Jay-Z is the first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire, according to a report by Forbes magazine.
The American performer has grown his fortune to include interests in liquor, art, real estate, and as a shareholder of transport network, Uber.
He started his own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records and released his debut album in 1996, Reasonable Doubt.
Since then he has won several Grammy awards and sales that have reached more than $500 million in pretax earnings in a decade.
Jay-Z has stakes in the Armand de Brignac champagne, Uber, cognac maker Bacardi, Scandinavian streaming company Tidal, entertainment firm Roc Nation, art collection, and owns an $88-million mansion that has 8 bedrooms, 11 baths, and is 30,000 square feet, among others.
