Tekashi69 Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Tekashi69’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $500 thousand, Tekashi69 is an American rapper, social media figure, and convicted felon known for being one of the most controversial rappers globally, both for his music and his life off-stage. In 2015, he entered a guilty plea to a felony charge related to the use of a minor in a sexual performance. His arrest in 2018 was due to multiple charges, including racketeering, weapon possession, drug offenses, and conspiracy to commit murder. In exchange for a shorter sentence of two years, Tekashi provided testimony against former gang members. He later was released early due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was placed under house arrest.

Despite having a relatively short career so far, Tekashi has managed to earn substantial amounts of money. Reportedly, he has secured several lucrative appearance and contract agreements that could potentially total tens of millions of dollars. Further details about Tekashi’s finances will be explored in the subsequent paragraph.

Financial Issues

It’s challenging to track Tekashi69’s financial situation on a month-to-month basis. Undoubtedly, he has signed multiple multi-million dollar contracts for records and concerts. Additionally, his YouTube channel, boasting 20 million followers and over 5 billion video views, has contributed millions in streaming royalties.

Conversely, following his imprisonment, Tekashi’s career essentially faced a two-year hiatus.

In March 2022, he filed documents with a court stating that he was experiencing significant financial troubles, primarily due to the lack of income after two years of career stagnation. He indicated he was not receiving royalty payments and could not generate income through touring.

His filing specifically stated:

“Right now, I am struggling to make ends meet. I do not know if I will ever command the kind of advances I was paid before my arrest and my career stalled.“

These documents were a part of a civil lawsuit initiated by two former associates, in which he further claimed that proceeding with the lawsuit could lead to his “bankruptcy.”

A month later, Tekashi69 shared a video on Instagram showcasing several million dollars in cash and at least a million dollars’ worth of cars:

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @6ix9ine

After posting the video above on Instagram, Tekashi made an appearance on “TMZ Live,” where Harvey Levin directly questioned him regarding how he could display such an abundance of cash while simultaneously claiming to be financially struggling to a judge. Below is a transcript of their exchange:

Harvey Levin:

“So you owe like a million bucks in restitution, and I know you have told a judge that you just didn’t have it.“

Harvey’s co-host then interjected:

“Right, and I believe your attorney mentioned that you would need to file for bankruptcy.“

Harvey added:

“But then you’re dumping two million dollars. Are you not a sitting duck to have that money seized?“

Tekashi responded:

“I ain’t got it right now. I ain’t got it. And that was prop money.“

Early Life

On May 8, 1996, Tekashi69, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York. His mother hails from Mexico, while his father is from Puerto Rico. He did not meet his father until the age of nine, having believed for most of his early life that his father was deceased. The truth was that Daniel Sr. struggled with heroin addiction and had been incarcerated.

Later, his father would assert that the mother’s family obstructed Daniel Sr. from visiting Daniel Jr., even going as far as tearing up letters he sent from prison.

The family’s financial situation deteriorated, particularly after Daniel’s stepfather was fatally shot on the steps of their home in 2010 when Daniel was just 14. This tragedy inflicted profound psychological damage, necessitating therapy for Daniel to cope with PTSD and depression. Around this period, he began exhibiting problematic behavior at school, leading to his expulsion in 8th grade. Subsequently, Daniel took a job at a grocery store to provide financial support for his family.

Rap Career

Starting his rapping journey at the age of 16, Daniel experienced an early breakthrough when he met Peter “Righteous P” Rogers, the CEO of a record label, in the Brooklyn bodega where he was employed. Peter managed a label named Hikari-Ultra and encouraged Daniel to begin creating and releasing original songs.

His debut track, aptly named “69”, hit the music scene in 2014, followed by several other singles that year. Over the next three years, adopting the moniker Tekashi 6ix9ine, he released an array of albums and videos that garnered him moderate popularity within the underground rap community. Following the 2018 album “Dummy Boy”, Tekashi69 launched his second album, “TattleTales,” in 2020, which debuted at #4 on the U.S. “Billboard” 200 chart.

Success

In 2018, Tekashi69 released his first mixtape, “Day69.” His debut single “Gummo” achieved #6 on the US Rap chart, #7 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #12 on the “Billboard” Hot 100, ultimately earning a Gold certification. Another single, “Kooda,” also received a Gold certification, ranking #29 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #50 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. Additionally, “Keke,” featuring Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie, claimed #20 on the US Rap chart, #22 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #43 on the “Billboard” Hot 100.

Reported Record Deals

6IX9INE has taken to social media to boast about various record and management deals. In January 2018, he claimed in a now-deleted Instagram post that he had signed a record deal worth $7.5 million. A month later, he asserted that he had secured a $15 million management deal with Birdman’s RICHGANG. Shortly thereafter, he alleged signing a $4.9 million deal to endorse a headphone brand. However, several insiders in the music industry noted that there is no substantiated proof that any of these claims were genuine.

$10 Million Deal

In October 2019, Tekashi confirmed a record deal with the label 10K Projects, reportedly valued at a minimum of $10 million. This agreement will encompass two forthcoming albums, one in English and the other in Spanish.

GlobalStreamNow Deal

In July 2020, Tekashi announced that he had finalized a $5 million agreement with the live-streaming company GlobalStreamNow. This deal pertains to a virtual performance scheduled for September 5, 2020.

Legal issues

Over the years, Tekashi69 has faced multiple arrests. In 2015, he admitted guilt to a felony charge involving the use of a minor in a sexual performance, resulting in three years of probation. He was spared from registering as a sex offender provided he abstained from sharing sexually explicit content online and earned his GED, which he ultimately failed to achieve. In July 2018, he was apprehended due to an outstanding warrant linked to an incident where he allegedly choked an individual at a Houston mall.

Later in 2018, he was arrested on charges concerning weapons, drugs, and racketeering. To sidestep a potential 47-year prison sentence, he consented to testify against members of the Nine Trey Bloods gang. His testimony unfolded over several days in September 2019, in which he stated that the Nine Trey Bloods permitted him to act as though he was part of the gang so long as he financed their activities. He also recounted earning an average of $60,000 monthly from YouTube royalties and performance fees following the release of his song “Gummo.”

In December 2019, he pled guilty as part of a plea deal brokered with prosecutors.

As a result of his cooperation, the judge sentenced Tekashi to serve only 13 months, while the individuals he testified against faced life sentences.

On March 22, 2020, he sought early release due to the rampant spread of COVID-19 within the prison environment. The government did not oppose his request, leading to his release on April 2nd, ahead of his scheduled date in August 2020.

In March 2023, reports emerged of Tekashi being assaulted in a steam room at an LA Fitness gym situated in Palm Beach County, Florida. Footage of the incident circulated on social media, showing him sustaining facial cuts and abrasions, with one suspect having pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Release

On May 8, 2020, Tekashi unveiled his new track “Gooba” along with a music video that swiftly broke records for the largest 24-hour debut for a hip-hop video on YouTube. Within just 24 hours, the video amassed 40 million views, surpassing the previous record of 38 million set by Eminem’s “Killshot” in 2018.

Within a week, “Gooba” achieved over 150 million views.

On the same day, May 8th, Tekashi69 held an Instagram live event, attracting over two million viewers simultaneously, a record-breaking feat surpassing the previous record by more than 1.7 million.

From YouTube ad revenue, Spotify royalties, and other income sources, Tekashi claimed to have earned $2 million from “Gooba” in just under a week. He also expressed his intention to donate 10% of the profits to charity.

Personal Life

Prior to his prison term at the end of 2018, Tekashi began a relationship with Rachel “Jade” Watley. He shares a daughter born in October 2015 with Sara Molina and another daughter born in November 2018 with Marlayna M.

Fluent in Spanish, Tekashi has recorded four songs in the language: “Bebe,” “Mala,” “Yaya,” and “Bori.” Additionally, he suffers from asthma.

After his release from prison, Tekashi moved into a modest residence in Lido Beach. However, when a neighbor revealed his location, he was compelled to relocate, and reports indicated he moved to an 8,500-square-foot home in Water Mill, New York, overlooking the estate, which features a tree farm. The property was available for rent at the time for $55,000.