World's richest musician, once sold drugs, faced sexual assault case, now surpasses Taylor Swift, Rihanna with net worth

No one is free from controversies, not even the World's richest musician of 2025. From admitting to drug dealing in early age to alleged involvement in a sexual assault case, this is the richest musician in the world with a staggering net worth of ₹3.71 billion, surpassing wealth of top artists like Taylor Swift ($1.6 billion), Rihanna ($2.08 billion), and Bruce Springsteen ($1.9 billion). 

World's richest musician of 2025

The world's richest musician is the rapper, record producer, and businessman Jay-Z, as per the Forbes Billionaire List 2025.

He also topped Esquire's richest musician list of the year.

Jay-Z's early life

Born as Shawn Corey Carter in Brooklyn, New York, the singer picked up his name ‘Jazzy’ while performing at local rap battles. His name later got converted to ‘Jay-Z’. Raised by a single mother, Jay-Z and his siblings struggled in their early lives after his father abandoned them when he was just 11. 

As per an Oprah interview, he sold crack cocaine as a teenager. Reportedly, he was shot at three times during this period.

Jay-Z's music career

Raising against all odds, the 54-year-old musician co-founded his own record label and released his first album in 1996. 

Juggling his career as both an artist and a music executive, he even produces music for other artists. In fact, each of his last 11 albums opened at number one on the Billboard 200, and he has sold over 140 million records. While his successful music career fetched him 24 Grammys, his strategic business ventures and investments made him the first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire in 2019.

In 2008, Jay-Z married pop star Beyonce, who is also one of the richest musicians in the world, with a net worth of $760 million.

Jay-Z's business empire

Jay-Z has built a business empire with over 20 brands under him. Among them, Roc Nation remains his most successful venture. Founded in 2008 in partnership with Live Nation, the full-service entertainment agency manages talent and athletes, and handles touring, film, publishing, promotions, talent development, and television production. The company has signed contracts with acclaimed artists like Rihanna, J. Cole, and Meek Mill, among others.

In the liquor industry, Jay-Z has several brands. He partnered with the French champagne brand Armand de Brignac, also known as Ace of Spades. In 2021, he sold a 50% stake in the brand to LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) for $640 million, according to CEO Today. He also co-owns the cognac label, D’Ussé, with Bacardi.

Jay-Z ran the private jet charter service JetSmarter, which was later acquired by Vista Global in 2019. Another one of his ventures, the streetwear label Rocawear, was sold to Iconix Brand Group in 2007.

Added to these, Jay-Z continues to earn returns from his early investment in Uber. He has also invested in Block, Inc. (formerly Square), the payment platform founded by Twitter’s Jack Dorsey.

From time to time, Jay-Z had landed in controversies, including the time when he was accused of sexually assaulting a minor with Diddy in 2000. Earlier this year, Jay-Z's name was removed from the lawsuit as per People Magazine.