Rapper Mario Sentell Giden Mims, better known as Yo Gotti, recently revealed that despite never having graduated from college, he has been inspired to pursue higher education by the way billionaire celebrity rapper Jay-Z has conducted himself over the years.
In an in-depth interview about his $100 million empire with Forbes, the 41-year-old musician disclosed that, since December 2023, he has been enrolled in classes at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, focusing on corporate valuation as part of moves to grow his empire.
He stated, “I may want to buy a company or acquire another company. So I’m making sure I’m supertight—and understand the language and the verbiage myself other than listening to financial experts.”
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Adding that, “If I never wrote another rap again, I’m financially straight. My whole career, I was setting up for that.”
However, this is not the first time the rapper has shown appreciation for Jay-Z. Revolt reported last year that the rapper told “Big Boy’s Neighborhood” that he explores JAY-Z’s albums like they were books.
“I study JAY. When JAY put out albums, they like books for me,” the Memphis rapper said. “So for a young hustler, a real hustler who understands what he talking about when he’s saying certain things — that’s my information. That’s my research catalogue. If you the right hustler, you gon’ pick up on something,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, Jay-Z praised his mentee’s financial acumen in the latest Forbes interview, saying it’s “evident in every move [Gotti] makes, breaking the mold of the old-guard definition of an executive.”
Forbes reported that Yo Gotti has amassed a sizable fortune in silence. His holdings include a minority interest in the MLS team D.C. United, the restaurant Prive in Memphis, and his Collective Music Group, which is home to artists such as Moneybagg Yo, GloRilla, and Blac Youngsta.
Yo Gotti recently credited his wealth also to his astute financial judgment, adding that he refuses to fly private because he thinks there are better uses for his hard-earned money.
