Key Takeaways
- Award-winning rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur Dr. Dre has a net worth of $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
- Dr. Dre’s wealth largely comes from the sale of his company Beats Electronics to Apple for $3 billion in 2014.
- In 2023, Dre sold a portion of his music catalog for more than $200 million to Shamrock Holdings and Universal Music Group.
- Dr. Dre also has a sprawling real estate portfolio valued at an estimated $80 million.
Seven-time Grammy award winning rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur Dr. Dre is not only a hip-hop legend, he’s also a savvy entrepreneur and investor.
Dre, whose real name is Andre Romelle Young, has an estimated net worth of $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Dre’s fortune largely comes from selling his headphone company Beats Electronics to Apple, and Apple stock that he received in the deal. He also has a sprawling real estate portfolio valued at an estimated $80 million.
From his illustrious music career to his smart investments, here is how Dr. Dre built his empire.
Music
Dr. Dre is widely considered one of the most influential rappers and hip-hop producers of all time. Not only was he one of the co-founders of the hip-hop group N.W.A., credited with making West Coast gangsta rap popular, he also helped launch the careers of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar, among others. Dre has won seven Grammys, and has been nominated for the award 26 times.
Dr. Dre left N.W.A in 1992 and co-founded Death Row Records with former record executive Suge Knight, rapper and record producer The D.O.C., and late record producer Dick Griffey. Dr. Dre released his first solo album, “The Chronic,” with the label—which was also home to artists Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg, and Warren G.
Aftermath Entertainment
In 1996, Dr. Dre founded another record label, Aftermath Entertainment. Aftermath is currently Dr. Dre’s home label, and also produces music by artists Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and Anderson .Paak. Dre sold a portion of Aftermath Records to Interscope Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, for $35 million in 2001.
Dr. Dre Sells Portion of Music Catalog
In 2023, Dre sold a portion of his catalog, including music income streams and other music assets, to Shamrock Holdings and Universal Music Group. That sale was valued at more than $200 million, according to Variety. The assets generate an estimated nearly $10 million per year, Variety reported.
Beats Electronics and Beats Music
A large part of Dr. Dre’s wealth comes from his audio company, Beats Electronics, which he co-founded with former record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2006. In 2014, Dre sold Beats Electronics and Beats Music (a music streaming service) to Apple (AAPL) for $3 billion. The deal included $400 million that would vest over time, earning Dre and Iovine an estimated $700 million from the deal when the stock vested in August 2018, according to Variety.
Beats had (and continues to have) endorsement deals with major celebrities including LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Kim Kardashian.
Dre and Iovine donated $70 million to the University of Southern California in 2013 to establish the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.
Still G.I.N.
In 2024, Dr. Dre started a gin brand with his longtime friend and collaborator, Snoop Dogg. Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop is a play on two of their biggest collaborations, Snoop’s “Gin & Juice” and Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”. The beverage company features ready-to-drink gin craft cocktails and premium bottled gin—called Still G.I.N. Each bottle of Still G.I.N. sells for a suggested retail price of $34.99.
Real Estate Portfolio
Dr. Dre also has a wide-ranging real estate portfolio valued at an estimated $80 million. Dre has bought properties, all located in the Los Angeles area, ranging from $2 million to $40 million. His biggest real estate purchase to date is former NFL quarterback Tom Brady and ex-wife Gisele Bundchen’s Brentwood-area property for $40 million in 2014.
