $1 million advance after getting signed.
50 Cent is a lyrical genius and a successful rapper. He sold more than 40 million records worldwide and received several awards, including 3 American Music Awards, 4 BET Awards, 6 World Music Awards, 13 Billboard Music Awards, and a Grammy Award.
50 Cent Biography
| Real Name | Curtis James Jackson III |
| Stage Name/Nickname | 50 Cent |
| Date of Birth | July 6, 1975 |
| Age | 47 Years |
| Date of Birth | New York City |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 80kg |
| Nationality | American |
| Source of Wealth | Music, Business, Acting |
| Net Worth | $40 million |
Early Life
Curtis James Jackson, famously known as 50 Cent, was born on 6th July 1975 in the South Jamaican area of Queens in New York City. His background and early childhood were rough, as he was surrounded by violence. He was raised by his mother, Sabrina, a drug dealer, who had him at 15. She was one of the most feared drug dealers in Queens but died at 23 in a fire accident while 50 Cent was eight years old.
His mother died mysteriously in what is likely to be a drug-related death. An assailant drugged Sabrina and turned the gas in her home. 50 Cent never knew his father, so he went to live with his grandparents. He was raised by his grandmother after the death of his mother.
Curtis Jackson, who couldn’t resist the lure of money started hustling at a tender age. At 12, he began dealing narcotics and selling drugs on the streets after school hours. His grandmother presumed that he was participating in after-school activities and programs but she never knew he was selling drugs.
At the age of 15, he bought his first gun. While in 10th grade, he was arrested by a police offer. He was caught by metal detectors attempting to bring drugs, guns, and money into his high school. In 1994, 50 Cent was arrested again for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer. When his house was searched, the police found illegal substances such as a piston, crack cocaine, and uncovered heroin.
At 19 years of age, 50 Cents was the neighborhood drug kingpin and made over $150,000 in profits every month. He dropped out of school and spent some time in jail.
Eventually, Curtis Jackson served in a bootcamp for six months and earned his GED. He was running many profitable crack houses but decided to quit the drug dealing business by the time his son, Marquise was born in 1997.
Early Career and Shooting
At the age of 14, 50 Cent participated in a boxing gym for neighborhood kids and impressed in the ring. Away from the ring, he started rapping in his basement, where he developed his lyrical potential. He idolized rappers like Run-DMC, KRS-1, and Rakim and began writing his own rhymes.
He changed his stage name from Boo-Boo to 50 Cent. He made songs, some of which went to underground mixtapes, where he rapped over people’s songs. One of the mixtapes got to the ears of legendary Run DMC member, Jam Master Jay.
He was trained by Jam Master Jay, who taught him how to write and compose songs, make choruses, structure bars, and other songwriting lessons. He was later signed by Jam Master Jay in 1997, and began working with him.
Jam Master Jay produced a demo of hip hop songs made by 50 Cent, which got him a publishing deal with Columbia Records in 1999. Columbia Records paid a $65,000 advance but 50 Cent got just $5000 as the majority went to Jam Master Jay and his lawyers, who brokered the deal.
50 Cent recorded 36 songs for his album, ‘Power of the Dollar’ but Columbia Records were cautious about the release of the full LP. Around this time, he released a controversial underground rap single titled ‘How To Rob’ on August 10, 1999. The song got the attention of several A-list artists in the U.S, which increased Jackson’s popularity.
The song generated a lot of buzz on the streets, and it comically describes how he would rob famous artists. Rappers like DMX, Jay-Z, Sticky Fingaz, Wyclef Jean, Kurupt, Big Pun, and Wu-Tang Clan responded to the track while Nas invited him to join his Nastradamus tour. Whitney Houston’s troubled spouse, Bobby Brown is one of the famous names mentioned.
In May 2020, he released another single, ‘Thug Love’, featuring Destiny Child. Days before he was scheduled to film the music video, he had an altercation with Wu-Tang Chan, but something worse happened afterward. In that month, he was trailed and attacked by a gunman outside his grandmother’s home in Queens, New York City. This happened months before the album was set to hit the music stores.
He was sitting in a car near his grandmother’s home when the assailant shot him. He was shot nine times, but miraculously, he drove himself to the hospital, where the doctors scrambled to save his life. He was shot in both legs, the arm, legs, chest, arm left cheek, and was hospitalized. However, a bullet fragment still remained in his tongue. It is almost impossible for anyone to survive these injuries, but it’s a miracle that he survived.
The assailant who attacked and shot him was Darryl Baum, who was Mike Tyson’s bodyguard. Three weeks after the incident, the attacker was killed. 50 Cent remained in the hospital for 13 days, and while he was hospitalized, he signed the publishing deal offered by Columbia Records.
50 Cent claimed that the shooting wasn’t over the single he released but some lingering ill from his drug-dealing days. 50 Cent tried publishing a song titled “Ghetto Qu’ran”. As a result of this, he was blacklisted by the U.S recording industry and was dropped by Columbia Records even before his career kicked off.
The ‘Power of the Dollar’ album, which was supposed to be his debut, wasn’t released, and subsequently, it was heavily bootlegged. As of 2023, Columbia Records has no plans to release the album. Producers who worked on the album include DJ Scratch, Red Spyda, Sha Self, Erick Sermon, Trackmasters, and others producers. It also features guest appearances from the likes of Destiny’s Child, Madd Rapper, Dave Hollister, Noreaga, and Bun B.
There was no way for 50 Cent to make it in the United States as the recording industry had blacklisted him. Subsequently, he had to go to Canada to make songs for mixtapes to revive his career and popularity.
Music Career
From 2000 to 2002, 50 Cent collaborated with a group of friends, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks, and they formed the G-Unit crew. They produced a series of mix tapes with the help of music producer, Sha Money XL.
In 2002, 50 Cent released a mixtape titled “Guess Who’s Back?”. Detroit star, Eminem was impressed with the mixtape and invited 50 Cent to Los Angeles to meet Dr. Dre. After signing a $1 million record deal, 50 Cent released “No Mercy, No Fear”. He was discovered by Eminem, who got him signed to Shady Records under the aegis of Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
Unlike Columbia Records, Shady Records/Aftermath Entertainment didn’t hesitate to put 50 Cent to work in making an album. Three songs from 50 Cent, including “Wanksta” appeared on the soundtrack to Eminem’s movie, “8 Mile”.
Wanksta received a lot of buzz and radio airplay, which encouraged fans to buy a CD from the buzzing new rapper. Due to its success, Eminem and Dr. Dre brought 50 Cent into the studio to work on his first album.
His debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, released in February 2003, was a huge commercial success. It debuted at the number #1 position on the Billboard charts as songs like “In Da Club”, “PIMP”, and “21 Questions”. In the first week of release, the album sold 872,000 copies; after 11 days, it sold 1.6 million copies. It was certified 9× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Unlike his unreleased album with Columbia, his debut album steered away from beef and verbal attacks on other artists but took shots at Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs in tracks like “U No Like Me”.
The album included dance songs and club bangers and focused on the crime-ridden past with tales of drugs, murder, firearms, and 50 Cent’s hustle and rough times. Songs like “Many Men (Wish Death)” talks about his survival in the attempts to take his life. The album’s lead single, “In Da Club,” set a world record for being the most-listened song in radio history.
At the end of 2003, 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ sold more than 6.4 million copies. The album became the best-selling CD of 2003, eclipsing Norah Jones chart-topping release in the process.
Also, he won five World Music Awards and five Grammy nominations – thanks to the album. Following the success of his album, 50 Cent purchased a 48,000 sq ft Connecticut mansion owned by former boxing champion, Mike Tyson for $4.1 million. He was romantically associated with American actress, Vivica A. Fox, who has many years older than him.
He purchased a fleet of bulletproof SUV cars and travels in armor-plated vehicles. He insists that he wears bulletproof vests in public, and his son does the same. Wearing bulletproof vests on stage and his album cover was not a fashion style but for safety reasons since he was shot nine times in 2020. His fears weren’t wrong as his mentor and long-time friend, Jam Master Jay was shot and killed in his music studio in Queens, New York City.
In late 2003, he setup his own label, G-Unit Records (Guerilla Unit). He signed the likes of Llyod Banks, Young Buck, and Tony Yayo, and they released their first CD titled Beg for Mercy. The rapper considered some movie offers and featured. Curtis Jackson has been featured in the following movies:
- Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005).
- Home of the Brave (2006).
- Righteous Kill (2008).
50 Cent had similar commercial success when he released his sophomore album, The Massacre in 2005. The album contains the songs like Candy Shop, How We Do, and Disco Inferno. The album was a wild success as it sold over 1.14 million copies within four days after release and nailed the number #1 spot on the Billboard music charts for over six weeks.
His third album, Curtis was released in 2007, and it debuted at the second position on the Billboard 200 chart. His next album, Before I Self Destruct, which was his fourth album, dropped in November 2009. However, disagreements with his record label halted the release of his fifth studio album, Street King Immortal, till November 2012.
All his studio albums have sold more than 21 million units worldwide. In 2017, Interscope Records released 50 Cent’s last album, ‘Best Of’, a collection of his biggest hits.
Business and Investments
Apart from music, 50 Cent has made money from other business ventures. He established a clothing company, G-Unit Clothing Company, and G-Unit Books, his book publishing imprint.
2004 was a successful year for Curtis Jackson, who partnered with Reebok. In November 2003, he signed a five-year deal with Reebok to distribute the G-Unit Sneakers. Ecko Unlimited served as the partner for his G-Unit clothing line.
He established two film production companies: G-Unit Films and Cheetah Vision, in 2003 and 2008, respectively. In 2010, G-Unit Films was renamed G-Unit Films and Televion Inc. He has appeared in movies with stars such as Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, after making his first appearance in his semi-autobiographical film, Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
In January 2011, he made ten million dollars ($10 million) after using Twitter to promote a marketing company of which he is a shareholder. In 2012, he established The Money Team, a boxing promotion company.
He partnered with Glacéau to produce an enhanced water drink called Formula 50. He got a minority stake in the VitaminWater in return for becoming their spokesman after learning he was a big of the company. That proved to be the wisest investment he ever made as a businessman. In 2007, Coca-Cola purchased Glacéau for $4.1 billion, which made him more money than any of his studio albums.
It was initially reported that his equity stake in VitaminWater was 10%, which would have made him $410 million. However, many investment bankers debunked the reports and claimed that 50 Cent’s stake was around 2.5%, which means he made around $100 to $150 million from the deal. According to Forbes, 50 Cent earned over $100 million from the VitaminWater deal after taxes.
In December 2014, the rapper signed a luxurious $78 million deal with FRIGO Revolution Wear, an underwear brand.
In July 2017, it was rumored that 50 Cent sold out his minority stake in Effen Vodka for $60 million. Although he confirmed the deal on his Instagram page, he failed to confirm the amount.
In October 2018, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson signed a 4-year deal with Starz. He is the co-creator, co-star, and executive producer of the drama show titled ‘Power’. he holds corporate positions in the following companies:
- G-Unity Foundation Inc. – Founder.
- SMS Audio – CEO, Founder.
- SK Energy – Founder.
- SMS Promotions – CEO, Founder.
- Sire Spirits – Owner.
- Effen Vodka – Former minority shareholder.
50 Cent Music Albums
- Power of the Dollar (2000) but never released.
- Rare (2003).
- Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003).
- The Massacre (2005).
- Curtis (2007).
- Bulletproof (2007).
- 5 (Murder By Numbers (2012).
- Animal Ambition (2014).
- The Kanan Tape (2015).
Awards and Achievements
50 cent released a couple of hit songs and albums and was nominated for several awards. Some notable awards he has won include:
- Billboard Music Awards Album of the Year (2003).
- Mobo Awards Best Hip-Hop Act (2003).
- MTV Video Music Awards Best Rap Video (2003).
- World Music Awards Best Selling Hip Hop Artist (2007).
- Grammy Awards Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group (2010).
2003 was a breakthrough year for 50 Cent, who won the BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards Best Rap Video, and Billboard Music Awards Album of the Year after releasing his debut album. He was awarded the BRIT Award in the International Breakthrough Artist category in 2004.
He received the World Music Awards for Best Selling Pop Artist in 2003 and 2005. He also won the Billboard Music Awards in 2005 for Top Hot 100 Artist, and BET Hip-Hop Awards (2007). He received the Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group (Crack a Bottle).
Career Earnings
50 Cent had huge success as a musician, earning significant amounts of money from record sales, lucrative partnership deals, brand endorsement contracts, performance, etc. Here’s how much he made over the years:
- 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 earnings = $261 million.
Personal Life
50 Cent has a 21-bedroom home, which has a home movie theater, a racquetball court, and an eight-car garage. He shares a son named Marquise Jackson with his former girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins. Shaniqua Tompkins filed a $50 million lawsuit against 50 Cent.
However, the suit was dismissed after Jackson promised to take care of her. The duo has clashed severally on social media over this.
Daphne Joy, a model and social media personality, used to be 50 Cent’s girlfriend. She gave birth to his second son, Sire Jackson. Sire Jackson started modeling for Kidz Safe, a kid’s headphone company, at the age of 2, signing a contract of over $700,000.
In May 2016, a scandal made its way to the news. In a viral video, 50 Cent was tapped at the Cincinnati International Airport, harassing and insulting a janitor with autism for being under the influence. The janitor was Andrew Farrell, a hearing-impaired autistic teenager. His parents, who had seen the viral video, had seen it as disrespectful and wanted to take legal action against Jackson over his action against their son.
The lawsuit was initially $1 million; however, the janitor’s parents settled for an apology and a donation of $100,000 to the Autism Speaks research organization.
In 2015, 50 Cent declared support for the-then U.S. President George W. Bush after another U.S rapper, Kanye West, criticized the president’s sluggish response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. In 2008, Jackson drummed support for Barack Obama; in 2008, he backed Hilary Clinton for the U.S Presidency.
Due to his dislike for Joe Biden’s tax ideas, Jackson endorsed Donald Trump for the United States Presidency in 2020. However, he revoked his endorsement a week later by tweeting, “Fu*k Donald Trump, I never liked him”, endorsing Joe Biden for the presidency instead.
Despite the lyrical content of his songs, Jackson claims that he doesn’t use drugs or take alcohol.
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Connecticut Mansion and How 50 Cent Spent His Money
In 2003, Jackson purchased a massive 17-acre in Connecticut. The 50,000-square-foot property has 37 bathrooms, 21 bedrooms, a nightclub, a casino, and a gym. He purchased the Connecticut property out of foreclosure from a bank that evicted the former owner, Mike Tyson.
Although he bought the property for $4.1 million, he spent an extra $6 million on several repairs and upgrades, including an infinity pool, a private movie theater, and a helicopter pad. From his bankruptcy proceedings, we discovered from Jackson’s lawyers that the house costs $72,000 for financing and maintenance every month while the utilities cost around $18,000.
50 Cent attempted to sell the property in 2007 for $18.5 million but was unsuccessful. Then, he lowered the property’s price, hoping to find a buyer. He reduced the price to $4.995 million but still wasn’t successful. In April 2019, he finally sold the property for $2.9 million, an 84% discount on his offer price and a $1.9 million loss from his purchase price.
Indeed, 50 Cent spent his earnings extravagantly, without a second thought. Although some of his income had gone into smart investments, the lavish spending could have been avoided. 50 Cent has always been interested in fancy properties and luxurious cars.
He owns a property valued at around $8.25 million, along with other properties such as a New Jersey apartment he leases and investment properties in Atlanta and Long Island.
He has a good car collection, buying vehicles from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Rolls Royce, and Lamborghini. He is no stranger to luxury supercars and exorbitant mansions.
Bankruptcy Filing
Even though 50 cent was one of the most successful and influential hip-hop artists of his time, there was a file for bankruptcy against him. In July 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that Jackson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Since he was a resident of Connecticut, he filed the bankruptcy in the United States bankruptcy court in Hartford, Connecticut.
As of the bankruptcy filing, his assets were $10 million to $50 million. Also, he was residing in Mile Tyson’s old mansion at 50 Poplar Hill Dr, Farmington, CT 06032. Surprisingly, the filing was made just days after a jury ordered him to pay the sum of $5 million to Risk Ross’ former girlfriend, Lavonia Leviston, for leaking the sex tape she was featured in.
The judgment was composed of $2.5 million for the unauthorized use of her image and another $2.5 million for emotional distress and trauma. The judge also ordered Mr. Jackson to produce his proof of income (income report), so they could determine further punitive damages.
The $5 million judgment came after a year as another judge ordered Jackson to pay $17.5 million in damages. This came as part of a trademark infringement case to an ex-partner in a headphone company. Collectively, he owed $22.5 million in potential legal judgments.
The bankruptcy filing was a strategic move for the following reasons:
- To stop the judgment creditor (Lavonia Leviston) from disrupting his business operations and taking possession of his assets.
- To force the creditor (Lavonia Leviston) to negotiate the suit to $5 million.
- To prevent the jury in the sex tape case from awaiting further punitive damages to the judgment creditor.
Legal Issues and Lawsuits
In 1994, 50 Cent was charged with selling four packets of cocaine to a man who was an undercover detective. Although he was sentenced to three to nine years in jail, he only spent six months in a bootcamp and got his high school diploma.
In 2002, he was arrested with four members of his entourage. The police found a .45-caliber pistol and a .25-caliber handgun in their possession. Two counts of illegal firearm possession were filed against the rapper.
After being hit by a water bottle, he was accused of battery and assault. In 2005, he received a 2-year probationary term for a squabble he was involved in at the MTV Video Music Awards held in Los Angeles, California, in 2004.
In 2008, a fire incident occurred in one of his properties in New York City. 50 Cent pleaded not guilty to the four charges of vandalism and one charge of domestic abuse. He could potentially face up to five years in jail and a $46,000 penalty if found guilty of all the charges leveled against him.
Daphne Joy, an actress, model, and former girlfriend to Jackson, sued him for kicking her and ransacking her room during an altercation in her condo in Los Angeles. He inflicted $7,100 damage to her property and absconded before the cops came.
Due to the Instagram posts he made in the previous months, the judge summoned Curtis Jackson to court. However, Mr. Jackson was completely transparent about his finances, leaving the judge surprised as he pointed to images of the rapper holding heaps of cash.
In 2020, 50 Cent was involved in a controversial video of him in a Burger King restaurant offering to make payment for a local scammer, who was later caught and charged with Bitcoin fraud, and for kidnapping and assaulting his victims.
50 Cent Annual Net Worth
This annual net worth report shows how 50 Cent’s net worth has declined over the years.
- 2015 – $155 million.
- 2016 – $16.5 million.
- 2017 – $15 million.
- 2018 – $20 million.
- 2019 – $30 million.
- 2020 – $50 million.
- 2021 – $30 million.
- 2022 – $40 Million.
- 2023 – $40 Million.
Key Facts About 50 Cent
- 50 Cent became famous after the release of the single, How To Rob in 1999.
- He was blacklisted by the United States recording industry after attempting to release a song titled ‘Ghetto Qu’ran’.
- He signed a $1 million record deal with Eminem and Dr. Dre before releasing his debut album.
- He gained worldwide after releasing his debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, in 2003.
- His hit song, ‘In Da Club’ became the most listened-to song in radio history.
- Earned over $100 million from Vitaminwater takeover.
- He filed for bankruptcy in June 2015 due to various lawsuits facing him.
- He released over five studio albums, selling more than 30 million units worldwide.
50 Cent Net Worth
Over his successful music career, 50 Cent released multiple studio albums. Most of his income comes from partnerships with brands, show performances, streaming royalties, record sales, and more.
He made more than $100 million as a minority shareholder after the Coca-Cola takeover of Glaceau.
50 Cent’s net worth is estimated at around $30 million.