What was Tupac's Net Worth?
Tupac, also stylized as 2Pac, was an American rapper and actor who had a net worth of $200 thousand at the time of his death in 1996. Tupac Shakur rose to fame in the early 90s as a pioneering figure on the West Coast hip-hop scene. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers in history, he is also among the bestselling artists of all time, with over 75 million records sold worldwide. Shakur died on September 13, 1996, six days after he was shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
Net Worth at Death
Despite selling $60 million worth of albums in 1996 alone, Tupac's finances were a mess at the time of his death. Within weeks of his death, a forensic lawyer would later discover that Tupac had very little to show for his enormous success. He owned no real estate, had no retirement accounts, no stocks… He did not own the Woodland Hills mansion he lived in at the end of his life. His primary assets were a five-figure life insurance policy, which went to his half-sister, two cars, and a single checking account that contained $105,000. Court fees and taxes consumed all of those assets in short order. The only asset of value that Afeni Shakur received from her son's estate soon after his death was a Mercedes Benz SL 500.
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Estate Value and Control
Technically speaking, Tupace was $4.9 million in debt to his record company, Death Row, when he died. Because he died without a will, Afeni took control of the estate. She would eventually sue Death Row for withholding royalties and failing to deliver advances promised under his contract. Death Row denied the claims, saying that Tupac's financial problems were a result of his lavish spending habits.
Death Row produced records showing that in the year preceding his death, Death Row loaned Tupac millions of dollars to fund his lifestyle. The company lent him several hundred thousand dollars to buy himself cars and rent several homes for himself and his family members. Death Row also paid a $300,000 tab that Tupac racked up at a single Los Angeles hotel. The label also fronted a monthly $16,000 payment that Tupac arranged to support his mother. Finally, the label fronted $2 million to cover Tupac's album and video costs related to the album "Makaveli: The Don Killuminati."
When Tupac's mother threatened to forbid the release of that album until the financial questions were answered, Death Row's distributor, Interscope Records, immediately paid his estate $3 million. Interscope also agreed to pay his estate $2 million in one year and to increase his royalty rate from 12% to 18%. Furthermore, Interscope forgave half of the $4.9 million debt that Death Row claimed it was owed. Jimmy Iovine was instrumental in ironing out an amicable resolution at a very tense time.
Over the next several decades, Tupac's estate would earn tens of millions off the posthumous release of Tupac albums, merchandise sales, and various other forms of image licensing.
(Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Early Life and Education
Tupac Shakur was born as Lesane Parish Crooks on June 16, 1971, in New York City to Black Panther Party members Afeni and Billy. A number of his other family members were also involved with the Black Panthers, and many were convicted of crimes and imprisoned. Shakur has an older stepbrother named Mopreme and a younger half-sister named Sekyiwa. In 1984, the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Shakur went to Roland Park Middle School and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. In the tenth grade, he transferred to the Baltimore School for the Arts; there, he studied acting, jazz, ballet, and poetry and performed in multiple plays. Shakur subsequently moved to Marin City, California, in 1988 and attended Tamalpais High School in nearby Mill Valley. Although he didn't graduate, he later earned a GED.
Career Beginnings
In 1989, Shakur started recording under the stage name MC New York; he also began working with his manager, Leila Steinberg, who helped him land a gig with the hip-hop group Digital Underground. With the group, he made his debut under the name 2Pac on the 1991 single "Same Song."
Solo Albums
Shakur released his debut solo studio album, "2Pacalypse Now," in late 1991. It launched the singles "Brenda's Got a Baby," "If My Homie Calls," and "Trapped." The album established Shakur as a fierce social critic, featuring his commentary on such issues as racism, police brutality, and poverty. In early 1993, Shakur released his second studio album, "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…," which spawned the hit singles "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around."
Shakur's third studio album, "Me Against the World," came out while he was incarcerated in early 1995. Considered his masterpiece and one of the most influential rap albums of all time, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and launched the singles "Dear Mama," "So Many Tears," and "Temptations." Shakur had another smash hit the next year with "All Eyez on Me," which also reached number one on the Billboard 200. It included the hit singles "How Do U Want It" and "California Love." The album would be the final one released during Shakur's lifetime. A number of albums were later released posthumously, including "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory," "Still I Rise," and "Pac's Life."
Thug Life
In addition to his solo career, Shakur had a hip hop group called Thug Life that he formed in late 1993. Other members of the group were Big Syke, Macadoshis, the Rated R, and Shakur's stepbrother Mopreme. The group released one album, 1994's "Thug Life: Volume 1."
Film Career
Shakur appeared in a number of films during his career. His first starring role was in the 1992 crime thriller "Juice." The following year, he starred opposite Janet Jackson in the romantic drama "Poetic Justice." In 1994, he appeared in the sports drama "Above the Rim." Three films starring Shakur were released posthumously from 1996 to 1997: "Bullet," "Gridlock'd," and "Gang Related."
Legal Troubles
Shakur had myriad run-ins with the law due to sexual assault and other instances of violence. In late 1993, he and two others were charged with raping a woman in New York; he was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm. Shakur was ultimately acquitted on some charges but was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse. Consequently, he was sentenced to prison.
On Halloween in 1993, Shakur was arrested in Atlanta for shooting two off-duty police officers, reported by some to be in self-defense. The next year, he served jail time for assaulting one of the directors of the film "Menace II Society," which he was originally slated to star in. Among his other legal troubles, Shakur saw further jail time in 1994 for misdemeanor assault and in 1996 for concealing a firearm and violating his release terms.
Relationships
Shakur had many high-profile friends who looked out for him during his legal troubles. They included Jada Pinkett, Mickey Rourke, Madonna, and Jasmine Guy. While in prison in 1995, Shakur married Keisha Morris; their marriage was annulled after ten months.
Shootings and Death
Shakur was first shot in late 1994 when he and a few others were robbed and beaten at Quad Studios in Times Square. He suspected that the shooting was a setup, as he had been offered money to come to the studio by music manager James Rosemond. Shakur also accused rival East Coast rappers Sean Combs and the Notorious B.I.G. of being complicit in the attack.
On the night of September 7, 1996, while Shakur was riding in a convoy in Las Vegas, a Cadillac sedan pulled up to his car at a stop light, and an occupant opened fire. Hit four times, Shakur was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada and placed on life support. He died six days later. The culprit in the murder remains a mystery, with allegations ranging from Crips gang member Orlando Anderson to Shakur's hip-hop rival, the Notorious B.I.G., who was murdered in another drive-by shooting in early 1997.
Legacy
Shakur is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. In 2002, he was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame, and in 2017 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Shakur has also been the subject of some films, notably the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Tupac: Resurrection" and the biopic "All Eyez on Me," starring Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Shakur.
