Hey friend! Have you heard Cardi B‘s latest hit single? With her chart-topping songs and outspoken personality, Cardi has become a massive pop culture icon in just a few short years. But how exactly did she make her fortune?
In 2024, Cardi B‘s net worth is $80 million. For a former stripper whose breakthrough single dropped in 2017, that‘s an insane amount of money to earn in such a short time!
Let‘s take a closer look at Cardi‘s path from rags to riches and how she was able to amass such a huge fortune.
Cardi B‘s Net Worth Over the Years
First, let‘s establish how quickly Cardi‘s net worth has skyrocketed by looking at where it stood each year:
- 2015: Less than $500k when she was just getting started.
- 2017: $4 million after "Bodak Yellow" launched her career.
- 2018: Around $12 million when she won her first Grammys.
- 2019: Roughly $24 million with continuous chart success.
- 2020: Approximately $40 million thanks to smart investments.
- 2021: Around $60 million from diverse income streams.
- 2022: $75 million as a global superstar.
- 2024: Now $80 million and still growing!
In just 6 years, Cardi B has gone from obscurity to having a net worth on par with megastars. Not bad for someone with no college degree or famous family!
Now let‘s explore the main sources fueling Cardi B‘s massive fortune.
Chart-Topping Music Career Earnings Top $60 Million
The primary engine behind Cardi B‘s wealth is her insanely successful music career. She‘s earned over 60 million dollars from record sales, streaming royalties, and touring since 2017.
Cardi first broke through with "Bodak Yellow" which spent 3 weeks as the #1 song in the country. To date it‘s been certified 9x platinum by the RIAA and also received nominations at the Grammys and VMAs.
Her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy was an even bigger smash hit in 2018. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and earned Cardi a Grammy for Best Rap Album – a historic first for a solo female rapper.
In total Invasion of Privacy moved over 3 million album equivalent units worldwide. All of its singles like "I Like It" and "Be Careful" also went platinum multiple times over.
But Cardi hasn‘t been content to just rest on the success of her first album. She‘s continued putting out chart-topping collaborations like "Please Me" with Bruno Mars which peaked at #5 on the Hot 100.
Then in 2020 she released one of the biggest hits of her career "WAP" featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Its controversial lyrics led to over 93 million views in just one week – breaking YouTube records.
To summarize Cardi B‘s chart success so far:
- 3 #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles
- Over 15 platinum or multi-platinum certified songs
- Nearly 5 billion YouTube views
- Over 6 billion Spotify streams
Thanks to this unmatched success, Cardi can demand massive performance fees and command millions of dollars for a single verse feature.
For example, Cardi B‘s 2019 touring schedule grossed over $30 million through 54 shows across Europe and North America. She headlined major summer festivals like Bonnaroo with her own sets.
Today Cardi B can charge well over $500,000 for a single festival concert appearance or nightclub gig. And that‘s not even counting merchandise sales at shows.
With the release of her latest album Renaissance in 2022, we can expect Cardi‘s music career earnings to keep rolling in. Early projections had the album selling over 100,000 units in its first week based on lead single success.
Clearly, music has been very, very good to Cardi B. Let‘s take a look at some of her other income sources outside of rapping.
$20+ Million from Endorsements and Sponsorships
Aside from the music industry, Cardi has cashed in big time through endorsements and sponsorships.
Her vibrant, funny personality combined with an enormous social media following make Cardi B a prime choice to partner with top brands.
Some of her most lucrative deals over the years include:
Fashion Nova – Reportedly worth up to $20 million since 2018. Cardi even released her own clothing lines with the fast fashion brand.
Pepsi – Starred in a 2020 Super Bowl commercial and Instagram campaign.
Reebok – Serves as a creative partner designing her own Reebok products.
Balenciaga – Model and brand ambassador for the luxury fashion house.
Lyft – Creative ad partnership in 2019 that promoted positivity.
Combined, these deals and more have earned Cardi over 20 million dollars. She can charge over $500,000 just for a single sponsored Instagram post thanks to having 147 million followers.
As one of the most influential artists on social media, Cardi B will continue landing endorsement deals with top brands across fashion, beauty, and other industries.
$8 Million and Counting from Reality TV Fame
Believe it or not, before she was a chart-topping rapper Cardi B started out on reality TV.
From 2015-2017, she was part of the cast of VH1‘s Love & Hip Hop: New York. This notoriety helped launch her music career.
In her first season, Cardi was only paid about $70,000. But by her third and final season, her salary reached almost $400,000 per year.
Since her breakthrough, she‘s also made big money occasionally hosting TV shows and special events. For instance, she co-hosted the 2021 American Music Awards alongside her husband Offset.
Altogether, Cardi‘s reality show salary and hosting side gigs amount to around $8 million. And if she decides to return to reality TV in the future, I‘m sure she could negotiate an even bigger payday.
Savvy Investments Add at Least $10 Million to Cardi‘s Net Worth
A lot of celebrities end up going broke because they blow their money on over-the-top purchases. But Cardi B has avoided that fate by making smart investments in real estate and startups.
In total, she has amassed over $10 million dollars in property assets and business ventures – and that figure just keeps growing.
Some examples of Cardi B‘s savvy investments include:
- Spending $5.8 million on a lavish mansion in Atlanta.
- Buying a custom Rolls-Royce SUV worth over $400,000.
- Purchasing expensive homes in Los Angeles and New York City.
- Owning part of vodka brand Vodkara.
- Becoming a minority owner of popular snack company Whipshots.
Between her homes in New York, Atlanta, and LA, Cardi has an entire real estate portfolio today. She was even featured on Netflix‘s My Guest Needs a House helping clients find mansions.
It takes financial discipline to not blow all your earnings on crazy luxuries. By mixing in smart investments, Cardi ensures her wealth will keep growing.
Every Little Bit Counts Too
On top of her major income sources already covered, even smaller side ventures help pad Cardi B‘s gigantic net worth.
For instance, she earns money selling her own branded merchandise including clothing. She also signed a book deal in 2022 likely worth a six-figure advance.
During 2020‘s pandemic lockdown, Cardi started an OnlyFans account that pulled in over $1 million in subscription fees in just days.
Though not huge sums individually, these sorts of side hustles combine to give Cardi an extra couple million dollars every single year.
Offset‘s Success Provides Added Financial Security
Now, let‘s take a minute to talk about Cardi B‘s husband Offset. As one-third of rap group Migos, he‘s built a net worth around $26 million himself.
Offset and Cardi keep their music careers and earnings separate. But there‘s no denying that being in a relationship with another successful artist provides financial security.
Together they live an incredibly lavish lifestyle with expensive cars, jewelry, designer clothing, and real estate. Plus they invest in business ventures and are raising two adorable children.
So while Cardi B amassed her $80 million fortune all on her own through hard work, having Offset as a successful partner gives her added peace of mind. They say two heads are better than one!
Cardi B‘s Net Worth Keeps Rising Thanks to Relentless Drive
Since her career first began, Cardi has always stuck to a strong work ethic and relentless drive. Coming from humble beginnings, she paid her dues and never gave up on her dreams.
Despite facing hurdles along the way both professionally and personally, Cardi persevered to become one of the reigning queens of rap – not to mention a cultural icon.
Now all that hard work has paid off in a gigantic $80 million net worth (and counting). At just 30 years old, Cardi B‘s peak earning years may still lie ahead.
How Cardi B Compares to Other Top Female Rappers‘ Net Worths
For some context on Cardi B‘s wealth, let‘s see how she compares to a few other successful female rappers at the top of the game:
- Nicki Minaj: $100 million
- Queen Latifah: $70 million
- Missy Elliott: $50 million
- Rihanna: $1.4 billion (thanks largely to her Fenty beauty brand)
As you can see, even compared to icons like Nicki Minaj and Queen Latifah, Cardi more than holds her own at just $20 million behind Minaj. And she achieved this net worth way quicker than those peers.
Among today‘s female rappers, only Rihanna beats Cardi in net worth thanks to her hugely successful Fenty makeup line. But give Cardi some more years, and she may well catch up!
No matter how you slice it, becoming hip hop‘s biggest female rapper with $80 million to her name by just age 30 makes Cardi B‘s come-up story incredibly impressive.
The Reign of Cardi B Continues
Cardi B‘s net worth of $80 million in 2024 shows just how far talent, drive, and self-belief can take you. From humble stripper beginnings to Grammy-winning rap queen, her underdog story is truly inspiring.
Not content to rest on her laurels, I foresee Cardi breaking into movies, fashion, and more over the next decade. The possibilities are endless for this smart, creative, savvy businesswoman.
One thing‘s for sure – Cardi B has proven all of her haters and doubters wrong by miles. Her bank account keeps growing along with her fanbase. Cardi‘s reign will continue for a long time to come.
So what do you think of Cardi B‘s path to building such huge wealth? Let me know in the comments! And don‘t play yourself – go stream her new album Renaissance if you haven‘t already!
