Dr Dre Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Dr. Dre’s Net Worth?

Dr. Dre is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, and producer with a net worth of $500 million. In his music career and entrepreneurial pursuits, he has accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars. As a member of N.W.A and later as a solo artist, Dre has sold hundreds of millions of albums and singles. He also played a crucial role in launching the careers of Eminem and 50 Cent through Aftermath Entertainment.

Rap stars typically have fluctuating careers, but Dr. Dre stands out as a long-lasting success story. He started his rap career in the mid-80s and gained enormous fame with N.W.A. Over the years, he has released successful solo albums, won Grammy Awards, founded Aftermath Entertainment, produced hit tracks for various artists, and created his own line of headphones.

Aside from music, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine co-founded Beats By Dre, which was acquired by Apple for $3 billion. After the sale, Dre’s post-tax wealth stood at $780 million. In recent legal proceedings related to his divorce, Dre disclosed that he holds assets worth $450 – $500 million with a monthly income averaging around $230,000. He also revealed owning $182,733,809 in his bank accounts, $6 million in stocks, and $270 million in personal property.

Early Life and Early Success

Andre Romelle Young, born on February 18, 1965, was raised in South Central Los Angeles during the budding West Coast hip-hop scene. Learning to DJ in nightclubs as a teenager, Dre joined the electro-hop group World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1984. Meeting Ice Cube led to Dre joining rap project N.W.A. overseen by rapper Eazy-E. Under Ruthless Records, the group released the groundbreaking album "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988, which would later achieve double platinum status.

In 1989, Ice Cube departed from N.W.A. due to disputes with Jerry Heller and Eazy-E. Dr. Dre had his own conflicts with Eazy-E, leading to his exit from the group in 1991 and the formation of Death Row Records with Suge Knight. His debut solo album, "The Chronic," released in 1992, sold 6 million copies globally and earned critical acclaim, including a Grammy win for Best Rap Performance. Departing Death Row in 1996, Dre relinquished his back catalog rights and company ownership.

Death Row saw Dre's worth increase to $50 million when he left. He then founded Aftermath Entertainment, home to stars like Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent.

By 2001, Dre had sold his share in Aftermath Entertainment to Interscope Records for $52 million.

Beats By Dre and Sale to Apple

During a 2006 meeting with Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre expressed frustration about the sound quality of his music on Apple's Airbuds headphones. He stated, "Man, it's one thing that people steal my music. It's another thing to destroy the feeling of what I've worked on." Following this, Jimmy and Dre agreed to start their own headphone company.

Their initial collaboration with Monster Cable led to the launch of the first Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones in July 2008. In August 2010, HTC acquired 50.1% of Beats for $309 million, valuing the company at approximately $618 million. By July 2012, HTC had sold half its stake to Jimmy and Dre for $150 million, maintaining a 25% stake. Later in September 2013, HTC sold the remaining 25% stake back to Jimmy and Dre for $265 million. Concurrently, Beats secured a $500 million investment from the Carlyle Group, valuing the company at $1 billion for the first time. In January 2014, the company introduced a subscription music service called Beats Music.

On May 28, 2014, Apple confirmed its acquisition of Beats by Dre for $3 billion. The transaction involved $2.6 billion in cash and $400 million in stock. At the point of sale, both Dre and Jimmy held 25% stakes in Beats. Their shares were valued at $750 million before taxes, about $500 million after taxes. The Carlyle Group made $1 billion from the sale.

Apple Stock Ownership

Following the Apple acquisition, $400 million of the $3 billion went to Dre in Apple stock. As a 25% owner, he received $100 million worth of Apple shares. During the deal closure, Apple shares were priced at about $95 each, effectively meaning he obtained close to 1 million shares. As of today, with Apple trading at over $200 per share, assuming Dre held onto all 1 million shares, his Apple stock alone is valued at $200 million (pre-tax).

Dr. Dre Career Earnings By Year

2007 – $20 million

2008 – $15 million

2009 – $13 million

2010 – $17 million

2011 – $14 million

$110 million in 2012

$40 million in 2013

$620 million in 2014

$33 million in 2015

$41 million in 2016

$34.5 million in 2017

$35 million in 2018

Total: $992.5 million

Catalog Sale

Dr. Dre finalized a deal in January 2023 to sell his artist royalties, producer royalties, his share of N.W.A. royalties, and writer's royalties for $200 million. Shamrock Holdings, known for owning Taylor Swift's catalog, reportedly bought 75-90% of the rights under the $200 million deal, with Universal scooping up the remainder. The deal also included the master recording of his seminal 1992 album "The Chronic" and his share of Kendrick Lamar's releases under the imprint he formed under Interscope for the younger rapper.

Philanthropy

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine donated a combined $70 million to the University of Southern California in May 2013 to establish the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology, and the Business of Innovation.

In June 2017, Dr. Dre donated $10 million to construct a performing arts center at Compton High School.

Dr. Dre Real Estate

Dr. Dre's known real estate portfolio is valued at least $80 million.

Woodland Hills: Dr. Dre acquired a mansion in Woodland Hills, California in the late 1990s for $2.4 million. After listing the house for sale in July 2019 for $5.25 million, he found a buyer a month later for $4.5 million. The home was located within a gated community and sat on a 16,000+ acre lot. In 2014, fresh off the sale of Beats, Dr. Dre spent $50 million to acquire Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen's incredible brand new monster mansion in Brentwood.

Hollywood Hills: Dre sold his Hollywood Hills mansion in January 2013 for $32.5 million. He bought this house in 2001 for $15.4 million.

Malibu: Dr. Dre paid $4.8 million for a beachfront mansion in Malibu in 2000. The home on coveted Carbon Beach has 8,800 square feet of living space, six bedrooms, and seven bathrooms. Dre listed his Malibu mansion for sale in November 2022 for $20 million. You can see his mansion at the 10-minute mark of this drone video:

Calabasas: In 2018, he bought a mansion in Calabasas, California, for $4.9 million. He sold this home in January 2023 for $6 million but still owns another Calabasas mansion. Here is a video tour of his former Calabasas mansion:

Pacific Palisades: In 2019, he spent $2.25 million on a relatively modest home in the Pacific Palisades that has ocean views and is located in a gated community.

Personal Life

When Dre was 16 in 1981 he had a son with his girlfriend at theCassandra Joy Greene, a 15-year-old woman, is known to be Dre's daughter. Their son, Curtis, is a rapper who goes by the stage name Hood Surgeon. It's been reported that he did not meet his father until he was in his 20s.

In 1983, Dre welcomed another child, a daughter named La Tanya Danielle Young.

Then, in 1988, Dre and his girlfriend Jenita Porter had a son who was named after his father, Andre Young Jr. Sadly, Andre passed away in August 2008 due to a drug overdose.

Two years later, in 1990, Dre became a father again, this time to a son named Marcel with singer Michel'le.

Following his marriage to Nicole Young in 1996 and their subsequent divorce filing in 2020, they had two children together: a son named Truice and a daughter named Truly. Despite not having a prenuptial agreement, Nicole could be entitled to a significant portion of Dre's fortune. Their divorce was finalized in December 2021.

In January 2021, Dre experienced a brain aneurysm and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's ICU in Los Angeles. During his treatment, an attempted burglary occurred at his home, leading to an outpour of support from celebrities such as LeBron James, Martin Lawrence, Snoop Dogg, Ellen DeGeneres, and Russell Wilson. He was discharged from the hospital in February.

Divorce Settlement

Ultimately, Dr. Dre agreed to pay Nicole $100 million in two installments. He provided $50 million initially and will pay the remaining $50 million a year later.

Super Bowl Halftime Show

The Super Bowl halftime show on February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, was headlined by Dre. The star-studded performance included Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige, with surprise guest appearances from 50 Cent and Anderson. Paak. This show made history as the first Super Bowl halftime show to receive the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live).