She's That B! Cardi B's Net Worth, And How She Conquered Hip-Hop
Highlights
- Cardi B's net worth is estimated at $80 million in early 2024, earned through music sales, tours, endorsements, and TV appearances.
- Her breakout album Invasion Of Privacy sold over three million copies worldwide and propelled her to become one of the best debuts by a female rapper.
- Cardi B's success is driven by her skill, intelligent marketing, and savvy investments in cryptocurrencies, the stock market, and real estate.
Cardi B (Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar) has quickly become one of the top female rappers in recent years.
Since skyrocketing to the top of the charts in 2017 with her instantly classic hit "Bodak Yellow," she has earned enormous amounts of money.
Hailing from the South Bronx, she rakes in cash through savvy choices such as music sales, touring, endorsements, and more.
As of early 2024, Cardi B's net worth is estimated at a staggering $80 million, and increasing at a rapid clip.
A Note About Cardi B's Net Worth: Cardi B and other celebrities' net worths are typically estimates based on publicly disclosed information, predicated on stats like album sales and the value of endorsement deals.
However, the totality of assets and liabilities for any given individual is rarely disclosed, and net worth estimates are typically approximate. Cardi B's net worth does not appear to have been addressed by Forbes , but the magazine maintains a profile for her .
The story of Cardi B's journey to financial success is riveting, beginning with social media stardom, and concluding with her as a chart-topping rap queen.
Driven by skill and intelligent marketing, Cardi B's star shines brighter by the day.
Let's take a look at Cardi's financial achievements, and discover how she successfully maneuvered her career to acquire an outstanding net worth.
Quick Stats: Cardi B's Net Worth And Notable Accomplishments
Net Worth (Estimated) | $80 Million |
Sources Of Income | Music Sales And Tours, Brand Endorsements, TV Appearances, Beauty, Fashion Lines |
Biggest Albums | Bodak Yellow, Orphan, Invasion of Privacy, Gangsta B***h Music Vol. 2 |
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Cardi B's 2018 album Invasion Of Privacy – featuring her breakout hit "Bodak Yellow" – effectively launched her music career.
Invasion Of Privacy debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, selling 235,000 copies in its first week.
It was awarded triple platinum status, meaning over three million copies were sold worldwide.
Propelled up the chart by popular songs like "Bodak Yellow," "I Like It," and "Money," Invasion Of Privacy was one of the best debuts ever by a female rapper.
Cardi B's songs have now accumulated more than eleven billion streams, and are still racking them up.
Big music sales and chart wins have been significant in building Cardi B's net worth.
Cardi B's Chart-Topping Hits:
On The Billboard 100 | Peak Position | Weeks At No. 1 | Weeks On Chart (Total) |
|---|---|---|---|
"Girl Like You" | 1 | 7 | 52 |
"I Like It" | 1 | 1 | 51 |
"Bodak Yellow" | 1 | 3 | 35 |
Cardi's Tours
Cardi B has headlined two major tours – her 2018 Invasion Of Privacy Tour, and the Money Tour in 2019.
Both tours saw her perform for at-capacity stadiums across North America, Europe, and Africa. Her Money Tour returned about $40 million across 82 shows.
Touring remains a massive moneymaker for many artists, and Cardi B has leveraged this opportunity to build her fortune. She also earns a lot of money from related merchandise sales.
Cardi B is now recognized as one of the best live performers in entertainment today, and has appeared as a "surprise guest" with SZA in her native New York City's Madison Square Garden.
Cardi B was on Forbes' list of highest-paid rappers of 2019, earning $12.3 million from just nine shows nationwide, and $28 million in total, according to the outlet.
In 2022, she claimed to earn an average of $1 million per show, and in December of that year, Cardi disclosed that she made $1 million for 35 minutes of work (on stage).
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Cardi B's inimitable style and widespread appeal have attracted many brand endorsement deals, another lucrative means of building wealth.
She has teamed up with companies like Reebok, Fashion Nova, and Pepsi, racking up millions in sales for the brands with which she partners.
Her Reebok deal turned her into an actual brand representative. Cardi commands between $300,000 and $500,000 when she posts about sponsorships on her Instagram account.
In 2018, Cardi B entered into a blockbuster collab with fast fashion giant Fashion Nova.
The partnership was so successful, she teamed up with the brand again the following year, and Refinery29 reported:
"TMZ is reporting that the second Fashion Nova collection from Kulture's Mom [Cardi B] sold out completely within 24 hours of its launch [in May 2019]. She made the company $1 million on the first day of sales alone, which totally outperformed her first collaboration with Fashion Nova."
Moreover, the outlet said Cardi's first Fashion Nova collection was so popular that the company produced five times more than during the first run to meet anticipated demand.
These massive deals with high-profile brands and companies have been perfect for Cardi, boosting her fame and wealth in equal measure.
Social Media Monetization
Cardi B is among the most famous people in the world today, and she boasts an Instagram following in excess of 169 million users (as of February 2024).
She leverages the power of her vast audience to earn money through paid content and partnerships with huge brands and big names.
In November, Cardi B collaborated with icon Patti LaBelle in a video spot she shared on Instagram – where several commenters praised Cardi's public relations squad for landing the collab:
Each marketing post, business mention, or high-profile campaign shared on her pages can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Cardi has added significant amounts of money to her fortune by maximizing her social media clout and following ... now, a single post to her Instagram alone can make her six figures richer.
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Cardi B's over-the-top personality and fame have made her a sought-after talent on television.
Notably, Cardi B was on TV before rising to fame as a hip-hop star, appearing on VH1's Love & Hip-Hop franchise – specifically, Love & Hip-Hop: New York.
Cardi famously referenced her Love & Hip-Hop compensation in "Bodak Yellow," with a line shouting out series producer Mona Scott:
I just run and check the mail, another check from Mona Scott!
As is often the case, specific figures pertaining to Cardi's Love & Hip-Hop compensation are difficult to come by.
According to StyleCaster, the show's cast members can earn as much as $400,000 per season; the outlet estimated Cardi's compensation at around $200,000 to $300,000 for a season.
StyleCaster described the beginning of Cardi's Love & Hip-Hop stint, crediting it for the star's eventual fame and fortune:
"While she was still [an exotic dancer in Manhattan], Cardi became popular on social media platforms like Vine, Twitter and, of course, Instagram for her charisma and candid posts about sex and money.
"Her social media [fame] caught the attention of the VH1 show, Love & Hip Hop: New York, [on] which Cardi starred for two seasons. Though she wasn’t a long-running cast member on the show, the series gave Cardi a platform for the music career she has today."
Subsequently, she was a judge on the Netflix competition show Rhythm + Flow in 2019, for which she reportedly earned a substantial $500,000 per episode.
Cardi has also been featured on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL), The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, and on James Corden's Carpool Karaoke.
On YouTube, her Carpool Karaoke segment accumulated a staggering 55 million views to date:
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Beyond her core income streams, Cardi B has made savvy investments to grow her fortune.
She invests in both cryptocurrencies and the stock market, and though details are scant, these investments are likely to contribute to her wealth, despite the volatility of crypto.
Cardi also owns luxury real estate, including a home she bought in Atlanta in 2019 for $5.8 million.
Her smart investments and assets outside of music diversify her earnings and help boost her already solid bottom line.
Cardi B's Beverage Line
In 2021, Cardi B entered the world of spirits, with her own line of "ultra-premium vodka," Whipshots.
Whipshots is a brand of flavored vodka mixed with flavors like berry and whipped cream, and in a press release, Cardi explained:
When I went into this [business], I didn’t want to create just another alcohol brand. I wanted it to be a whole new experience in a new category of liquor. I love seeing people celebrating with Whipshots taking things to the next level!
Sales figures for Whipshots are not readily available in terms of dollars, but Cardi reported that Whipshots "went double platinum" in March 2023, having sold more than two million cans since its December 2021 launch.
Billboard quoted the rapper's effusive statement on the sales milestone:
"We just went double platinum! We’re not playing around when we say Whipshots is the best ... Boozy and beautiful since day one, and two million cans later, there is no slowing us down. I love the fans supporting our brand – let’s keep this party going!"
By August of that year, the brand marked three million cans sold.
Cardi x Fashion Nova
Capitalizing on her bold style, Cardi B partnered with fashion powerhouse Fashion Nova to launch a clothing line in 2018.
The collection featured sleek and sexy dresses, tops, and pants tailored to Cardi's aesthetic. It sold briskly due to the star's enormous fan base and her influence over trends.
Cardi also cleverly promoted the line across social media, further boosting profits.
The Fashion Nova collab added another revenue stream to Cardi's portfolio, showcasing her diverse talents and business-minded spirit.
Her fashion empire will likely continue growing, especially with Fashion Nova's gargantuan marketing apparatus at her disposal.
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Even after an album release or single drops down the charts, Cardi B continues to earn royalties from that music for years to come.
She receives royalty payouts whenever her songs get radio play, are streamed online, or are used in advertising, movies, or on TV.
Hits like "Bodak Yellow" and "I Like It" continue to rack up millions of streams and downloads globally, long after topping the charts on release.
As her catalog of smash hits grows with each album, so do the number of zeroes on Cardi's royalty checks, and this backend income contributes enormously to her overall earnings.
Though hard to quantify (particularly after the rise in streaming as a dominant form of distribution), royalties form a pillar of her wealth, with strong potential to earn her millions over the long term.
Cardi's Endearingly Frugal Lifestyle
Even though she has plenty of money, Cardi B maintains her lifestyle without unnecessary or frivolous spending (even if she can afford both pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes).
She hunts for deals at stylish outlets like TJ Maxx, and it appears she spends less on "stuff" than many celebrities of her standing.
Back in 2021, Cardi was quoted as saying in a since-deleted Instagram post: "Wanna know how rich people like me stay rich? By staying on a budget."
Cardi still resides in her humble home in the Boogie Down Bronx (in which she lived before becoming famous), and she even proudly labels herself as "very cheap."
In a hilarious interview in 2022, Cardi candidly described her frugality in her own words:
Among the unnecessary celebrity expenses Cardi B mentions in the clip were private jets, and she explained:
Let me tell you something, I'm not the one that wanna take [private] jets everywhere ... I don't care. I'm really cool in Delta First Class [instead of private jets] ... that's $30,000/$20,000 on what? My ears still pop [on private jets]!
Cardi B has been known to speak out regularly about the importance of money management and budgeting in interviews and on social media.
Long after she officially became wealthy (and in a great example of her genuinely being down-to-Earth), she complained about the escalating price of groceries on Twitter.
In a January 2023 post, Cardi first said:
Commenters predictably remarked that Cardi is wealthy, and in response, she once again showed she pays close attention to the cost of living:
"Lettuce was, like, $2 a couple of months ago, and now it’s like f*****g $7, of course, I’m going to say something!"
As of early 2024, Cardi B's net worth is estimated at around $80 million, a sum the talented star worked hard to build, and one likely to increase due to her talent, drive, and commitment to frugality.
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