Dr. Dre

Net worth: $800 million. Dre produced albums that defined hip-hop (The Chronic, 2001, The Marshall Mathers LP) but his real fortune came from Beats Electronics. He co-founded Beats with Jimmy Iovine in 2006; Apple acquired it in 2014 for $3 billion — the largest acquisition in Apple's history. Dre's share was approximately $800 million before taxes. He famously posted "the first billionaire in hip-hop" on social media after the deal (Jay-Z beat him to the official title). Aftermath Records and production work continue to generate income, but Beats was the life-changing exit.