Dr. Dre has officially joined the Billionaire Club.
According to Forbes, the legendary music mogul has crossed the billion-dollar threshold. In the interview, Dre revealed his money philosophy.
“I don’t chase money—I try to make the money chase me,” says Dre, who ranks No. 20 on our list of the Greatest Self-Made Americans. “I’ve always been able to bet on myself, and whatever I do and wherever I go, I know I have my talent with me.”
Dre also spoke about his reputation for taking all the time he needs to release music or never releasing projects at all.
“Perfectionist is sometimes just a word I use to buy time,” Dre explained. “If I have a release date and the song isn’t right, am I supposed to turn it in? No, I’ll take the proper time until it’s right.”
Eminem also spoke about Dre’s concept of time.
“Time doesn’t exist with Dr. Dre,” said Eminem. “He isn’t focused on dates or deadlines or when something should come out—he’s only thinking about whether something is ready. For instance, on [Dre’s] 2001 album, I thought it was ready before he got ‘Still D.R.E.’ [recorded]. And then I realized if Dre thought he was done, the world would have never heard it.”
DRE’S BIG MONEY MOVES
After building Death Row Records, which housed the music of Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, and Aftermath Records that signed Eminem and 50 Cent, Dre struck gold with Beats by Dre. In 2014, Apple brought the company a $3 billion acquisition by Apple in 2014, the largest deal in Apple’s history.
Upon leaving Apple in 2018, he sold most of his stock and settled his divorce with two $50 million payouts. In January 2023, he sold his music rights to Universal Music Group and L.A.-based media investment firm Shamrock Capital for more than $200 million.
Although he’s at the top of his financial game, Dre is still driving by making another classic music project.
“Who knows if something is gonna happen to make me come up with the best thing I’ve ever done in my life?” he says. “The exciting part is that there’s the potential of that. It’s exciting and depressing at the same time because I know it’s there, and what if I don’t find it?”