Dr. Dre is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is well known as the CEO and founder of Beats and Aftermath Entertainment. Currently, Dr. Dre is considered to be the 3rd richest rapper in the world.
Therefore, “Is Dr. Dre a billionaire?” has become a common question on the internet.
Well, the answer to the question is, “NO”, Dr. Dre is not a billionaire. He is a millionaire. Before Jay Z, Dr. Dre touched the billion-dollar milestone but taxes reduced his billion-dollar mark. Hence, Dr. Dre is not a billionaire now.
What is Dr. Dre’s net worth?
As of this writing, Dr. Dre is estimated to have a net worth of $820 million.
Dr. Dre’s $820 million net worth has ranked Forbes’ No. 3 richest rapper in the world. He makes a hefty sum of his net worth from the music and electronics business. Let’s dive deep into Dr. Dre’s earning sources…
How much did Dr. Dre make from music?
In 2001, Dr. Dre was the 2nd highest-paid musician. He has grossed a multi-million fortune from music.
In 1992, Dre released his first studio album — The Chronic. According to Rolling Stone, Dr. Dre made more than $2 million from the Family Affair single of this album. Besides, this song ranked on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
Dr. Dre earned a total of $51.9 million from the Family Affair single. Throughout his three decades of a music career, Dr. Dre has released:
- Studio Albums: 3
- Soundtrack Albums: 1 (The Wash)
- Collaboration Albums: 2
- Singles: 42
- Music videos: 21
Apart from these, Dr. Dre has sold more than 10 million copies of his music. On Spotify, Dr. Dre has more than 14.2 million monthly listeners. Dre’s 2nd studio album went six times platinum in the US and five times in Canada.
Related Read: Is Dr. Dre a Real Doctor?
How much did Dr. Dre make from his business?
Dre is often considered to be a successful entrepreneur. He founded Aftermath Entertainment. Besides, he has made a huge amount of fortune from Beats.
Dr. Dre sold a 30% share of his Aftermath label. He was reported to earn more than $35 million selling a 30% share of Aftermath Label.
Before Beats and Aftermath Entertainment, Dr. Dre co-founded and co-owned Death Row Records. He also founded the gangsta rap group — N.W.A.
Talking about Beats, Dr. Dre generated $1.4 billion in sales revenue from this electronics company. Later, Dr. Dre sold Beats by Dr. Dre to Apple for $3 billion. He also joined Apple as an executive.
Hence, Dr. Dre has made a hefty sum of his net worth from business ventures.
Was Dr. Dre a Billionaire before Jay Z?
According to Forbes, Jay Z is the first rapper to become a billionaire. Before Jay Z, Dr. Dre surpassed the $1 billion milestones. But, due to taxes, he is not recognized as a billionaire rapper.
Jay Z has ranked himself as the richest rapper in the world. He is estimated to have a net worth of $1 billion. Throughout his career, Jay Z has sold 125 million records so far. Besides, he has won over 23 Grammy Awards.
Jay Z has 13 No.1 albums whereas Dr. Dre has only 3 No.1 albums. Dre has sold 15 million albums. From music, Dr. Dre has earned less than Jay Z. Therefore, Jay Z has reached the richest and billionaire milestone whereas Dr. Dre has ranked himself the third-richest rapper in the world.
Why didn’t Dr. Dre be a Billionaire?
Dr. Dre has made a billion-dollar milestone but taxes reduced his billion-dollar fortune. Besides, he has to pay $100 million to his ex-wife Nicole Young.
Dre has a lot of controversial issues. At first, taxes reduced Dre’s billion-dollar fortune. Besides, he was ordered to pay more than $3.5 million per year in Spousal support. According to Billboard, Dr. Dre will pay $100 million to Nicole Young as a settlement between them.
Apart from these, Dr. Dre leads a luxurious lifestyle. He often drives the Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe. He also owns luxurious cars like:
- Cadillac Escalade
- Hummer H2
- Chrysler 300S
- Bentley Continental GT
Dr. Dre was photographed with a platinum Rolex Masterpiece watch with a diamond bezel. Therefore, Dr. Dre leads a luxurious lifestyle which has slightly hindered him to become a billionaire.
Sources
- https://www.forbes.com/profile/dr-dre/?sh=1aa9ad9e710e — Forbes report featuring Dr. Dre.
- https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/dr-dre-ordered-to-pay-more-than-35m-per-year-in-spousal-support/6TCSCGCDNJAVREHD5IQXLQQFLE/ — The Atlanta Journal report.
- https://www.capitalxtra.com/artists/dr-dre/lists/richest-hip-hop-artist-in-the-world/ — The story behind Dr. Dre’s fortune.