One of Ones: Lessons From 50 Cent

The mogul's ups and downs have been well-documented. But his approach has remained a fascinating case study for any hip-hop fan—or entrepreneur.

The first time I interviewed 50 Cent, the year was 2008, and we’d both started new chapters in our careers. I’d gotten my first big break, landing a staff reporter job at Forbes just out of college. And 50 had just gotten his first really big break: a $100 million payout for his stake in Vitaminwater’s parent, Glaceau, when Coca-Cola bought the company for a little over $4 billion.

But what really struck me at the time was not his massive windfall, which represented the biggest single-deal haul—or annual payday—for any hip-hop act in history to that point. It was how his eyes remained on the horizon.

“People were talking about how much money I made, but I was focused on the fact that $4.1 billion was made," he told me. "I think I can do a bigger deal in the future.”

That moment sums up 50 Cent’s limitless ambition, one reason my pal Trapital founder Dan Runcie and I featured him on the second installment of our series “One Of Ones.” You can listen to our podcast episode here; as usual, my written breakdown on the lessons I learned is available to paid subscribers, below.

As a One of One, of course, 50 Cent can do things most people can’t. In addition to being charismatic and talented, he’s admittedly Machiavellian: The ends justify nearly any means. So some of the takeaways from his career may not lead to actionable—or palatable—advice for everyone.

But studying his moves should be an intriguing exercise for any hip-hop fan or entrepreneur—and, for some, it may even be a blueprint.