I want to build my empire. In my field, I have always seen men do it. From Diddy to Dr. Dre to Jay Z. Now it’s a woman’s turn. – Nicki Minaj
It turns out Nicki Minaj truly is ‘Feeling Herself. The Trinidadian-American actress, rapper, and model has a net worth of $130 million, and she’s one of the highest-paid, richest female music artists in the world.
Rapper Lil Wayne discovered Nicki Minaj in 2009, and she climbed to the top of the rap game in the last decade. 2021 saw the rapper’s net worth explode for a near 30% gain, taking her to new heights of wealth.
Nicki Minaj: The Facts
Net Worth: | $130 Million |
---|---|
DOB: | December 8, 1982 |
Country of Origin: | United States of America |
Source of Wealth: | Rapper, Actor |
Updated: | 2023 |
Nicki Minaj is a real talent in the hip hop community, with the artist receiving 100 awards, including ten BET Awards, six American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three MTV Video Awards, and two BET People’s Choice Awards. She also collected ten Grammy Award nominations throughout her career.
Nicki Minaj – Early Years
Born Onika Tanya Maraj in Saint James, Trinidad, and Tobago, on December 8, 1982, Nicki Minaj is the daughter of Robert and Carol Maraj. The rapper has a younger sister and brother who lived in St. James with her grandmother when she was a child.
Her parents left for the US to try and build a life there before sending for their children. Nicki grew up with her siblings while her mother attended Monroe College in New York. When Nicki was five years old, her mother moved the kids to NYC to rent an apartment in Queens, New York.
Her mother worked in the accounting and payroll department of a major firm in New York, while her father found himself becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. According to Nicki, he father was aggressive, violent, and abusive to her mother.
In December 1987, He got into a ‘heated’ state and decided to burn the family home to the ground. Minaj said she detested her father and had this to say about him in an interview with Rolling Stone.
When I first came to America, I would go into my room and kneel down at the foot of my bed and pray that God would make me rich so that I could take care of my mother.
Because I always felt like if I took care of my mother, my mother wouldn’t have to stay with my father, and he was the one at the time that was bringing us pain.
We didn’t want him around at all, and so I always felt like being rich would cure everything, and that was always what drove me.
In another interview with Nightline, Minaj claimed she was scared for her mother’s life. She also says her father threatened to kill her several times. However, Nicki’s father denies the abuse and claims Nicki overexaggerated his violence against the family.
Her dad admits to violent and angry tendencies but claims it was nowhere near the horror show Nicki says it was. Regardless, Nicki and her father made up with each other, and the two are now on amicable terms.
Minaj wanted to become an actress as a teenager, enrolling in the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. After finishing her schooling, she played a role in the off-Broadway production, ‘In Case You Forget.’
Nicki also says she worked as a waitress at Red Lobster to help her pay the bills. However, that didn’t last long, and she was fired from the job for being rude to customers.
Nicki Minaj – Career
Nicki saw her music career take off after meeting rapper Lil Wayne. Wayne was already an industry icon in 2009, with several platinum records under his belt. Nicki signed a deal with Wayne’s ‘Young Money Entertainment’ label and management company.
The rapper released her debut mixtape in 2007, called ‘Playtime Is Over.’ She went on to release several mixtapes, with ‘Sucka Free’ being a huge hit in 2008. Nicki went on to win ‘Female Artist of the Year’ at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.
Nicki released her third mixtape in 2009 and appeared in XXL Magazine. Her second mixtape of 2009, ‘Beam Me Up Scotty,’ was also a smashing success. However, her first studio album, ‘Pink Friday,’ turned Nicki into a superstar in the rap scene.
Released on the Young Money Entertainment label, it sold 4 million copies worldwide in 2010. During a 2011interview with the NY Daily. Minaj said she “kept having doors slammed on my face, I felt like nothing was working,” before experiencing success with the album.

The artist said she doubted herself along the way to her success. At one point, she thought about taking her life because she couldn’t carry on. It turns out her persistence paid off, with the rapper releasing her second studio album, ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’ in April 2012. The album would reach platinum status.
Nicki Minaj also has a career in front of the camera. The rapper was a celebrity judge on the 2013 season of America Idol before releasing her third studio album ‘The Pinkprint’ in 2014. The album went on to sell 650,000 copies worldwide.
Nicki released ‘Queen,” her fourth studio album, in August 2018. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in the United States. Nicki exceeded Aretha Franklin’s record for the number of songs on the Hot 100 for a female artist in May 2017, a record that stood for 40 years.
The only award escaping Minaj is a Grammy. While she has ten nominations, she has yet to win the award. She says she has an open place for her first Grammy in her trophy room.
Nicki Minaj – Film and Television
As Nicki’s fame grew, she started appearing in cameos in TV shows and movies. According to Yahoo, the rapper earned $12 million for her role as a celebrity judge on season 12 of ‘American Idol.’
Time Magazine named Minaj one of the most influential people of 2016, and the rapper had this to say about receiving the nomination.
One thing I learned along the way in business is the necessity for you to be unapologetic about asking for how much money you deserve.
Nicki Minaj – Endorsement Income and Investments
Nicki Minaj made a fortune through her music, but her business and investment skills also earned her a decent chunk of change.
Her first endorsement deal was with MAC Cosmetics in November 2010. The rapper appeared on ads, and marketing material for her branded lipstick, ‘Pink 4 Friday.’ MAC sold the limited edition lipstick for four Fridays in a row after the release of her Pink Friday album.
Minaj assisted with launching the Nokia Lumia 900 series in Times Square in April 2012, following up with an appearance in Pepsi’s ‘LiveForNow’ web and TV campaign. The advertising featured a remix of her hit single, ‘Moment 4 Life.’
Nicki also endorsed the Viva Glam campaign with Ricky Martin in 2012, helping raise $270 million in funding for the Mac AIDS Fund. According to Business Insider, the rappers’ Viva Glam’ is the best-selling color of all time in its range.

Minaj signed a deal as the face of Roberto Cavalli’s spring/summer collection in 2015. She also kicked off the H&M holiday campaign in the same year.
Minaj invested in TIDAL, taking a three percent stake in the company. Despite rapper Jay-Z selling his stake to Square for $302 million, she continues to hold her shares.
Nicki Minaj – Controversy
Like any other successful rap artist, Nicki experienced controversy during her career. The female rapper got into beefs with other superstar female artists, from Miley Cyrus to Lil Kim.
Nicki also famously stuck up for the men in her life accused of abusing women. Nicki also continually complained about her being blackballed in the industry due to her refusal to comply.
Despite the controversy, Minaj keeps releasing music and profiting from her success and fame. As o 2022, she charges $500,000 per verse for features. She’s among the most popular female rappers on Instagram, with 202 million followers.

Nicki Minaj – Personal Life
In 2000, Nicki Minaj started dating Safaree Samuels. The couple broke up in 2014 after a lengthy relationship, and Nicki started dating rapper Meek Mill in early 2015. This couple broke it off in 2017, and in 2018, Minaj began dating her childhood friend Kenneth “Zoo” Petty.
The couple filed for a marriage license in August 2019, announcing their official marriage on October 21, 2019. The couple had their first child in 2020. The couple and their son live in their mansion in Beverly Hills, California.
Nicki also had to deal with family controversy during her career. Her cousin, Nicholas Telemaque, was killed in his home in Brooklyn, NYC, in July 2011, and the rapper references the incident in her tracks, ‘All Things Go’ and ‘Champion.’

Burglars reportedly ransacked her home in February 2017, destroying the interior of her home in the process. The criminals made off with $200,000 in jewelry and other valuables during the heist.
Her brother Jelani was convicted of sexual assault against a child In November 2017, receiving a sentence of 25 years to life by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office on January 27, 2020.
Nicki Minaj – Real Estate
Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj rented a Beverly Hills mansion for $35,000 a month in August 2016. The home was constructed on the former residence of Frank Sinatra in 2008. The 10,340 square foot property has a panoramic view of the mountains and downtown LA.
The home features a large living area and a two-story foyer with a fireplace. There are arched French doors leading to the patio and entertainment area outside. The home features a wood-lined library, an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, and a family room. The house has a total of eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
Nicki stayed in the house after her breakup with Meek Mill before moving out of the premises in February 2018.
Nicki Minaj – Philanthropy
Nicki Minaj has a huge personal fortune of $130 million. While she is rich, she uses some of her money to support causes she believes in. She’s involved in several philanthropic ventures and takes time out of her schedule for her charitable interests.
She performed a cover of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ alongside Katy Perry for US servicemen in 2010. In 2017, she paid college tuition for 30 of her fans, settling their student debt.
Nicki is also an avid Christian, and she supports a village in India through her church’s relief efforts.

Nicki Minaj Quotes
True confidence leaves no room for jealousy. When you know you are great, you have no need to hate.
You have to know that as long as you love who you are — your morals, your values, that type of stuff, you’re ok.
I want to show little girls that the possibilities are endless. That’s my goal – to not only do it for myself but to show them I can do whatever I put my mind to.
I ain’t never need a man to take care of me.
I, I’m not livin life. I’m not livin right. I’m not livin if you’re not by my side.
He was the realest, I was the realest, we was the realest. When he approached me, I asked him ‘What the deal is?
He was Adam. I think I was Eve. But my vision ends with the apple on the tree.
And when they lookin, you let me hide. Protect my honor, protect my pride.
Strange how someone you once loved can become just another person you once knew.
Always tell someone how you feel because opportunities are lost in the blink of an eye, but regrets can last for a lifetime.
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