With over two decades of experience as an entertainer in his cart, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, also known as “Brother Love,” “Puff,” “Puffy,”“Diddy,” could become hip hop’s next billionaire.
The multi-hyphenate executive has as many jobs as he has nicknames and has built an empire with an estimated net worth of $885 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, only second to his music counterpart Jay-Z who officially assumed the billionaire status in 2019.
Combs told Forbes that he discovered his key to success as a young boy delivering newspapers.
“If I give the customers my best and service them differently, whether music, clothing or vodka, I’ll get a return on my hard work,” Combs said.
At the forefront of the success of his companies, from music and television to water and liquor, is the hard work and customer service philosophy he developed as a young boy.
In the late ’80s, Combs became an unpaid intern at Uptown Records, where he was later hired as an A&R and helped develop some of the label’s biggest artists. After being released from his role there, he founded his own label Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993, which was a great success, playing a major role in the careers of Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, 112, and more.
The image and sound he formed with the artistes at Bad Boy helped expand the success of his other business ventures.
In 1998, he launched the clothing brand Sean John that had major commercial success, raking in an annual $100 million. According to CNBC, Diddy went home with about $70 million when Global Brand Groups bought a stake in the company. He reportedly still owned 20 percent of the company in 2017. As of today, the brand has partnered with Missguided to launch the first-ever women’s line.
After Combs became the Ciroc Vodka brand ambassador in 2007, the company’s sales increased to 2 million cases a year, making them the second-largest high-end vodka in the United States. He brokered a deal with the company to make all brand related decisions and share future profits and growth that was reportedly estimated to lead to $100 million for Combs.
