Dr. Dre is about to make history. The producer could become the wealthiest man in hip-hop now that Apple is close to purchasing Beats Electronics, the company he co-founded with Jimmy Iovine, for $3.2 billion, according to the Financial Times.
Although the deal has yet to be officially announced, Dre confirmed the news while celebrating early alongside director F. Gary Gray and Tyrese, who shared the video footage via his Facebook page and later deleted it.
“The Forbes list just changed,” said Tyrese in the clip, which was re-posted on YouTube. “They need to update the Forbes list. Sh** just changed.”
“In a big way,” Dre chimes in. “The first billionaire in hip-hop right here from the motherfu**ing West Coast.”
Last month, Forbes magazine named Dre the second-wealthiest hip-hop artist, behind Diddy. He was estimated to be worth 550 million dollars, thanks in part to his stake in Beats.
Shortly after the news broke, Diddy congratulated Dre. “This is BIG! This is Historical! If anyone deserves it, it’s you! Congratulations Dr. Dre!” he wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile, it seems Dre won’t actually bank a billion dollars from the sale of Beats Electronics. Forbes reports the deal will increase the producer’s net worth to around $800 million.
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