DMX was close to being Hip Hop’s first billionaire at the height of his career, according to his ex-wife Tashera Simmons.
In an interview with Carlos King, Simmons — who shares four children with the late rap legend — discussed X’s finances and business moves during his heyday.
“I remember looking at our bank accounts and the zeros wouldn’t stop. I’m not even exaggerating,” she said. “He got $10 million a movie. He made millions just doing a show, and when he went on tour, he would come back with…
“I would say we were very close to being billionaires. X made a lot. It was so much money.”
Simmons also admitted that DMX was not the shrewdest businessman and revealed that he once turned down the opportunity to go into business with former Def Jam labelmate JAY-Z.
“They asked X about the Barclays Center. I’ll never forget it. They called him and said, ‘Jay is in. They wanna know if you wanna put in $1 million to get in,’” she continued.
“Unfortunately, when you’re — I hate to say it — ignorant and you don’t have any real business sense, X didn’t see that as a good investment. I saw it, and I didn’t even have a lot of business sense. X didn’t want to do it, and now look. There were a lot of bad business decisions.”
X wasn’t lacking when it came to generosity, though. “He spent a lot of money … taking care of everybody and their mama,” Simmons added. “If somebody died, he’ll pay for their entire funeral. He would go on vacation and rent the entire hotel out, spend over $150,000 a day. I’m not even exaggerating.”
Despite selling tens of millions of records and starring in a slew of hit movies, DMX suffered from financial troubles during the last decade of his life, filing for bankruptcy three times.
Tax fraud charges also led to him being sentenced to a year in prison and having to pay restitution of more than $2 million.
When X died in 2021 due to a cocaine-induced heart attack at the age of 50, he left behind no will and reportedly millions of dollars worth of debt.
While questions remain over the late rapper’s finances, DMX’s estate recently struck a deal with Artist Legacy Group to “ensure his music lives on.”
The deal was made by X’s fiancée Desiree Lindstrom and daughter Sasha Simmons, who are co-administrators of his estate and believe ALG can continue his legacy in the right way.
“Sasha and I are confident that ALG is the right team to partner with to honor Earl’s music and legacy. For my son and all of Earl’s children and fans, we will keep Earl’s spirit alive,” Lindstrom said in a statement.