Sean Combs' Net Worth In 2023 Proves That Bad Boys Make Good Money

Sean Combs

As of November 2022, Sean "Diddy" Combs is the second richest man in hip-hop, bested only by Jay-Z—and similar to Hov, Sean Combs' net worth in 2023 is largely due to factors beyond their award-winning music. Combs is eager to create more opportunities for Black entrepreneurship and success, using his position as a leader in his industry to open more doors for artists and moguls of color—even giving back the publishing rights to artists from Bad Boy Records, reportedly rejecting a nine figure offer to sell the catalog to outsiders.

“When I started seeing how media was using our success, whether it was Kanye's, Jay-Z’s, mine, Rihanna, LeBron. That’s just a couple of people, but if you market it right, you put the right type of propaganda out, you may have people get comfortable like there is inclusion," he told The New York Times. "No, there isn't."

One thing that motivates him to this day? He told The Times, "Every day I wake up in the morning, I pray that I ain't gotta ask a white man for s—t." The good news? He probably will never need to for the rest of his life. Find out Diddy's net worth in 2023 and how he made it.

Related: Who Calls Diddy Daddy? All About Sean Combs' Kids

How did Sean Combs become famous?

Sean Combs had a difficult start. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Combs lost his father, an associate of drug dealer (and American Gangster subject) Frank Lucas, when Combs was just two years old.

Combs graduated from high school in 1987 and enrolled in Howard University, where he majored in business. He dropped out after his sophomore year and became an intern at Uptown Records in New York City in 1990, where he helped develop talent including Mary J. Blige and Jodeci. He got fired in 1993 after a party he hosted with Heavy D led to a stampede that got people killed.

The setback was nothing Combs couldn't overcome. The same year, he launched his iconic label, Bad Boy Records, as a subsidiary of Arista Records, and signed Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace as one of his very first artists.

In addition to heading Bad Boy Records, Combs served as a producer for artists including TLC, and in 1997, released his own first single as Puff Daddy, "Can't Hold Me Down."

Related: Rich Paul's Net Worth and How He Got Really Rich

What is Sean Combs' net worth in 2023?

Sean Combs' net worth in 2023 is estimated at a whopping $900 million, and he's happy to keep that number growing.

"I ain't gonna lie to you. I had got a taste of wealth and I was going to do anything I could do to protect that," Combs told The New York Times. "I just remember those days of roaches crawling on me and it’s just like, I need to focus on this money right now, 'cause nobody else has the opportunity that I have."

How much is P. Diddy worth in 2023?

The artist formerly known as P. Diddy is reportedly worth $900 million in 2023.

Related: Jay-Z's Net Worth and How Hov Hit It Big

How is Sean Combs so rich?

A big source of Combs' income is from Bad Boy Records, which was reportedly worth as much as $100 million at its height.

He also owns the Sean John clothing label, which as recently as 2016 made $450 million in sales. He sold 90% of the brand the same year, but bought it back from bankruptcy in 2021 for a mere $7.5 million.

In 2013, Forbes reported that Combs' net worth jumped a whopping $200 million, thanks in part to his launch of digital broadcaster Revolt TV and his stake in Aquahydrate water with none other than Mark Wahlberg. The bulk of his wealth also comes from his partnership with Ciroc (see below!).

Related: Mark Wahlberg's Net Worth Can Buy a Lot of Wahlburgers

How much money did Diddy make from Ciroc?

In two words: A lot. Combs reportedly makes upwards of $60 million annually from Ciroc Vodka. When he started with the brand around 2008, Business Insider reports, it was ranked No. 50 in the world globally in terms of vodka sales. Now? It's No. 2 behind Grey Goose, thanks in part to Combs' nicknaming himself "Ciroc Obama." (The man really is a genius.)

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How much does Diddy pay Sting?

Combs has paid Sting a mint for sampling The Police's "Every Breath You Take" for "I'll Be Missing You," his tribute to his late BFF and protégé Biggie Smalls—and Combs didn't clear the sample first.

"Those guys just take your s—t, put it on a record and deal with the legality later. Elton John told me, 'You gotta hear ["I'll Be Missing You'"], you're gonna be a millionaire,'" Sting recalled to Rolling Stone in 2003. "I said, 'I am a millionaire!' He said, 'You're gonna be a millionaire twice over!' I put a couple of my kids through college with the proceeds, and me and P. Diddy are good pals still." (He also later clarified that Combs did in fact clear the sample after the song debuted.)

In April 2023, Sting said he makes about $2,000 every day in royalties from the song, to which Combs replied that it was actually $5,000. Combs later tweeted that he was just kidding about the figure.

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How much does Diddy make for "I'll Be Missing You?"

It's unknown how much Combs makes for the 1997 smash "I'll Be Missing You," but he has to share a lot of it with Sting, as well as with featured artists Faith Evans and 112.

The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1998. It hit No. 1 in 26 countries and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide—and this was long before streaming existed, so artists made a lot more money from singles.

Related: LeBron James Net Worth and How He Became a Billionaire

How much does Sean Combs make a year?

Combs' annual income has been estimated at a whopping $100 million annually from all of his revenue streams.

Next, How Much Kanye West's Anti-Semitism Cost Him In His Net Worth