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Thinking long-term offers a distinct advantage, a principle 50 Cent knows very well. During a recent appearance on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast , the rapper-turned-businessman recalled how he made $100 million from Vitaminwater by strategically acquiring employee stock options to boost his equity. “[With] the Vitaminwater thing, I didn’t need the money,” 50 Cent shared. “When companies approach artists to be a part of the marketing, it’s just [that] they’ve reached the financial level where they can commit that marketing and it’ll move their company to the next level, the notoriety and everything that connects to it. So they make the deal.” He went on to emphasize the importance of thinking long term in business, highlighting how his investment helped him make a substantial profit when Glaceau, Vitaminwater’s parent company, sold to Coca-Cola in May 2007. As AFROTECH™ previously noted , 50 Cent’s Vitaminwater deal transformed Hip-Hop partnerships and serves as a blueprint for...
50 Cent faced some growing pains when launching his series “Power.” While speaking on the podcast “Earn Your Leisure,” he notes a time when there was a clear division between television and film production. When he was looking to introduce “Power,” he felt there was major pushback. “A ctors that were successful on TV, the film actors wouldn’t go near them, like they would stay away from it because they felt like it was a higher grade of quality, that they wanted to stay with more cachet with you being a movie star than you being a television star,” he recalled. “Now we’re producing premium projects that allow Forest Whitaker and “Godfather of Harlem.” You see Academy-Award-winning actors choosing television ’cause it builds a consistency, and they can pay out the money that keeps the talent happy with staying there, but you do need to know with ‘P ower’ everybody told me no. I pitched that show to all of the networks, and they were like ‘No,’ and I wanted to make the project so...
50 Cent is making major real estate moves in Shreveport, LA. G-Unit Studios As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the entrepreneur opened G-Unit Studios in the city, now the second-largest Black-owned studio behind Tyler Perry. The 985,000-square-foot property is being used “to operate a production studio and/or activities and uses related to the promotion or development of the film, sound, light, movie, television, broadcasting, recording, and arts industries.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) “Founding my own studio is the next step in my plan to expand G-Unit Film & Television’s output of premium, diverse content across all media and to provide more opportunities for artists, crew members and more jobs within the community,” 50 Cent told KTAL-6 News. Housing Project 50 Cent’s plans for Shreveport also extend beyond his studio. He is rolling out a three-phase plan to transform the city through areas including housing. “We start building houses, and we...
50 Cent has revealed one of those “unwritten laws of business.” The artist and entrepreneur took to the stage at Invest Fest in Atlanta, GA, and shared his unspoken rule in business: Never appear to need anything. He then clarified the thought process behind this surprising rule. “One of the unwritten laws of business is to not appear to need anything,” he said during Invest Fest, according to HipHopDX. “Because everybody will do you a favor when you don’t need one. If they can expect a bigger favor in return or a favor from you at some later point, they’ll find the ability to just do it.” He added: “That’s why when they tell me no, I go — if television say[s] they [are] going on strike, I say, ‘Okay, I’m on tour.’ That last tour [the Final Lap Tour], I did 103 shows. It’s the third-highest-grossing Hip-Hop tour ever.” Although the saying “closed mouths don’t get fed” is commonly accepted, 50 Cent has succeeded in various ventures despite not adhering to this principle. While it is...
Although in no rush to become a billionaire, 50 Cent is following Tyler Perry’s blueprint. Both entrepreneurs have their own studios, which house their current and future projects and create jobs that benefit the surrounding communities and beyond. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Perry, a self-made billionaire, relied on his earnings to fund a 330-acre studio in Atlanta, GA, which opened its doors in 2008. “That’s why ‘Sistas,’ ‘The Oval,’ ‘Ruthless,’ and ‘Zatima’ — soon to come — All these shows on BET are doing so well, because I had us,” Perry said during Invest Fest 2023. “So, I haven’t been in a position where I’ve had to use private equity or money like that.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tyler Perry Studios (@tylerperrystudios) Today, Tyler Perry Studios grants him greater creative freedoms through its built-in features that include 12 sound stages — available to rent — and various staged sets such as baseball fields, a chapel, a bank, a county jail, a...
The music catalog company holding the hits of artists like 50 Cent, Eric Bellinger, John Coltrane, and a host of others has officially been sold. Hipgnosis, which is described as having “a collection of proven hit Songs of cultural importance by some of the most talented and important Songwriters globally,” per its website, has sold its assets to Blackstone for $1.6 billion. Additionally, its leader, Merck Mercuriadis, who was once responsible for managing Beyoncé, has also stepped down from the company, The New York Times reports. The Hipgnosis Songs Fund is an “investment trust” currently listed on the London Stock Exchange in the U.K. and owns the rights of “tens of thousands of songs,” per the outlet. During a meeting on Monday, July 8, 2024, a board for the company voted to accept an offer from Blackstone, worth $1.6 billion, to purchase its assets. Already, Blackstone had taken majority control of the company’s “investment adviser” side of the business through a $1 billion...
50 Cent claims his social accounts fell victim to a cryptocurrency scheme. Fox News reports the rapper’s X account had been hacked to promote a cryptocurrency token called $GUNIT. The token’s name suggests his former Hip-Hop group G-Unit. On Friday, June 21, 2024, the scammer allegedly wrote on 50 Cent’s account, “$GUNIT for winners only…” Complex reports 50 Cent’s Instagram account included screenshots of the $GUNIT crypto, which showed under $1 million in market value, and that number quickly increased. The message gained popularity, accumulating 57,000 likes on June 22 and drawing hundreds of users to the comments section, with some even making purchases. Despite this, 50 Cent stated he was not associated with the venture, and his accounts were later locked, Fox News notes. 50 Cent claims the hacker made $3 million within 30 minutes from the scam. It’s not possible to verify 50 Cent’s assertions, nor is there a way to confirm if the hacker earned the alleged $3 million. “My...
50 Cent plans to develop housing in Shreveport, LA. As Blavity previously shared, the Shreveport area is now home to the rapper’s G-Unit Studios, an extension of his G-Unit Films and Television company. The 985,000-square-foot property aims “to operate a production studio and/or activities and uses related to the promotion or development of the film, sound, light, movie, television, broadcasting, recording, and arts industries,” per a previous report by AFROTECH™. G-Unit Studios’ purpose includes giving opportunities to creatives and the community. 50 Cent has announced a three-phase plan to revitalize the area, with housing development being a focus area, according to KTAL-6 News in Shreveport. “We start building houses, and we have an idea to go into communities and help low- to moderate-income families get mortgages,” Orville Hall, G-Unit’s growth advisor, said per KTAL-6. Furthermore, plans will focus on supporting youth by creating new media programs. “We’re going to go to each...
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is prepared to take his woes with Suntory Global Spirits to Congress if both parties are not able to come to a mutual agreement soon. According to HipHop DX, the rapper-turned-businessman used his Instagram account to address the company’s decision to change its name from Beam Suntory to Suntory Global Spirits without taking accountability for its alleged wrongdoing toward him and Sire Spirits. “Changing the company name from Beam Suntory to @SuntoryGlobalSpirits without correcting what was done to my brands @bransoncognac and @lecheminduroi doesn’t fix the problem and lacks honor,” 50 Cent said. “ I attempted to resolve the matter, not once, but twice. Now the legal process will play out publicly for everyone to see what really happened and how @SuntoryGlobalSpirits would rather spend millions to protect and conceal criminal conduct instead of doing the right thing.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) As previously reported...
For almost a decade, Michael Rainey Jr. has been a staple in 50 Cent’s TV reign on Showtime. Following the release of “Power,” the actor went on to star in its spinoff, “Power Book II: Ghost.” As the series is in its fourth and final season, Rainey has recounted his journey of being a part of the successful TV franchise. During an interview on Forbes’ “New Money” podcast, he spoke about how 50 Cent has not only been a mentor to him but also a father figure. Working closely alongside the business mogul and fellow co-stars of the “Power” franchise such as Omari Hardwick and Joseph Sikora, Rainey shared that it served as a time for learning critical skills including how to handle his money responsibly. “I’m still young, so I’m still learning how to manage my money, but I really just take advice from people that are around me,” Rainey said. “Being on ‘Power’ not only changed my life career-wise, but just being on that show, being on set with everybody every day, just being around those...
Jay-Z is known for breaking barriers in music. However, his secret to reaching billionaire status has been his ability to succeed in areas beyond the billboard charts. Among his various ventures, he reminds the world that the shoe brand Reebok is one of the successes documented in his portfolio. According to Finurah, Jay-Z signed a sneaker deal with Reebok in 2002. In 2003, the rapper became the first non-athlete to sign an endorsement deal with the shoe and apparel company, per ABC News. At the time, record executive Steve Stoute was working with Reebok and convinced Jay-Z to accept the deal; the rapper signed on as a 50/50 partner with the brand. “Jay-Z’s not the ambassador of anything except himself. He was a partner. He was a 50/50 partner,” Stoute said in an interview on “Club Shay Shay.” The first collaboration to result from the partnership was the “S. Carter Collection,” which had a better debut than any of its previous shoes, surpassing the sales of Allen Iverson’s shoe...
A serial entrepreneur has shared a story revolving around the early beginnings of 50 Cent building his business acumen. In an Instagram post, Jesse Itzler shared that the rapper and businessman was once an intern for him. According to Itzler’s website, he has built and sold Marquis Jet, Zico Coconut Water, 29029 Everesting , and more. He is also part owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.