How Dr. Dre Finally Became a Billionaire

Congratulations are in order for hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre, who has officially reached billionaire status. Now, he joins rapper Jay-Z as the only billionaires in rap history.

Many folks who have followed along Dre’s journey might find the news of his billionaire status totally overdue. For well over a decade, the rapper has had his hands in some of the most profitable and innovative businesses in modern history. Now, it seems he’s getting the recognition he deserves, and here’s exactly how he did it.

Dre– real name Andre Romell Young– got his start in the rap world as a member of N.W.A. in the ’80s. But after going solo, the Compton rapper decided to do more that just music. He went on to co-found Death Row Records with Suge Knight in 1991. But it would still be years before his full business potential would be unlocked.

The first time Dre appeared on any Forbes list was in 2001 as one of the highest-earning celebrities for the year. He reportedly sold 30 percent of his share in Aftermath– which was responsible for “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem, 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and Dre’s second album, “2001” –to Interscope Records for a whopping $35 million, according to Forbes.

Through it all, he told Forbes he’s never focused on getting money, but smart business moves and a driven mind has brought him success. “I don’t chase money—I try to make the money chase me,” he said. “I’ve always been able to bet on myself, and whatever I do and wherever I go, I know I have my talent with me.”

A lot of Dre’s millions can be traced back to the success of Beats Electronics, which he co-founded with former record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2008. In 2014, the duo sold Beats to Apple for $3 billion, USA Today reported.

This deal, however, almost backfired on Dre after singer Tyrese Gibson announced a possible change in the Forbes billionaire list after the deal was complete. In the end, the leak cost Dre $200 million, which he told Forbes wasn’t “one of my proudest moments.”

While you can find him towards the end of the billionaire list– currently between President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Vladimir Ivanov, a Russian technology expert, he is one of only 22 entertainers who reached billionaire status– namely Rihanna, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift and Oprah.

Despite the rapper-turned-business man focusing on his businesses, he told Forbes he’s also been making music. “Who knows if something is gonna happen to make me come up with the best thing I’ve ever done in my life?” he said. “The exciting part is there’s the potential of that. It’s exciting and depressing at the same time because I know it’s there, and what if I don’t find it?”

According to him, the public hasn’t heard at least 400 new songs from his vault. Will we ever hear the music, Dre doesn’t even know. What’s for certain, however, is his lasting impact on the world of hip-hop and his billionaire status.