Imagine having so much wealth you can simply 'forget' about potential millions sitting in the bank. That's what apparently happened to Curtis James Jackson III, or as you might know him, 50 Cent. As well as being the man behind hit singles including "In Da Club" and "P.I.M.P.", Jackson has taken his career beyond music to appear in everything from Spy to the Escape Plan movies. When not spitting lyrics or acting in front of the camera, it turns out 50 Cent is something of a crypto bro. Well, if he can remember where he put his wallet.
Back in 2014, 50 Cent was an early adopter of cryptocurrency and let fans pay for his album with Bitcoin.
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If you haven't heard of "Animal Ambition", you aren't alone. 50 Cent only made 700 Bitcoin from the release of "Animal Ambition" and then promptly forgot about it.
Still, with Bitcoin hitting an all-time high and crossing $100k, it would be worth a jaw-dropping $69,156, 878 at the time of writing.
Back when the album was first released, Bitcoin was only worth $662. Consumers were encouraged to get a copy of the album for a fraction of a singular Bitcoin, with his 700 BTC equivalent only pulling in $400k.
When TMZ first reported the news in 2018, the haul was reportedly worth $7-$8 million, showing just how much Bitcoin has soared - you can thank the American election for that one.
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Confirming the news back then, Jackson posted a screenshot of the article on Instagram and wrote: "Not bad for a kid from South Side, I'm so proud of me."
He also shared a shot of him surrounded by Bitcoins and added: "A little bit coin anyone? LOL. l know l make you sick but excuse me I'm getting to the bag."
In a bizarre twist, The Blast apparently obtained bankruptcy court documents where Jackson claims he never owned any Bitcoin, and maintains that what was invested in "Animal Ambition" was converted into USD before it reached him. He says he went along with the TMZ story because it made him look good.
Still, 50 Cent has made other lucrative moves, like earning somewhere in the region of $100 million when Coca-Cola bought VitaminWater for $4.1 billion.
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Let's also remember that shortly after filing for bankruptcy in 2015, 50 Cent signed on to star in and executive produce the TV show Power for a cool $150 million deal.
No one seems to know what he's worth these days, with TikToker Frank Michael Smith claiming that while Jackson was worth $500 million in 2010, bankruptcy and other issues mean it was closer to $30 million in 2022. Then again, with him making the cover of The Hollywood Reporter in 2024 to talk about his wealth, it would suggest he's doing pretty well again. Either way, it sounds like 50 Cent's Bitcoin stash (if it existed at all) is long gone