It’s one thing to talk up a brand but it’s another to put your money where your mouth is. We know artists like Rihanna and Pharrell Williams have been ambassadors for various companies and have even launched their own ventures, but did you know they invest in them too? Here are the 11 music icons who leverage their fame and fortune to drive innovation.
1. Doja Cat
Doja Cat is a “Boss B**ch” on and off the stage. In April 2022, the audacious artist participated in a seed funding round for Songfinch, a personalized music platform. Her investment, alongside other music icons like The Weeknd, emphasizes her belief in the platform's potential to revolutionize music creation and sharing. It’s also worth mentioning that Songfinch's co-founder is Josh Kaplan, who also serves as Doja Cat's attorney and co-manager. Stay tuned for what pops up next in the rapper’s portfolio.
2. Pharrell Williams
Renowned for his diverse music, fashion and business careers, Pharrell has strategically invested in innovative startups to champion creativity, sustainability and social impact. His support for ROLI showcases his passion for pushing music creation boundaries with technology. In 2014, his nonprofit, From One Hand To AnOTHER, partnered with EverFi to foster youth creativity and STEM education. The musician also invested in Genius, a platform that aims to enhance music lyric insights and appreciation of the culture. Continuing his commitment to sustainability, Pharrell became a co-owner and investor in Return Textiles, the corporation behind Bionic Yarn. In 2008, he invested in and became a brand ambassador for the company, which makes fabric out of recycled plastic bottles. Reflecting his broader vision of leveraging technology and creativity for societal change, he founded Black Ambition in 2020. The non-profit initiative awards prizes and mentorship to high-growth startups founded by Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs, empowering underrepresented founders and fostering a more diverse startup ecosystem.
3. Jaden Smith
As a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, Jaden Smith has made investments in various startups, driven by his commitment to sustainability and social impact. You may recall how in 2015, Jaden founded and invested in JUST, an eco-friendly beverage company that emphasizes the use of biodegradable materials, with his superstar dad Will Smith. Best known for its flagship product JUST Water, the brand grew substantially, reaching a $100 million valuation by 2019. From there, Jaden invested in the fastest growing plant-based meat company Impossible Foods, alongside fellow celebrities JAY-Z, Trevor Noah and Serena Williams. His involvement in these ventures shows a passion for promoting environmentally friendly practices and innovative solutions to address the political and economic state of the world.
4. Rihanna
Bajan boss billionaire Rihanna has leveraged her success in the beauty and fashion world through strategic investments. Fans have half-jokingly referred to her as the “Avon Lady” on social media for tirelessly promoting her wildly successful makeup line, Fenty Beauty, since its launch in 2017. However, before founding her brands, Rihanna was an investor. The megastar invested in TIDAL and Uber in 2016 alongside longtime mentor and friend JAY-Z. Additionally, in 2021, the “Diamonds” singer contributed to Partake Foods, a vegan, allergen-free, gluten-free and non-GMO cookie company, and Therabody, a wellness tech company. The following year, she participated in an all-woman funding round, which included powerhouses like Beyoncé, Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon, to back Parisian fashion brand Destree. Cheers to the Fenty fortune!
5. will.i.am
A tech-savvy musician with an investor's intuition, will.i.am channels his resources to empower startups at the crossroads of creativity and technology. He gained early recognition as a founding shareholder of Beats Electronics — cleverly featured in the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" music video — which Apple acquired in 2014 for $3 billion. His subsequent investments, including an early stake in Tesla in 2006, solidified his reputation for identifying disruptive trends. Since 2015, the singer-songwriter has focused on artificial intelligence, partnering with a private investment group to support high-profile AI companies like OpenAI, Runaway, Anthropic and Hugging Face, all of which are now valued in the billions. It’s worth noting that will.i.am even launched his own AI-powered app, FYI, meant to foster productivity for creatives. In 2024, he backed Udio, a music creation platform utilizing AI to produce original songs, alongside Tay Keith, Common and UnitedMasters. Udio has made waves in the music industry already, playing a pivotal role in the beef between Drake and Metro Boomin. will.i.am's investment strategy showcases his foresight for disruptive tech and his dedication to an ongoing exploration of using technology to empower creative expression within the music industry.
6. Nas
A true multi-hyphenate, Nas’ influence extends beyond Hip Hop into the realm of venture capital. Through Queensbridge Venture Partners, co-founded with his manager Anthony Saleh, he targets early-stage tech companies aligned with his desire to empower communities and promote social impact. The rapper's early investment in cloud storage giant Dropbox showcases his foresight in identifying impactful tech trends. Similarly, backing the ride-sharing service Lyft reflects his interest in disruptive transportation solutions. Recognizing the potential of new technologies, the East Coast artist invested in the leading crypto exchange platform Coinbase, smart doorbell company Ring — which Amazon acquired for $1 billion in 2018 — and South African gaming company Carry1st. In a push for healthcare accessibility, Nas invested in PillPack in 2014, an online pharmacy acquired by Amazon for $750 million in 2018. Alongside Will Smith and other Hollywood heavyweights, Nas invested in a financial literacy app for teens in 2019, as previously reported by REVOLT. Beyond this, the “N.Y. State of Mind” hitmaker has also invested in media and music ventures like his company Mass Appeal, a platform dedicated to Hip Hop culture, as well as Audius, a blockchain-backed music streaming platform. It’s clear that when it comes to Nas’ investment strategy, it’s both oochie wally and one mic.
7. Beyoncé
A powerhouse in music and business, Beyoncé wants you to pay her in equity. She has leveraged her influence within and beyond entertainment, famously negotiating favorable deals like streaming rights with Netflix for her documentaries and stock options with Uber. As the founder of Parkwood Entertainment, home to Gen Z's favorite R&B duo Chloe x Halle, her business acumen is well-established. Though details of the superstar's portfolio aren't always public, confirmed investments include 22 Days Nutrition, a plant-based meal delivery service that she also co-founded, WTRMLN WTR, a cold-pressed watermelon water company and Lemon Perfect, a hydrating zero-sugar organic lemon water brand. Beyoncé's commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses is evident through her nonprofit BeyGOOD, which awarded a $10,000 grant to the vegan company Herban-Eats from her Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund created in 2020. In 2022, Queen Bey became a significant investor in Destree, a sustainable fashion brand, showcasing her dedication to environmentally conscious businesses. Her strategic investments and support for innovative startups prove she’s not just a business mogul, but a renaissance woman in every sense.
8. Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg, a longtime advocate for cannabis legalization, has leveraged his influence and business savvy into a portfolio of cannabis-related startups through his venture capital firm, Casa Verde Capital, launched in 2015. To date, Casa Verde has strategically invested over $300 million across various sectors of the cannabis industry. This includes Dutchie, an online platform streamlining dispensary operations and cannabis ordering. The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper participated in multiple funding rounds, propelling Dutchie's valuation to a staggering $3.75 billion in 2021. That same year, he invested $15 million in Portuguese medical cannabis company AceCann. Snoop Dogg has also invested in Eaze, an on-demand cannabis delivery service, further solidifying his focus on the industry and potential for convenient access. These investments align with his public persona while highlighting his desire to propel the legal cannabis market forward. Beyond this interest, Snoop Dogg champions innovation and ownership in the music industry, as seen in his investment in Web3 music platform Sound.xyz in 2023 alongside DJ Drama, Tay Keith and Ryan Tedder.
9. The Weeknd
Known for sonic experimentation, The Weeknd has a keen eye for spotting promising ventures. In 2023, he secured his financial future by selling a minority stake in his music rights to a consortium led by Universal Music Group for $240 million. Recognizing potential in the music industry, he invested in the music-focused social media platform Triller in 2019. In 2021, he joined industry heavyweights like Doja Cat and Quincy Jones in backing Songfinch, a platform for personalized songs. His commitment to innovation is evident through HXOUSE, a creative incubator he launched in 2018, pushing boundaries in music, fashion and art. Beyond music, in 2021, he invested in Forward Health, a personalized healthcare startup because of a serendipitous walk-in encounter. The Weeknd's investment choices reflect a focus on securing his musical legacy, supporting creative innovation and exploring new frontiers.
10. Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige actively champions inclusion within the beverage alcohol industry. In 2021, she became an investor in the Spirited Change Initiative launched by ReserveBar, a company that offers curated online selections of premium spirits. With a commitment exceeding $5 million by 2024, the initiative aims to support and empower minority and women-owned businesses within the industry. Blige, alongside Kevin Durant and other celebrities, expressed her desire to amplify diverse voices within the traditionally homogenous market. Her investment in the initiative aligns with her own entrepreneurial venture, Sun Goddess, a wine brand she launched in 2020, showcasing her passion for diversification within the beverage industry.
11. JAY-Z
Hov said, “I’m not a businessman. I’m the business, man,” and has proved it ever since. He first demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by founding Roc Nation, an entertainment company that once boasted the likes of fellow billionaire and protégé Rihanna. He later invested in the multi-hyphenate's apparel company Savage X Fenty. Coming a long way since his ARRIVE venture capital days, the self-made magnate has far exceeded what ARRIVE set out to accomplish. He now utilizes his investment firm Marcy Venture Partners to target companies across various sectors, often aligning his focus with empowering Black communities and fostering cultural influence. His diverse portfolio highlights his foresight and commitment to empowering Black artists, founders and communities. An early investment in Uber showcases his knack for spotting disruptive tech trends. In 2015, JAY-Z acquired TIDAL for $56 million, emphasizing artist ownership, and later sold it to Jack Dorsey’s Block in 2021 for around $300 million. His investments in Oatly alongside Oprah, Partake Foods, Simulate, Misha’s Kind Foods and Impossible Foods reflect his alignment with the growing plant-based trend. In 2021, he invested in Flowhub, a cannabis point-of-sale platform company, during a $19 million funding round, highlighting his interest in the legal cannabis market beyond his own brand, Monogram. Additional investments include StockX, JetSmarter, Babylist, Merit Beauty, Our Place, Therabody, CLMBR and Pavise. Overall, JAY-Z's investment strategy blends financial acumen with social consciousness, focusing on innovative solutions and empowering underserved communities.