Jay-Z Just Became A Billionaire: Let's Break Down How He Reached That Milestone

“I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man,” Jay-Z once famously rapped. This past week, that comment was proven to be unbelievably true as the performer amassed a personal fortune worth $1 billion. From humble beginnings in Brooklyn to becoming the first hip-hop artist to reach that milestone, how did Jay-Z do it?

According to Forbes, the 49-year-old rapper-turned-mogul grew his fortune by making smart investments in the spaces of liquor, art, and real estate, just to name a few areas. In addition, he purchased shares in companies such as Uber and had a large part in the streaming service Tidal, which he submitted a bid to purchase in 2015 for a smidge less than $60 million. He would relaunch it later that year with great fanfare and many celebrity guests, including Kanye West and Calvin Harris.

Jay-Z's billionaire trajectory started in the ‘90s when Jay released his debut album “Reasonable Doubt.” A crucial part of his path was realizing that he should build his own brands instead of marketing someone else’s, which was quickly followed by the launch of his clothing brand Rocawear in 1999 and D’Ussé, a cognac that he co-owns with Bacardi.

Before stepping into the role of Def Jam’s chief in 2004, the rapper also negotiated the return of his master recordings and publishing rights, which were smart moves as they garner nearly 1 billion annual streams. Jay-Z, whose real name Shawn Carter, also owns an impressive art collection and several real estate properties in Bel Air and East Hampton.

In a sign of what’s to come, Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean, a past collaborator, said when speaking of Jay’s wealth, “If he’s a billionaire now, imagine what he’s about to be because he’s only just starting.”