This is how American rapper and record producer Dr. Dre made his first million dollars

American rapper and record producer, Dr. Dre, is one of the richest musicians in the world – with an estimated net worth of over $600 million. Dre made his money through music and electronics, although he struggled in school. 

He struggled at Centennial High School in Compton due to poor grades and was subsequently transferred to Fremont High School in LA; where he planned to enroll in an apprenticeship program at Northrop Aviation Company but failed to get the required exam grades, according to Headspace.

He later turned his focus on entertainment, becoming a DJ for a nightclub called Eve After Dark. His work as a DJ led to an alliance with the World Class Wreckin’ Cru in 1984  and the NWA in 1986.

Dre expanded his music career and became a top record producer and an audio engineer, working with some of the top music talents in America including Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, and Mary J Blige. He produced Eminem’s ground-breaking albums, helping to launch his meteoric career.

Music eventually led him into entrepreneurship, which inspired him to acquire and establish a number of businesses. While doing music, he co-founded Beats, a headphones line. The sale of the brand was how Dre made his first million dollars.

He and his founding partner later sold the consumer electronics company to Apple for $3 billion and reportedly earned $750 million from the deal.

In 2020, Forbes reported that he topped the 10 highest-earning musicians list with $800 million, ahead of Taylor Swift and Beyonce, despite not releasing an album since 2015. Forbes reported at the time that his wealth was largely due to his 20% stake in Beats Electronics, a subsidiary of Apple Inc.

He was expected to become the first billionaire rapper ahead of Jay-Z, however, his excitement over Apple’s 2014 acquisition of his Beats brand reportedly cost him some $200 million dollars and made him fall short of that status.

Dre has invested in a number of properties and owns a string of mansions in Los Angeles, including Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen’s estate which he got for $40 million. Additionally, the record producer is a great philanthropist and has made multiple charitable donations.