Forbes listed the wealthiest hip hop artists, placing Sean “Diddy” Combs just ahead of Jay Z in a very close 1-2 exacta. It’s a race with a photo finish, as just $10 million separates the two titans, with Diddy’s net worth calculated at $820 million compared to Jay Z’s $810 million. (Now as a couple, Jay Z and his wife no doubt move into the lead…) At this level, the $10 million difference is within the margin of error. Jay Z might be ahead — hard to say for sure. $10 million is just 1.2% of $820 million.
Dr. Dre rounds out the top three with a Forbes-estimated bank account worth $740 million. Only a small portion of the artists’ net worth derives from their art. Diddy has a revenue-sharing deal with Diageo for Ciroc vodka and he owns part of Revolt TV. Jay Z’s stake in Tidal, his music service, accounts for much of his nut. And Dre is still living large off his sale of Beats headphones to Apple.
