Suge Knight is an American music recorder who is best known as the co-founder and retired CEO of Death Row Records. His contribution to Gangsta Rap made him a central figure of this hip-hop group.
Some controversy and lawsuits have been published addressing the Death Row Records. It was claimed that Suge Knight stole money from Death Row Records. Since then, Suge Knight’s estimated net worth has become a common query on the internet, marking the question — What was Suge Knight’s highest net worth?
Well, Suge Knight’s highest net worth was $200 Thousand. Numerous magazines and financial portals have addressed Suge Knight with his peak net worth of $200k. He served many years of his life in prison. Within a short span of life, Suge Knight grossed most of his wealth through his music career and Death Row Records.
How did Suge Knight make money?
From Bodyguard to music promoter, Suge Knight has been associated with many professions. He didn’t rely on single earning sources. Let’s discuss Suge Knight’s earning sources…
At the beginning of his career, Suge Knight worked as a bodyguard for various celebrities. He was also the bodyguard of Bobby Brown.
In 1989, Suge Knight became an entrepreneur. He also formed a music publishing company and signed Vanilla Ice with their company. Initially, Knight obtained extraordinary commercial success but he faced a lot of controversies later. Consequently, he had to stop his company.
Later, Suge Knight formed an artist management company and signed many hip-hop artists like The D.O.C., DJ Quik, and so on. While forming this artist management company, Suge Knight met many famous Gangsta Rap Group members.
After the artist Management Company, Suge Knight formed Death Row Records. He is prominently known as the CEO and co-founder of Death Row Records. In the 1990s, Death Row Records brought Gangsta Rap to the mainstream.
Suge Knight’s hard work and devotion to Death Row Records witnessed him record music sales of more than 150 million! It generated a sales revenue of $70 million during its heyday.
Typically, Suge Knight’s 70% wealth came from Death Row Records. His peak net worth was marked during his days with Death Row Records.
In a nutshell, Suge Knight’s earning sources can be categorized by the below points:
- Serving as Bodyguard
- Music promoter
- Artist Management Company
- Death Row Records
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How much did Suge Knight steal from Dr. Dre?
Dr. Dre was also the co-founder of Death Row Records. According to numerous news portals, Dr. Dre claimed that he was robbed of over $20 million in Death Row Records. He pointed his finger to Suge Knight!
Suge Knight settled a lawsuit for $8 million. Knight claimed that the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers had stolen his money. In the meantime, Dr. Dre blamed Suge Knight for the robbery of $20 million from him.
How much money did Suge Knight make off Tupac?
Suge Knight offered $3 million bails to Tupac, on the condition that he will sign with Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. Unfortunately, Suge Knight died a year after their commitment. Hence, Suge Knight made $3 million off Tupac.
Tupac and Suge Knight’s agreement is often called The Devil’s Bargain. In 1995, they made this commitment that was worth $3 million. After Tupac’s death, Suge Knight took the offered money.
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How did Suge Knight lose money?
Suge Knight filed for bankruptcy on 4 April 2006 due to civil litigation against him. According to Lydia Harris, Suge Knight cheated out of a 50% stake in Death Row Records. Consequently, Suge Knight was ordered to pay $107 million to his former wife and business partner, Lydia Harris.
In 2002, the IRS blamed Suge Knight with $6.5 million in back taxes. Four years later, he filed for personal bankruptcy. Knight was also claimed to have debts. Suge Knight lost ownership of Death Row Records.
Source
- https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/tupac-changes-suge-knight/ — The Devil’s Bargain: The Inside Story of Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight.
