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How 50 Cent went from hustling in the streets to the top of the Forbes list
It wasn’t too long ago when 50 Cent was the biggest hip hop artist in the world and gangsta rap was still gangsta. Realistically, everything has changed since then.
When it came to Curtis Jackson’s product, however, there was no faking in it. His shit was always just extra aggressive, quintessentially New York and paved the way for so many rappers after him.
From Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (which later turned into a feature film) to The Massacre, Fiddy was truly untouchable for the most part of the 2000s.
Just when it looked like he reached the top of the music game, he did what not many would’ve expected and began focusing most of his energy to landing some savvy business investments. The seeds that he planted early on off have paid in a big way.
He’s one of the most successful rapper turned moguls in the game. Not only is he a platinum recording artist, but he’s an actor, an executive producer for one of the most successful series on television, a philanthropist and an investor of a slew of ventures including real estate, stocks, bonds, energy drinks and even mining.
If you’ve been wondering why Fif isn’t putting out consistent work like he used to, then take a closer look into how he switched up his energy to get this money. The man has been busy getting to this paper. The scary part is there’s no signs of him slowing down.
Today 50 Cent has an estimated net worth of $155 million and is consistently a top 5 richest rapper in the game every year according to Forbes.
But just 23 years ago, 12-year-old Curtis Jackson was selling drugs and getting arrested in school. By the time he was 25, he got shot nine times and nearly lost his life.
So just how did he defeat all the odds against him and become one of the greatest American success stories of all time?
In February 2003, 50 Cent dropped his first studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and sold 872,000 copies in the first week.
Right after, he established his own record label, G-Unit Records along with his own production company, G-Unit Films.
By November of ’03, he signed a five-year deal with Reebok to distribute a G-Unit Sneakers line for his G-Unit Clothing Company.
In the beginning of 2004, he launched G-Unit Books and has both written and helped produced several books such as Robert Greene’s The 50th Law, an urban take on The 48 Laws of Power.
By October 2004, he partnered with beverage brand Glacéau and launched his own flavor with VitaminWater called “Formula 50”.
Similarly, he partnered with Right Guard to brand his “Pure 50 RGX” deodorant and began promoting “Magic Stick” condoms.
In 2005, he released his biopic movie about his life which generated over $46 million worldwide.
He also had a video game released that same year called “Bulletproof”.
In 2007, Coca Cola bought VitaminWater for $4.1 billion and, according to Forbes, 50, who was a minority shareholder, made $100 million from the deal after taxes.
In 2008, he launched his second production company called Cheetah Visions which raised $200 million of funding.
In 2010 he transitioned G-Unit Films into a television company as well and sold a multi-project deal to six networks including Power on STARZ which he co-created, stars in, and executive produces.
In 2011, 50 launched Street King energy drinks and used a portion of sales to help provide food for the one billion people starving in Africa.
That same year, he founded consumer electronics company SMS Audio with “Street by 50” branded headphones.
In 2014, he became a majority stakeholder in Effen Vodka. That same year he signed a $78 million deal with luxury underwear brand FRIGO.
