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 figures in the rap scene, his notoriety extends beyond his music to his personal history. He pled guilty in 2015 to a felony charge involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. In 2018, he faced multiple charges, including racketeering, firearms offenses, drug-related charges, and conspiracy to commit murder, ultimately leading to a plea deal that reduced his sentence in exchange for testifying against his gang associates. He was released early due to COVID-19 and subsequently placed under house arrest.

Despite a relatively short career to date, Tekashi has managed to amass significant wealth, reportedly securing various appearance and contract deals that altogether might yield tens of millions of dollars. His financial situation will be explored further in the upcoming paragraph.

Financial Issues

Realistically speaking, it is somewhat challenging to ascertain Tekashi69’s financial state from month to month. Undoubtedly, he has landed several multi-million dollar record and concert agreements and earned millions through streaming royalties, largely due to his successful YouTube channel, which boasts 20 million followers and over 5 billion video views.

Conversely, his prison sentence forced a hiatus in his career for two years.

In March 2022, Tekashi filed documents in court stating that he faced significant financial distress stemming from a loss of income, primarily due to the inactive status of his career during those two years. He indicated that he had stopped receiving royalty payments and could not earn money through touring.

His court submission particularly noted:

“Currently, I am finding it difficult to meet my financial obligations. I am uncertain if I will ever receive the kinds of advances I used to earn prior to my arrest and the interruption of my career.“

These documents were part of a civil lawsuit initiated by two former associates. He expressed concerns that pursuing the lawsuit could result in his “bankruptcy.”

A month later, Tekashi69 uploaded a video on Instagram flaunting millions in cash and showcasing cars valued at over a million dollars:

 

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A post shared by @6ix9ine

The day following the above video on Instagram, Tekashi appeared on “TMZ Live” where Harvey Levin directly questioned him about how he could flaunt considerable cash while also claiming to be broke in front of 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 interjected:

“Right and I think your attorney said you were going to have to file for bankruptcy.“

Then Harvey further asked:

“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

Born Daniel Hernandez on May 8, 1996, Tekashi69 hails from Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York. His mother is originally from Mexico, while his father has Puerto Rican roots. Until the age of nine, he was under the impression that his father was deceased. In truth, Daniel Sr. struggled with heroin addiction and was incarcerated.

Later, his father would assert that Daniel Jr.’s mother’s family obstructed his access to see him, even tearing up letters he sent from prison.

Financial difficulties plagued the family, particularly after Daniel’s stepfather was fatally shot on the front steps of their home in 2010 when Daniel was just 14. This tragedy inflicted severe psychological trauma, necessitating therapy for Daniel to address his PTSD and depression. Around this period, Daniel also began to misbehave in school, leading to his expulsion in the 8th grade. After leaving school, he took on a job at a grocery store to support his family financially.

Rap Career

At 16, Daniel started his journey into rap. A significant opportunity arose when he crossed paths with a record label CEO who visited the Brooklyn bodega where he was employed. This executive, Peter “Righteous P” Rogers, operated a label named Hikari-Ultra and motivated Daniel to begin releasing original tracks.

In 2014, he released his debut song, aptly named “69.” That same year, he put out several additional singles. Over the subsequent three years, under the stage name Tekashi 6ix9ine, he launched a succession of albums and videos that garnered him a moderate following within the underground rap community. After the release of “Dummy Boy” in 2018, Tekashi69 presented his second album, “TattleTales,” in 2020, which made its debut at #4 on the U.S. “Billboard” 200 chart.

Success

In 2018, Tekashi69 unveiled his first mixtape, “Day69.” His initial single “Gummo” soared to #6 on the US Rap chart, #7 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #12 on the “Billboard” Hot 100, earning a Gold certification. The single “Kooda” also received Gold certification, reaching #29 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #50 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. His collaboration “Keke” with Fetty Wap and A Boogie wit da Hoodie peaked at #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 utilized social media to boast about various record and management agreements. In January 2018, he asserted (through a now-deleted Instagram post) that he had secured a $7.5 million record deal. Following that, he claimed to have finalized a $15 million management deal with Birdman’s RICHGANG company a month later. Shortly after, he stated he had signed a $4.9 million deal to promote a headphone brand. However, industry insiders we consulted found no substantial evidence supporting the legitimacy of any of these claims.

$10 Million Deal

In October 2019, Tekashi confirmed a record deal with the label 10K Projects, which is reportedly valued at a minimum of $10 million and involves two forthcoming albums—one in English and another 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 includes a single virtual performance scheduled for September 5, 2020.

Legal issues

Throughout various instances, Tekashi69 has faced multiple arrests. In 2015, he entered a guilty plea for a felony charge involving the use of a child in a sexual performance and received a three-year probation. As long as he abstained from sharing sexually explicit images online and secured his GED, he was exempt from registering as a sex offender; however, he ultimately did not pass his GED test. In July 2018, an outstanding warrant led to his arrest due to claims of him choking someone at a Houston mall.

His legal troubles escalated in 2018 when he was charged with weapons, drugs, and racketeering. To evade a potential 47-year sentence, he agreed to testify against several members of the Nine Trey Bloods gang, providing testimony over several days in September 2019. He stated that the gang permitted him to feign membership as long as he financed their activities. Furthermore, he disclosed that after the release of his track “Gummo,” his earnings surged to an average of $60,000 monthly from YouTube royalties and performance fees.

In December 2019, Tekashi entered a guilty plea as part of a negotiated agreement with government prosecutors.

The judge consequently sentenced him to a mere 13 months for his cooperation, while the defendants he testified against now face life imprisonment.

On March 22, 2020, citing the rampant spread of COVID-19 within the prison system, he sought early release. The government did not oppose his request, leading to his release on April 2nd, although his scheduled release was initially set for August 2020.

In March 2023, reports surfaced about Tekashi being assaulted in a steam room at an LA Fitness gym located in Palm Beach County, Florida. Footage of the incident circulated on social media, showing the facial cuts and abrasions he incurred, and one suspect has since pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Release

On May 8, 2020, Tekashi dropped his new single “Gooba” along with a music video that quickly set the record for the largest 24-hour debut for a hip-hop video on YouTube. The video amassed 40 million views within just 24 hours, breaking the previous 38 million record established by Eminem in 2018 for his track “Killshot.”

In under a week, “Gooba” surpassed 150 million views.

On that same day, May 8th, Tekashi69 hosted an Instagram live session that attracted over two million simultaneous viewers, exceeding the prior record for Instagram live by more than 1.7 million.

Combining ad revenue from YouTube, Spotify royalties, and additional income sources, Tekashi publicly claimed that he earned $2 million just from “Gooba” in less than a week, announcing his intention to donate 10% of the profits to charity.

Personal Life

In the weeks leading up to his incarceration at the end of 2018, Tekashi began dating Rachel “Jade” Watley. He has a daughter named Sara Molina, born in October 2015, and another daughter with Marlayna M., born in November 2018.

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

Upon his release from prison, he moved to a modest house in Lido Beach. Due to a neighbor revealing his location, he was compelled to change residences and later relocated to Water Mill in New York, where he resides in an 8,500-square-foot home overlooking a tree farm. At the time, this property was listed for rent at $55,000.