Lil Wayne Denies Reported Net Worth: ‘I Don’t Have a Cent Close to That’
Lil Wayne's net worth makes him one of the highest paid rappers of our generation — but how many albums has he sold? Here's what we know.
By Pretty HonoreFeb. 26 2025, Published 12:27 a.m. ET
The Breakdown: Lil Wayne has sold millions of albums since his musical debut, but calculating his net worth might be more complicated than you think. Despite having a long list of RIAA certifications, Lil Wayne says his reported net worth and his bank account tell two different stories.
On Lil Wayne’s 2005 album, The Carter II, he claimed to be the “Greatest Rapper Alive”. Two decades later, he’s lived up to that declaration.
Wayne is responsible for some of the most prolific rap songs of our time, reaching fans across generations. From his chart-topping albums to his viral mixtapes, Wayne has left an indelible mark on the culture. But does his net worth account for his hard work? Here’s everything we know about Lil Wayne’s record sales, business investments, and legal battles.
What’s Lil Wayne’s net worth? Find out!
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lil Wayne is worth a whopping $170 million. However, according to Lil Wayne, that's cap. In an interview with The Nine Club, Wayne revealed that the numbers on the internet and the amount of money in his bank account simply do not match.
“Honestly, I’m gonna let everybody know now, when you go check a motherf—ker’s net worth and that s—t be saying some crazy numbers, I don’t have a cent close to that s—t,” he told the interviewer.
Lil Wayne
American rapper
Net worth: 170 million
Lil Wayne is an American rapper from New Orleans and the founder and sole owner of Young Money Records.
Birth name: Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.
Birthdate: September 27, 1982
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
Spouse: Toya Johnson (m. 2004—2006)
Children: 3
Mother: Jacida Carter
Father: Dwayne Micheal Carter, Sr.
In layman’s terms: somebody lying because the math ain’t mathing.
He joked: “So I be always calling my agent and being like, ‘I’m telling you, bro, I’m gonna fire the s—t out of you. I Googled that. You know what I mean? I’m like, I’m a zillion-dollar rapper on Google, bro.'”
Wayne may not be a zillionaire in real life, but he’s sold about a zillion records.
How many albums has Lil Wayne sold? Exploring his sales and certifications.
Throughout his career, Lil Wayne has released 14 studio albums. Each of his projects has been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. Nine of his albums have been certified platinum or higher, signifying that they each sold more than one million units. The rapper made history in 2008, joining the ranks of celebrities like Whitney Houston and The Beatles after The Carter III dropped and became one of the 24 albums to ever sell one million units in its first week.
Lil Wayne performs on stage with the Hot Boyz in Tampa, Fla.
Additionally, Wayne has made a fortune from his record label, Young Money, which introduced the world to chart-topping artists like Nicki Minaj and Drake.
Although the New Orleans entertainer’s rise to fame may seem glamorous, the rapper has definitely paid the cost to be the boss — and by the cost, we mean his lawyer’s legal fees. Along with his personal troubles with the law, he also took his former father-figure to trial.
In 2015, he sued Cash Money Records CEO Birdman, claiming that he was blocking the release of The Carter V and unlawfully withheld money that was owed. Wayne later settled the case for more than $10 million and was released from his contract with Cash Money.
