Dr. Dre (Photo: Photo: Michael Loccisano / Staff / Getty Images)

Dr. Dre is a rap artist, record producer, film producer, and a successful businessman with an estimated net worth of around $745 million.

A huge chunk of his net worth was earned from a $3.2 billion deal of Apple’s acquisition of his signature headphones and electronics company, Beats by Dre, in 2014. According to Forbes, Dr. Dre is the second-wealthiest man in the rap and hip hop industry, just behind Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs.

Dr. Dre was a struggling rap artist in the ‘80s who went ahead to be a part of N.W.A. with major rap artist, Ice Cube. N.W.A. set the scene for the gangster rap genre and their first album, Straight Outta Compton, is considered groundbreaking. Dr. Dre has since discovered talented rappers right from the streets and promoted their careers until they reached stardom. Dre is a career mentor for rap legends like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, 50 Cent, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar.

Music Sales

Born as Andre Young in Compton, California, Dr. Dre’s career began as a member of World Class Wreckin’ Cru (WCWC). He later became a part of seminal gangsta rap group N.W.A with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Arabian Prince, and DJ Yella.

Since then, Dr. Dre has sold 28.5 million albums and 16 million singles. His hit studio albums include Chronic (1992), 2001 (1999), and Compton (2015). Dr. Dre has won six Grammys in his two-decade-long music career for various categories, including Best Rap Performance (1994), Best Rap Album (2001), and Producer of the Year (2012).

 

Dr. Dre formed his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, under the distribution of Interscope, with which he had signed a contract. Dr. Dre has earned over $26 million from sales of his albums, mix-tapes, collaborations, singles and other music productions.

Concerts & Endorsements

Dr. Dre has reportedly earned $91 million from sales of his concert tickets, and his income from concerts has been more than three times his earnings from record album sales. He has also managed to chip in $46 million from various endorsements and sponsorships over the last 20 years. His partners include Hewlett-Packard computers and tablets, his own range of vodka and cognac, a variety of custom-made Beats headphones, and Dr. Pepper beverages.

Movies and YouTube Channels

The rap mogul has had a short stint as an actor, having appeared in minor roles for movies like Set It off (1996), Training Day (2001), and The Wash (2001). Since Dre’s movie ventures were reaping just a bit, the 2015 movie Straight Outta Compton turned out to be huge hit for him as the executive producer. The film, which is based on his life and also the other members of N.W.A, took in a whopping $200 million at the box office worldwide.

Dr. Dre’s VEVO channel on YouTube has had half a billion views so far, with him earning a standard $7.60 for every 1,000 views. Dre’s own channel has earned nearly a million views and this makes his combined revenue from YouTube channels cross the $4 million benchmark, which is relatively high for any YouTube user.

Business Deals and Investments

This part is the best and biggest contribution of the “Dr. Dre” brand and his multimillion dollar net worth. The versatile rapper is not just talented at dropping beats and spitting upfront lyrics, Dr. Dre is also a great businessman. A look at his net worth rise since 2010 proves his genius.

 

Dr. Dre started Beats Electronics with Jimmy Iovine in 2008. The company specialized in manufacturing and engineering high-quality headphones and speakers that had a signature acoustic and rhythmic character to it. Plus, Dr. Dre added a whole lot of “bling” to the design, making them even more desirable. The Beats by Dre headphones range took the commercial headphones market by storm. Within two years, the company raked in over half a billion dollars. In 2010, Beats inked a deal with HTC selling its 50% stake for $300 million. But, this deal wasn’t the only one benefiting Dr. Dre’s net worth. Dre’s net worth beamed when Apple bought Beats for $3.2 billion. This got Dr. Dre over $955 million, almost 80% of his current net worth. And, Beats sales within a year from this deal have already crossed a $1.4 billion target.

Breakdown of Dr. Dre’s Net Worth

Year Event Revenue From Event Revenue From Other Sources Dr. Dre’s Earnings Dr. Dre’s Net Worth
1992 The Chronic (Album) $82,425,000 $9,149,175 $13,793,720 $4,427,784
1993 The Chronic (Tour) $5,895,398 $6,585,874
1994 Live Shows $5,895,398 $8,873,449
1995 Live Shows $5,895,398 $11,298,279
1996 Aftermath Shows and Promotions $5,895,398 $13,868,599
1997 Live Shows $5,895,398 $16,593,138
1998 Concerts $5,895,398 $19,481,149
1999 2001 (Album) $102,207,000 $11,344,977 $18,402,430 $26,557,198
2000 2001 (Tour) $5,895,398 $30,043,052
2001 The Wash (OST Album) $6,562,065 $33,952,058
2002 Live Shows $6,562,065 $38,095,605
2003 Others $6,562,065 $42,487,764
2004 Live Shows $6,562,065 $47,143,452
2005 Live Shows $6,562,065 $52,078,482
2006 Concerts $6,562,065 $57,309,614
2007 Live Shows $6,562,065 $62,854,614
2008 The Planets (Album) $6,562,065 $48,732,314
Beats Electronics
2009 Concerts $7,142,125 $53,948,875
2010 HTC Deal $309,000,000 $260,975,459 $179,133,929
2011 Detox (Album) $106,475,459 $239,060,587
2012 Others $106,475,459 $302,582,845
2013 Others $106,475,459 $369,916,438
2014 Apple Deal $3,200,000,000 $955,000,000 $806,475,459 $770,990,046
2015 Compton (2015) $5,495,000 $609,945 $17,088,224 $882,734,769
Final Dr. Dre Net Worth (including tax cuts) $ 745,415,648

His Assets

Recently, Dr. Dre purchased a $40 million mansion in Brentwood, California from NFL champion Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen. The fabulous European-styled estate is four acres huge, with the magnificent French chateau resting in the middle of ponds and waterfalls. The house has five exquisite bedrooms, nine baths, an infinity pool, lush green lawns, gardens, and many landscapes around it. The property overlooks the Pacific Ocean and has a special section for the rapper’s entertainment. Dr, Dre is currently living there with his wife Nicole (46), son Truice (19), and daughter Truly (15).

Dre also owned a four-storey beachfront property in Malibu, which he sold in early 2015 for $32.5 million. The 8,843-square foot home has six bedrooms, nine baths, a master suite, an over-sized spa tub, a wine cellar, and a dry sauna. Dre bought the home for just over $15 million in 2011. To live it up, drive around, and arrive at these mega homes, Dre owns a splendid car collection, which has included rides like his black Hummer H2, Chrysler 300S, and a white Bentley Continental GT.

So, this pretty much sums up the mountainous net worth of multimillionaire hip hop mogul Dr. Dre. His $700 million fortunes will keep adding up as the rapper might strike gold in some other deal in coming years. Who knows?