Dr. Dre needs no introduction to the world. This hip-hop superstar is loved, admired and respected from Compton to Cape Town and there is plenty of drive and determination in his rising star. Dr. Dre’s net worth has been estimated at over $700 million and this is a conservative figure since his business empire is highly evolved and complex. In 2015, his net earnings to date are $33 million. But the biggest boost in his earnings came in 2014 when he sold Beats Audio to tech giant Apple for $3 billion. Since Dr. Dre owns an estimated 25% of Beats Audio, Dr. Dre checked out with $650 million. Apple Inc agreed to pay $2.6 billion upfront followed by the balance of $400 million over time.

Also in 2014 Dr Dre’s mansion was valued at $50 million. The property belonged to Giselle Bundchen and NFL superstar Tom Brady. During 2013 Dr. Dre earned $40 million. This was comprised of earnings from the sale of his stake in the Carlyle Group valued at $250 million. His Woodland Hills home in L.A. was valued at $3.2 million and his home in Hollywood Hills was valued at $13 million in 2013. During the course of 2012 his earnings were $110 million, comprised mainly of the sale of Beats for $1 billion. During 2011 Dr. Dre earned $19 million. The bulk of his earnings came from the sale of a company he founded with J. Iovine valued at $175 million when HTC purchased 51% of the company.

Dr. Dre’s Earnings over the Years

• In 2010 Dr. Dre earned $17 million
• In 2009 Dr. Dre earned $15 million
• In 2008 Dr. Dre earned $12 million
• In 2007 Dr. Dre earned $25 million
• In 2004 Dr. Dre earned $11.4 million
• In 2003 Dr. Dre earned $18 million
• In 2002 Dr. Dre earned $25 million
• In 2001 Dr. Dre earned $52 million

For 2015 to date Dr. Dre is ranked at #73 on the Forbes Highest-Paid celebrity list. However, since 2014 was such an incredible year for the music mogul, he was ranked at #3. His earnings in 2014 catapulted him into the stratosphere with the biggest annual payout in history. While his 2015 earnings pale in comparison to 2014, Dr. Dre managed to score big points with the hit film Straight Outta Compton – a film chronicling the rise to superstardom of N.W.A. The film has already scored well with American audiences, racking up an incredible $111,483,000 since its release on August 14, 2015. During 2015, Dr. Dre will also be receiving checks from Apple Inc. (AAPL) and his extensive production catalogue.

By far the most significant event in Dr. Dre’s financial standings was the sale of Beats to Apple. Prior to the deal going through, Dre had a net worth of approximately $300 million. While not quite yet at the billionaire mark, Dr. Dre is fast approaching that milestone and given his incredible business acumen, he will be there sooner rather than later. The music industry is peppered with wealthy stars. But the relatively new hip hop scene has lacked stars worth untold sums of money. Dr. Dre now fits the bill in most every way. He is now in the esteemed company of fellow rap superstars P Diddy and Jay-Z. Dr. Dre was responsible for the meteoric rise to fame and fortune of the most popular hip hop stars on the planet including Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent and others. Dre got his big break in the hardcore gangsta rap group N.W.A. which defined an entire generation with the most aggressive and hard-hitting lyrics of any music genre.

Strategic Decisions that Propelled Dr. Dre’s Career

Dr. Dre was not afraid to follow his gut instinct when it came to making big decisions. After breaking with Suge Knight in Death Row Records, Dre formed Aftermath Entertainment. He went on to take a big chance on a little-known white rapper by the name of Marshall Bruce Mathers III – aka Eminem in 1999 which catapulted him into superstardom. His Beats headphones (with Iovine) was launched in 2008 and it proved instrumental to his success. Dre has always been about producing music and the money has flowed as a consequence of his drive and determination. Together with Iovine, Dre donated some $70 million to the University of California for a special degree program. With many more investments in the pipeline, Dr. Dre is likely to build on his already substantial financial platform as he rewrites the history books of pop culture.