Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs is in a Brooklyn jail awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges, preparing to fend off multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault. Meanwhile, music industry insiders are wondering how much his fortune is worth. At risk.
Sources told Billboard that the hip-hop mogul has sold many of his assets, which have netted him hundreds of millions of dollars. And Forbes estimates that Combs’ net worth, once fueled by ventures in music, fashion, liquor and cable TV, has fallen from about $740 million in 2019 to $400 million as of June this year. I am doing it.
Federal prosecutors and lawyers for his alleged victims will likely pursue money that Combs made from his businesses and other assets, and his own legal defense could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is sex. However, prosecutors will need to prove that the companies were somehow connected to the crimes to which Combs has pleaded not guilty. Lawyers representing individuals suing Combs in civil court do not have to overcome that proof barrier. It’s unclear when a jury trial will take place in the federal case, and many of the civil cases he faces are at various stages of sentencing.
Combs’ attorney, representative and federal prosecutors did not respond to requests for comment.
Below is a breakdown of Combs’ current financial position from his music, real estate, and cable TV assets.
bad boy records
Mr. Combs long ago began diversifying his investments, but his core holdings in music industry stocks have disappeared. He previously owned the master and publishing rights through Bad Boy Records. Currently, he may still own the publishing rights and albums recorded after 2010, but he no longer owns the albums recorded before 2009, the most successful year of his career. Possibly.
big and diddy
That’s because of a joint venture Combs entered into with Warner Music Group in 2005 for the entire Bad Boy catalog. The deal ended in 2009, with WMG retaining full ownership of most, if not all, of Bad Boy’s previously released catalog. year. These include the catalogs of The Notorious BIG, Faith Evans, and Mase, as well as more than a dozen platinum albums by Bad Boy artists.
Billboard estimated in June that Diddy’s own catalog brings in $2.4 million a year in record mastering revenue and $600,000 in publishing revenue, of which his share is $222,000. We estimated that his catalog listed a valuation of $42 million.
Since determining that Mr. Combs does not own his best-selling albums, Billboard has made that estimate — based on the calculation that nearly 60% of his catalog’s annual activity is owned by WMG. –Revised to $1.05 million. His music publishing income remains the same, totaling $1.25 million in take-home pay.
catalog
One asset Combs is unlikely to sell anytime soon is the nature of the alleged abuse outlined in the various lawsuits he faces and the possibility that the recordings will be released under a single, identifiable brand. Due to the fact that he hasn’t released music as Puff, one asset he’s unlikely to sell anytime soon is his catalog. Daddy, Puff Daddy & the Family, P. Diddy, Diddy, Diddy Dirty Money will be difficult to market, institutional investors told Billboard.
While private equity investors aren’t interested in music released under Diddy’s name, financiers say there’s still value in the music of other artists he’s worked with, and those artists are He said he may sell off sources of income. However, some artists at Bad Boy Records have contacted the majors to see if they might remove the Bad Boy logo from their albums, sources told Billboard.
In 2023, Combs revealed that he was returning publishing ownership to the artists who recorded for Bad Boy Records. In a Q&A with Billboard, he said that the estates of Mase, Evans, The Lox, 112, and The Notorious B.I.G. are among the creators who have already signed agreements to regain these rights. It was reported that
rebellion
Co-founded by Combs in 2013 as a music cable channel, REVOLT was originally broadcast by Comcast and Time Warner Cable to a total of approximately 34 million subscribers. Over the past decade, the company has built a reputation as a prominent black-owned media company and has been profitable since 2018. Last summer, the company was part of a group of investors bidding to acquire a majority stake in Paramount Global’s BET Media Group. The company, which is privately held, does not disclose its financial details. Mr Combs resigned as chairman of REVOLT last November, and in March it was reported that he had sold his shares to an anonymous bidder. Billboard Combs’ bet likely netted him a low to mid-eight figure, according to sources.
real estate
Court documents filed in connection with the federal charges against Combs say Combs owns homes in Los Angeles and Miami. The latter, located on Miami’s exclusive Star Island and featuring multiple pools, an on-site spa and a guest house, was listed as part of collateral for a $50 million bail bond. (Judge Robin F. Tarnowski denied his release, and Combs’ lawyers appealed this week.) Combs’ home in Beverly Hills is currently up for auction for $61.5 million.