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Dr. Dre has become the latest hip-hop artist to join the billionaire club.
On Tuesday, March 10, Forbes confirmed the veteran rapper-producer landed on its World Billionaires List for the first time. The business outlet attributes his billion-dollar fortune to the success of his Aftermath Entertainment record label, which he established under Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records, and Beats Electronics. The 61-year-old artist and the music executive founded Beats by Dre in 2006. Dre and Iovine sold the company to Apple in 2014 for $3 billion in cash and stock. However, he remains an influential part of the brand.
Dr. Dre's wealth increased over the past year after he teamed up with Snoop Dogg to launch Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop. The ready-to-drink cocktail is the first release from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s new premium spirits company, which they launched in 2024. Dre and Snoop also released Still G.I.N., the duo's first ultra-premium gin, last year.
Dr. Dre originally claimed he was "hip-hop's first billionaire" after Apple acquired Beats Entertainment over a decade ago, but now it's official. He joins the likes of JAY-Z, who became Hip-Hop's first official billionaire in 2019, and his wife, Beyoncé. The Grammy Award-winning singer is now officially worth over $1 billion, thanks to her 20+ years of music sales, record-selling world tours, and her lavish art collection. Rihanna is also on the coveted list due to the success of her Fenty Beauty company.
See Forbes' entire World Billionaires List here.