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Fantasia Barrino had to answer to Uncle Sam and almost lost her home in the process. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the singer had vocalized her financial troubles that followed her “America Idol” win in 2004. She was sued by her father two years later and had difficulties with money management and understanding contracts. “It wasn’t easy,” she told PEOPLE. “I lost a lot. I lost everything.” Barrino’s circumstances almost even cost her the mansion she had been living in with her family in North Carolina, according to Forbes. She was served by the court for the first time due to owing $1 million in taxes, and her home could have been put up for auction as a result. “I had a bunch of people on my team who said ‘hey we’re handling all the business,'” she shared during ForbesBLK Summit 2024. “I look up and I owe a million dollars in taxes. So, because of that my lawyer didn’t show up to court, and then they put my house up for auction.” She continued, “I get a knock at the door, and...
Simone Biles is anticipated to be part of her third U.S. Olympic team. According to NBC News, the 37-time world and Olympic medalist’s “scoring potential is the highest of any gymnast in the world.” Therefore, she will most likely make the U.S. team in all-around, vault, and floor events. However, despite her appearance, Biles will not be paid for her time at the upcoming Olympics, NBC Insider reports. The International Olympic Committee over the Games explained that operating under a for-profit model would harm the sports being featured as a whole, leading to the sports that generate more money having a stronger presence. “Imagine if the IOC were to organize the Olympic Games on a for-profit business model,” the International Olympic Committee explained to NBC Insider. “The event would be limited to those sports that generate the most significant revenues, and it would not involve athletes representing teams from 206 NOCs [National Olympic Committees]. It would not be Olympic Games...
GloRilla had to take control of her spending after her first hit single took off. In 2022, the Memphis, TN-born artist, born Gloria Hallelujah Woods, found success with the release of her single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” produced by Hitkidd. ”It didn’t take the song long to blow up. It blew up in like three days,” she said during an interview on “The Shop” podcast. “So, I was just traveling the world like two days after I dropped that song ‘cause all the labels were calling me everywhere. So yeah, my life changed, changed right after I dropped that song.” Her newfound fame came with some learning curves, such as keeping her spending habits in check. During the interview, she notes that she shifted her mindset with spending when rap-artist-turned-music-executive Yo Gotti intervened and suggested she hire an accountant. “My first year I blew up, this was before I got an accountant. I was just spending money, and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m getting it. I’m making it but I’m spending it too,'” she...
Trina gave her first check from Atlantic Records to her mother. The rapper, born Katrina Laverne Taylor, signed to the label in the late ‘ 9 0s after making her first appearance on Trick Daddy’s song “Nann N–ga” in 1998. Trina was able to launch her music career as her presence on the track caught the attention of Ted Lucas, the founder of Slip-N-Slide Records to which Trick Daddy had been signed. “This is what they want to do. This is the deal. They going to merge with Slip-N-Slide. This is the deal coming through this Trick and Trina record… and it was a great deal, and we just I did it and immediately this was in ’98,” Trina said during an interview on the “R&B Money Podcast” hosted by Tank and J Valentine. Despite receiving her first check, Trina was more focused on finishing her debut album than making a major purchase. So, she gave it to her mother who used the check to invest in real estate. “I gave the check to my mom actually and… I had introduced my mom into like buying...
Doing things on one’s own terms often pays off. In February 2023, Cam’ron launched the podcast “It Is What It Is.” While on a panel at Black Enterprise’s 2024 Disruptor Summit in May, the rapper recalled brainstorming the vision for his sports talk show and investing in himself. “All the sports shows to me were pretty much the same… So what I did was, I said I’m gonna invest $250,000 into this project,” Cam’ron told the outlet. “And I said, what I’m gonna do is I’mma build a professional setting and put on a suit, but talk how we talk to each other when it comes to basketball.” @blackenterprise From arguing with friends to a $20 million deal! Cam’ron breaks down the journey of his podcast and how it all started with a passion for sports and a $120k investment. #PodcastGoals #SuccessStory #Camron #ItIsWhatItIs ♬ original sound – BlackEnterprise Although Cam’ron chose $250,000 as the cap number for his investment, he shared that he only spent around $120,000. Plus, the show started to...
Yo Gotti did not pay his property taxes for years due to a lack of information. During an interview with podcast “Earn Your Leisure,” the rapper revealed he was unaware he had to pay back taxes to the government. He viewed taxes as a celebration as he recalled the gifts he would receive from his mother around tax season. He didn’t know these gifts were likely coming because she had received a tax refund. “I grew up thinking, when you heard of taxes, my mama and ’em got tax money. That’s when we got new Jordans. We got new outfits… It was a celebration when it was tax time,” he said. “We was waiting on tax time. It was better than Christmas. So, I didn’t know… even in my early stages of getting money, I didn’t know we had to pay. I didn’t know because of a lack of information; they didn’t teach me that in school.” Lack of financial literacy carried over into how Yo Gotti did business too. As an investor in real estate early on, he purchased 10 to 15 homes with cash. However, he...
At the top of their X profile, the official @IRSnews account has pinned a tweet advising Americans to be cautious while filing their annual return . “There are many different kinds of social media content,” they wrote, “including tons of misleading tax advice that can put you at risk.” Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to be diligent amid the endless scams and near-constant flow of fake news online. Currently, the rumored IRS $8700 stimulus check has people asking questions. Here’s everything we know about the situation so far: What Are Stimulus Checks? After a bumpy few years navigating the “new normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic , Americans have become familiar with stimulus checks. The idea behind them is to generate economic activity during times of strife. Thanks to bonuses from the government, consumers have more to spend without the stress of going into debt or dipping into savings. In March 2020, then-POTUS Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic...
Kyrie Irving is creating wealth for his father, who has a basketball background through his time at Boston University and in a professional league in Australia. Industry sources confirmed to Shams Charania, senior NBA Insider for The Athletic, that Irving will be signing his father, Drederick, to an endorsement deal with ANTA, a China-based sportswear brand. This also means his father will receive his own signature shoe, marking a first for a professional athlete to provide. Drederick Irving’s shoes are projected to debut as early as September 2024 across Foot Locker stores, a source mentions. Kyrie Irving’s connection to ANTA is the result of the company signing him to a deal in 2023 after he was dropped from his 11-year endorsement dea l with Nike. Per the outlet, he is ANTA’s chief creative officer as well and has the ability to sign collaborators and endorsers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shams Charania (@shamsnba) This is not the first time that an NBA player...
Serena Williams learned money management early on in her teens. Thanks to her father, Richard, Serena has received a wealth of knowledge to apply to the business landscape. In fact, during an interview on Bloomberg Originals’ “The Deal” podcast, hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, she recalls receiving substantial checks from companies including Puma. Per Andscape, Serena had reportedly received $13 million over a five-year period with the apparel brand. What’s more, the task of managing those earnings fell entirely on her. “Literally, my first checks from whether it was Puma, like I got these huge checks. [My dad], he’s like, you figure it out. We had to figure it out,” Serena said on the podcast. “I’m literally living at his house in the bedroom next to Venus. I was 16 and he’s like, you know, most parents, you know, they take your money. They take something. But you know, he’s like, ‘You figure it out.’ And so I remember having to figure that out and having to learn how to...
Stephen A. Smith’s proudest moment was retiring his late mother. For the host of ESPN’s “First Take,” he has kept his mother in high regards due to her sacrifices raising him with a father he describes as “negligent.” In 2005, Smith was able to reward his mother when he signed a $1.3 million annual contract with ESPN to receive his own show, called “Quite Frankly,” he revealed on the “Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson” podcast. At the time, his mother had retired as a registered nurse working at Queens General Hospital in New York, NY, but she took on work at the Police Athletic League (PAL) to fund her yearly vacations because she did not have additional earnings outsides of her pension and savings. “My proudest moment to this day was that I drove straight home, and I put it in my book straight shooter, I drove straight from Manhattan to Queens, New York. I walked right in that PAL and I grabbed her by the arm and I said ‘Let’s go,'” Smith expressed on the podcast. “I looked at her boss,...
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is prepared to take his woes with Suntory Global Spirits to Congress if both parties are not able to come to a mutual agreement soon. According to HipHop DX, the rapper-turned-businessman used his Instagram account to address the company’s decision to change its name from Beam Suntory to Suntory Global Spirits without taking accountability for its alleged wrongdoing toward him and Sire Spirits. “Changing the company name from Beam Suntory to @SuntoryGlobalSpirits without correcting what was done to my brands @bransoncognac and @lecheminduroi doesn’t fix the problem and lacks honor,” 50 Cent said. “ I attempted to resolve the matter, not once, but twice. Now the legal process will play out publicly for everyone to see what really happened and how @SuntoryGlobalSpirits would rather spend millions to protect and conceal criminal conduct instead of doing the right thing.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) As previously reported...
Money management can be a learning curve for many athletes, and this was the case for Dwyane Wade. Wade was drafted to the league in 2003, which is viewed as “one of the greatest draft classes in NBA history,” the league mentions. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh were also drafted that year. Wade would make his debut with the Miami Heat as the No. 5 overall draft pick, Sports Illustrated reports. He then signed a three-year contract valued at $8.5 million, to The Palm Beach Post. For Wade, being drafted to the league allowed him to overcome the odds that were stacked against him living in the South Side of Chicago, where he would hear gun shots frequently. At one point, he was being raised by his mother who struggled with addiction and would leave him at home for periods of time, according to Business Insider. When he was 9 he eventually moved to a new neighborhood to be with his father, who had divorced his mother. “[My father] was militant,” Wade shared during an...
When Chris Paul was drafted to the league he turned down a substantial amount of money. The NBA player had been drafted in 2005 as the No. 4 draft pick by the New Orleans Hornets, Fox News reports. He was just 19 years old at the time. During an interview with Forbes, Paul mentioned he had just $151 in his bank account as a college student at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, when he entered the league. One of his earliest actions was to bring on board a financial advisor, which ultimately resulted in him receiving an upfront offer of $100,000. However, his parents interceded, leading Paul to accept nearly a quarter of the initial offer. “My financial advisor who we hired, they said they would send me $100,000 and my parents said, ‘No that’s too much,'” he told Forbes. During an appearance on “The Shop,” he elaborated further stating, “Y ou know what happened? I was at Wake in Winston. I went to the bank right up the street just so I could see what the statement looked...
Promising opportunities are on the way for college athlete Great Osobor. ESPN reports Osobor, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, has settled on the University of Washington after entering the NCAA transfer portal. The forward previously played for Utah State University and had already expressed interest in moving to Washington after Utah coach Danny Sprinkle was hired on as the school’s newest coach, according to Fox Sports. “I would like to thank God for putting me in this position,” Osobor said, according to ESPN. “Washington will allow me to maximize my potential as a player in my final year of college basketball. Coach [Danny] Sprinkle has been with me every step of the way since I came from England, and I cannot wait to help the Huskies get back to the NCAA tournament.” Osobor’s move also signals a great precedence in the age of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. The outlet notes he has agreements, such as marketing assurances, in place that will set his NIL...
For almost a decade, Michael Rainey Jr. has been a staple in 50 Cent’s TV reign on Showtime. Following the release of “Power,” the actor went on to star in its spinoff, “Power Book II: Ghost.” As the series is in its fourth and final season, Rainey has recounted his journey of being a part of the successful TV franchise. During an interview on Forbes’ “New Money” podcast, he spoke about how 50 Cent has not only been a mentor to him but also a father figure. Working closely alongside the business mogul and fellow co-stars of the “Power” franchise such as Omari Hardwick and Joseph Sikora, Rainey shared that it served as a time for learning critical skills including how to handle his money responsibly. “I’m still young, so I’m still learning how to manage my money, but I really just take advice from people that are around me,” Rainey said. “Being on ‘Power’ not only changed my life career-wise, but just being on that show, being on set with everybody every day, just being around those...