Thinking long-term offers a distinct advantage, a principle 50 Cent knows very well.
During a recent appearance on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast, the rapper-turned-businessman recalled how he made $100 million from Vitaminwater by strategically acquiring employee stock options to boost his equity.
“[With] the Vitaminwater thing, I didn’t need the money,” 50 Cent shared. “When companies approach artists to be a part of the marketing, it’s just [that] they’ve reached the financial level where they can commit that marketing and it’ll move their company to the next level, the notoriety and everything that connects to it. So they make the deal.”
He went on to emphasize the importance of thinking long term in business, highlighting how his investment helped him make a substantial profit when Glaceau, Vitaminwater’s parent company, sold to Coca-Cola in May 2007.
As AFROTECH™ previously noted, 50 Cent’s Vitaminwater deal transformed Hip-Hop partnerships and serves as a blueprint for artists today. In the early 2000s, while dominating the rap scene, the G-Unit founder expressed to his late manager, Chris Lighty, that he wanted a water bottle deal. What began as a test trial in a 2004 Reebok commercial led to a 10% stake in his Formula 50 brand, as opposed to a standard cash endorsement deal.
After negotiations with Glaceau, a deal was struck, and 50 Cent helped sales skyrocket from $100 million to $700 million within three years. Then he further benefited when Glaceau was sold to Coca-Cola.
“People were talking about how much money I made, but I was focused on the fact that $4.1 billion was made,” 50 Cent told journalist Zack O’Malley Greenburg in 2008, AFROTECH™ previously reported. “I think I can do a bigger deal in the future.”
50 Cent’s remarkable success began with his debut studio album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” in 2003. Beyond his minority stake in Vitaminwater, his business empire spans multiple ventures, including Sire Spirits, his premium wine and spirits company.
He has also made significant strides in television and film with his hit STARZ series, “Black Mafia Family” and “Power,” which wrapped up after its sixth season in 2020. The latter paved the way for several successful spin-offs, including “Power Book II: Ghost,” “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” and “Power Book IV: Force.”
With a reported net worth of $40 million, 50 Cent has said he is in no rush to join the billionaires club, as AFROTECH™ previously shared.
“I’m not sure I’m in a hurry to reach that because I’ve reached a point where I don’t have anything that I want that I don’t have. So, I don’t know what the rush is to get to that point,” he said previously. “When you already — look, I bought every car that I wanted, two or three times bought them, put them back. The newer versions came, put it back… and that’s just the success from ’03.”
He emphasized that instead of chasing “billionaire” status, the priority should be on supporting the community.
“…You got to figure out what are you doing as a philanthropist,” 50 Cent added. “This is when you start building legacy. You start doing things that are a little more sophisticated because people remember people who helped.”
