Birdman’s net worth has made him a staple in several Forbes lists of richest rappers, hip hop stars, and entertainers. Recently, he has been engaged in a number of legal feuds which have been costing him precious millions. Regardless, the hand-rubbing lyricist still has a vast amount of wealth stashed away.
When talking about the movers and shakers of the music industry, one can’t help but mention Birdman. The tattoo loving bigshot is many things: a rapper, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and record producer. Although Birdman has had an active music career, he is more popularly recognized for his entrepreneurial efforts as the co-founder of Cash Money Records. In addition, he is also one of the founders of Cash Money Billionaire, a musical conglomerate formed by merging Cash Money with the record label owned by Lil Wayne, Young Money Entertainment.
His Early Life
The eccentric rapper was born Bryan Christopher Williams on February 13, 1969. Birdman has a brother named Ronald “Slim” Williams, born two years ahead of him. Slim is also a hip-hop act and the second-half of Cash Money Records.
Birdman had a hard time growing up. His mother died when he was only two years old, so he had to go live in foster homes until his father came to claim him. He grew up in the projects in New Orleans, where he was lured towards the wrong side of the law. He got entangled with petty crimes, sold drugs, and committed robberies as a juvenile which led to him being arrested a couple of times and spending 22 months at a correctional facility.
Over the course of his trailblazing career, Birdman has put out several musical projects such as the albums Birdman, Fast Money, S* Stunna, Priceless, and Rich Gang: All Stars. He has also collaborated with some of the biggest and brightest stars in the industry including Drake, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Young Jeezy, DJ Khaled, Richie Home Quan, Young Thug, and many others.
How Birdman Achieved a Net Worth of Over $80 Million
The rapper’s musical journey began in 1990, but he didn’t really gain any traction from his work until 1998 when he collaborated with DJ Mannie Fresh to form the hip hop duo known as Big Tymers. Then, he was using the stage alias Baby.
The group released three successful albums: How Ya Luv That? in 1998, I Got That Work in 2000 and Hood Rich in 2002. Their last project before they disbanded due to money issues was a single titled Big Money Heavyweight, which dropped in 2013. Their albums sold millions of copies and were certified platinum in the United States. Following their split, the rapper dropped Baby and began using the name Birdman.
Most of Birdman’s net worth came from the record label which he co-founded with his brother in 1991. In the beginning, Cash Money Records was only working with local artists and was able to achieve some level of regional success. Things changed when the label signed a $30 million distribution deal with Universal records, $3 million of which was paid upfront.
The label then signed Lil Wayne, whose rising status helped keep them afloat and profitable for well into the 2000s. This success multiplied after Cash Money signed the breakout stars Drake and Nicki Minaj, followed by DJ Khaled, and a string of other talents. The success of these artists helped buoy Birdman’s financial standing.
As recently as 2017, Forbes declared that Birdman’s net worth was around $110 million. However, his recent legal drama has taken a substantial cut out of that figure. At present, Birdman is estimated to have a net worth of over $80 million.
How Does He Spend His Money
Birdman is known for his flashy lifestyle. He wears a lot of designer clothes combined with expensive assortments of gold and diamond jewelry. The rapper has made a lot of money for himself and this is how he spends it.
Luxury Cars
The music tycoon has a mouthwatering car collection. He is said to have thirty cars in his garage, six of which are luxury cars. His collection features Lamborghinis, a Bentley, a Bugatti worth over $2 million, and a Maybach Exelero which is one of the most expensive cars in the world and costs $8.7 million.
Real Estate
Birdman has forked over a serious amount of money for acquiring some prized real estate properties. His main residence is a $15 million mansion in Miami that takes up twenty thousand square feet. The house has nine bedrooms, seventeen bathrooms, two swimming pools, an outdoor bungalow, and a spa.
Other Investments
The business conscious rapper has also put some of his impressive net worth into several business ventures such as a clothing and merchandise line.