African-American rapper, actor, television producer, and businessman Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, has launched several successful business ventures worldwide that are propelling him to greatness.
From Queens, New York, 50 Cent released his debut album Get Rich or Die Trying, pushing him to No.1 on the Billboard charts. He sold a million copies of the album in the first four days after its release. Since then, he has released several albums and collaborations.
After filing for bankruptcy in 2015, the In Da Club hitmaker has been climbing back up and has built an empire with ventures ranging from the music industry to consumer electronics, fashion, and spirits, to filmmaking.
According to Forbes, 50 Cent is worth $155 million, and it’s all because of music, technology, clothes, and beverages. Here are five businesses 50 Cent owns
G-Unit Clothing Company
In 2003, 50 Cent co-founded G-Unit Clothing Company in partnership with Marc Ecko, founder of Ecko Unltd. In 2008, 50 Cent took full ownership of the company, transforming it into a fashion brand. Through G-Unit’s sales, Ecko raked in $75 million in 2006, according to Business Insider. With a royalty share of 8%, 50 Cent made $6 million from every piece of clothing with the G-Unit logo during that time. G-Unit Clothing designs a wide range of streetwear, and its merchandise is widely appreciated for its unique design and quality.
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G-Unit Records
The Many Men hitmaker established G-Unit Records in 2003, a move that paved the way for many successful acts like Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, and Mobb Deep. Initially a joint venture with Interscope Records, Universal Music Group later acquired the label. Notably, under G-Unit Records, 50 Cent released his iconic album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin.
SMS Audio
Curtis founded SMS Audio in 2011, his first foray into the consumer electronics industry. SMS stands for ‘Studio Mastered Sound’, and the company primarily focuses on manufacturing and marketing headphones. Acquiring KonoAudio as part of its expansion strategy, 50 Cent worked with Brian Nohe, the founder of KonoAudio, who became the President of SMS Audio. Dr. Dre inspired this move.
G-Unit Films and Cheetah Vision
50 Cents also ventured into the movie space, resulting in the founding of G-Unit Films and Cheetah Vision respectively. Although G-Unit Films has folded, Cheetah Vision is still in operation and secured $200 million in funding back in 2010. He is also known for his role as executive producer and actor in the Starz hit series Power, starring Omari Hardwick, Michael Rainey Jr., and Joseph Sikora, which was formed under his own G-Unit Films production company. 50 Cent reportedly signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the Starz network back in 2018 to get the show on its feet. He also produced a law TV series titled For Life which ran from 2020.
Book Smart
Even though he is thought of as the last real gangster rapper in the music business, he has the brains to write books as well. Known for writing his song lyrics, 50 Cent has also written several successful books, beginning with his memoir From Pieces to Weight in 2005, earning $1.9 million in total. The massive success of that book led him to establish his publishing imprint in partnership with MTV/Pocketbooks in 2007 called G-Unit Books. Among the other books he has authored include The 50th Law, Hustle Harder and Hustle Smarter, among others. In all, he has over 16 books to his name.