Lil Wayne’s net worth is $170 million, built across three decades as one of hip-hop’s most prolific recording artists, a record label founder whose roster launched the careers of Drake and Nicki Minaj, and a music catalog owner who engineered a nine-figure sale to a major music conglomerate. Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. in New Orleans, he signed his first record deal at age eleven and spent the following three decades reshaping hip-hop’s commercial and creative landscape.
Updated March 2026: According to Billboard and financial reporting from Yahoo Finance, Lil Wayne’s net worth is estimated at $170 million, reflecting his music catalog sale to Universal Music Group, ongoing royalty income, and the enduring commercial performance of his catalog, including Tha Carter III which reached 300 weeks on the Billboard 200 in 2025.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood. His mother, Jacida Carter, raised him largely as a single parent after his father Dwayne Carter Sr. left the family when Dwayne was two years old. He attended Lafayette Elementary School and later Eleanor McMain Secondary School. At age nine, Carter began writing rap lyrics and performed at local talent shows. In 1993, at age eleven, he was discovered by Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams when Carter left a voicemail message at the label’s office. He signed with Cash Money at eleven and dropped out of school to pursue music full-time, though he later briefly enrolled at the University of Houston. He has cited the mentor relationship he developed with Birdman as formative in his early career.
Carter was initially placed in a duo with Cash Money labelmate B.G. as the B.G.’z in 1994, then formed the Southern hip-hop group Hot Boys with Juvenile and Turk in 1997. The Hot Boys achieved mainstream success with their second album Guerrilla Warfare (1999). Carter’s breakthrough solo album Tha Block Is Hot (1999) quickly achieved commercial success, and Tha Carter (2004) and Tha Carter II (2005) both debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200. The pinnacle of his commercial career arrived with Tha Carter III (2008), which — as Billboard reported — debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 1,006,000 copies in its first week, making him the first artist since 50 Cent in 2005 to move over one million units in a single week. The album earned the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 51st Grammy Awards, with “Lollipop” winning Best Rap Song and “A Milli” winning Best Rap Solo Performance; the album has since been certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA. In 2005, Carter founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint under Cash Money Records, and in 2018, following a $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money and a reported $10 million settlement confirmed by Yahoo Finance, he gained full ownership of Young Money. Notable Young Money signings include Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga. In June 2020, Wayne sold the entire Young Money catalog of masters — including Drake and Nicki Minaj’s pre-2018 recordings — to Universal Music Group for over $100 million, as reported by Music Business Worldwide. His tenth studio album, Tha Carter V, was released in 2018 after years of delays caused by the Cash Money dispute, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. Tha Carter VI was released in 2025, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and charting for multiple weeks.
Lil Wayne married his high school sweetheart Toya Johnson in February 2004; they divorced in 2006. Their daughter, Reginae Carter, was born in November 1998 and has pursued a career in entertainment. Wayne has additional children from other relationships: Dwayne Carter III (born 2008, with radio host Sarah Vivan), Cameron Carter (born 2009, with actress Lauren London), and Neal Carter (born 2009, with singer Nivea). Wayne has been open about surviving a near-fatal seizure in 2016 and the health challenges he experienced during the most turbulent years of his Cash Money dispute. He is based primarily in Miami, Florida. Wayne has spoken publicly about his close relationship with his children and has been candid about the influence of Birdman as a father figure in his early life, even as that relationship deteriorated during the legal dispute.
Lil Wayne’s net worth is estimated at $170 million. The largest single contributor to his wealth was the 2020 sale of the Young Money Entertainment masters catalog to Universal Music Group for over $100 million, as documented by Music Business Worldwide.
Beyond album sales and touring, Wayne’s most significant financial event was the sale of the Young Money catalog — which included masters from Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga in addition to his own recordings — to Universal Music Group for over $100 million in June 2020. He also received a reported $10 million settlement from Cash Money Records in 2018, resolving a $51 million lawsuit, and secured full ownership of Young Money Entertainment as part of that settlement.
Lil Wayne has four children: Reginae Carter (born 1998, with Toya Johnson), Dwayne Carter III (born 2008, with Sarah Vivan), Cameron Carter (born 2009, with Lauren London), and Neal Carter (born 2009, with Nivea).
As of March 2026, Lil Wayne is 43 years old. Lil Wayne was born on September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Lil Wayne stands 5 ft 5 in tall (165 cm).
Lil Wayne was married to Toya Johnson from 2004 to 2006. He is currently dating LeahAngelie Murphy as of 2024. Wayne has four children from various relationships.
Yes, Lil Wayne has four children: Reginae (27), Dwayne III (17), Kameron (16), and Neal (16). Reginae, his eldest, is a reality TV personality and social media influencer in her own right.
Lil Wayne lives in Hidden Hills, California. His home is valued at approximately $15.4 million. Wayne has been a fixture of the Los Angeles luxury real estate scene for years.
Lil Wayne earns $600,000 or more per live show. His career earnings from music, touring, and business ventures have made him one of the wealthiest rappers in the industry.