Jay-Z is the richest hip-hop artist on the planet, according to Forbes magazine, with his fortune away from music allowing him to push past longtime rap king Sean "Diddy" Combs, the magazine reported Thursday.
The Brooklyn-born Jay-Z, 48, whose real name is Shawn Carter, increased his net worth from $810 million to $900 million because of his rising interest in Armand de Brignac champagne and D'Usse cognac, along with his ownership stake in the streaming service title and his entertainment company Roc Nation, Forbes wrote.
In November, Forbes listed Carter's wife, Beyoncé Knowles, 36, has the highest-paid woman in the music industry, pulling in $105 million over the past year on the back of her hit album "Lemonade" and her "Formation" world tour.
To top off the couple's banner year, Knowles gave birth to twins, Rumi and Sir, in July, according to People magazine.
Combs, 48, who has led the hip-hop list since Forbes started the compilation in 2011, slipped to second place with $825 million, based on his interest in such companies as Ciroc, Revolt, DeLeon tequila and beverage company Diageo, according to the magazine.
Third place Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, 53, is poised to pass Carter and Combs based on Apple stock trends after the tech giant purchased Beats by Dre in 2014, Forbes wrote. Young's fortune currently stands at $770 million but will receive a "slug" of Apple stock this summer in connection with his 2014 deal that continues to pay off in big ways, the magazine said.
Rapper Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, 31, is tied for fourth place at $100 million, helped along by his investment ion Virginia Black Whiskey, per Forbes. Eminem, at $100 million, does not have the business investments as the top rappers, but Marshall Mathers III, 45, has sold more records than anyone in hip-hop in the 2000s, the magazine said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.