9. Jay Z – J Hotel
Similar to Bono, it doesn’t get bigger than Shawn Carter aka Jay Z. Jay is one of the greatest rappers ever while also having sold over 100 million album copies worldwide. In fact, only two artists in the genre have outsold him: Eminem and Kanye West.
Besides his personal music endeavors, Jay Z is a proven businessman and entrepreneur. He founded Roc Nation and Roc Nation Sports, entertainment and sports management companies, respectively. He’s also a certified sports agent, a club owner, and successful clothing line founder. Oh, and he’s married to Beyonce. And they have an exceptionally named daughter – Blue Ivy. Suffice it to say, Jay Z’s got it made in the shade.
Jay Z did, however, have one brutal investment fail. Back in 2007, Carter launched an effort to break into the luxury hotel business. “J Hotels” purchased property in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood with plans to build a 150,000 square-foot hotel. Construction stopped when the 2008 recession hit, the company defaulted on a $52 million loan and was disbanded in court. Jay Z bounced back, but this was an embarrassing endeavor for a rapper who was still trying to establish himself as a respected New York City businessman.
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