Hip-hop artists Jay-Z has made it onto Forbes’ 2023 Billionaires List thanks to his savvy investments in a range of consumer-focused industries. According to Forbes, Jay-Z’s current net worth is $2.5 billion, which has more than doubled since he was named hip-hop’s first billionaire back in 2019.
With Marcy Venture Partners and Arrive by ROC Nation — two venture arms backed by Jay-Z — the artist has been able to add a slew of successful brands to his portfolio stack starting with bubbly champagne brand Armand de Brignac, also known as Ace of Spades. Jay-Z purchased ownership stake in 2014 and has been noted to be involved in the brand’s promotion and growth strategy which was instrumental in its rise to popularity. In 2019, Jay-Z sold a majority stake (50%) in the brand to LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate, for an undisclosed sum, which was estimated to be worth over $600 million. In February of this year, Jay-Z sold the majority of his stake in his D’ussé cognac brand to Bacardi for $750 million.
Outside of the alcohol beverage industry, JAY-Z has also made strategic investments in several tech firms, including Uber and JetSmarter. His 2011 investment in Uber later resulted in Uber’s initial public offering (IPO), coming in at $45 a share, valuing the ride-hailing company at about $82.4 billion while, JetSmarter, a private jet charter company, was acquired by Vista Global in 2019.
Read more: Uber IPO To Be Biggest In Tech History
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While the rapper’s backing of Armand de Brignac speaks to a category of consumers who like to indulge in the finer things in life, other investments by Jay-Z, such as the Savage X brand, speak to a more inclusive mindset.
By 2022, Savage X had gained immense popularity for its lingerie offerings, its ability to rival category leader Victoria’s Secret and its focus on enhancing the customer experience. Part of that was expanding its physical retail presence and collaborating with FIT:MATCH, an in-store fitting room experience that uses Intel’s RealSense technology to scan shoppers and suggest the best-fitting Savage X styles based on their body shape. The integration responds to a finding that reveals more than 83% of consumers say they would like apparel brands and retailers to offer additional fits and sizes. In 2021, the global plus size women’s clothing market was projected to stand at $193.9 billion.
In 2022, the brand was valued at $3 billion and was reportedly considering an IPO.
Read also: Rihanna Eyes 3rd Billion Dollar Brand Amid Talk of Savage X Fenty Lingerie IPO
Jay-Z also became a co-owner of Partake Foods, a vegan cookie company, thus capitalizing on the recent plant-based food surge as well as the snack food market in the United States which is estimated to be worth of$117.1 billion and is projected to experience a yearly growth rate of over 3% until 2030.
Then there’s Caliva, a California-based cannabis company, that is positioned to capitalize on a burgeoning market that is predicted to reach a valuation of $65.8 billion by the year 2030.
Jay-Z’s involvement in Caliva goes beyond just being an investor. He has been named the firm’s chief brand strategist, and according to Caliva CEO Dennis O’Malley, Jay-Z’s role includes both creative direction and a focus on social justice. Jay-Z is expected to play a significant role in outreach programs that aim to create more job opportunities in the cannabis industry, especially for people of color.
In his numerous successful investments, Jay-Z has of course built on the power of his celebrity. It’s a move we’re seeing more of as celebrities opt to move past endorsements and licensing deals and look to get a bigger piece of the pie.
Celebrities possess an added layer of influence that generates awareness and heightens a brand’s profile, thereby attracting more customers to its products. Furthermore, a celebrity’s endorsement can also offer a company the required funding and expertise needed to expand and develop.
Last week, PYMNTS reported that the Foster sisters, Erin and Sara Foster, the daughters of music producer David Foster, launched their own venture capital firm, Oversubscribed Ventures, which focuses on early-stage consumer tech startups which has So far, the firm’s investments have touched on skincare and beauty, party planning and NFTs.
See also: What Erin and Sara Foster’s VC Arm Means for Startups
Through their VC arm, the sisters are looking to lean in where they know they can be used best — the seed stage of a company’s development. The VC firm focuses on early-stage consumer tech startups that have the potential to disrupt traditional industries.
To date, Oversubscribed Ventures, has already invested in six companies, including bachelorette party planning app Bach, boxed wine company Juliet, home manicure machine maker 10Beauty, skincare startup Exponent, infant formula firm Nara Organics and non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace OpenSea.
Jay-Z and the Fosters prefer investing in startups during their early stages as it allows them to utilize their knowledge, experience and financial resources to not only support young companies but also benefit from the opportunities to create traction and positive results by leveraging their level of influence.
Jay-Z’s place on Forbes’ 2023 Billionaires List puts him in the ranks of top earners such as Bernard Arnault of LVMH, who holds the number one spot with a net worth of $222.9 billion. Elon Musk is at second place with $180 billion and Jeff Bezos is ranked third with $114 billion.
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