Lil Nas X's net worth is surprisingly high for only being on the scene for a few years. Here's how he built his fortune.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Who Is Lil Nas X?
Montero Lamar Hill was born in Lithia Springs, a community just outside Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999. You probably know him better by his stage name, Lil Nas X, and he's a rapper and singer.
His parents, who divorced when he was six years old, named him after the Mitsubishi Montero.
After his parents' divorce, he lived in the Bankhead Courts housing project with his mother and grandmother. Then, three years later, he moved in with his gospel singer father just north of Atlanta in Austell.
As a teenager, he was a loner and spent much of his time on the internet. He was particularly fond of Twitter and posting memes he'd created – showing off his wit, creativity, and savviness with popular culture.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Coming Out
A gay man, he struggled with coming out and prayed it was just a phase until he was around 16 or 17, when he started to accept it (he first came out to his father and sister when he was 19).
In fourth grade, he started showing his talent for music by playing the trumpet but ultimately quit as he worried it didn't make him look cool.
He attended Lithia Springs High School and graduated in 2017, then enrolled at the University of West Georgia, where he majored in computer science. However, he dropped out after one year to pursue a musical career.
After dropping out, he stayed with his sister. He displayed an admirable work ethic by working jobs at Zaxby's restaurants and the Six Flags Over Georgia theme park.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
What Is Lil Nas X's Net Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lil Nas X has a net worth of around $7 million. For a 23-year-old man who's only been in the limelight for approximately seven years, that's a hugely impressive sum.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
How Did Lil Nas X Earn His Net Worth?
Lil Nas X's primary source of income in recent years has been his music. Still, he initially made himself marketable as an internet personality. So, while he didn't necessarily make a lot of money from that period of his life, it was undoubtedly important when it came to making a name for himself.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Internet Personality
Much of Lil Nas X's time spent online was in the hope of building a following as an internet personality to promote his work. He made comedy videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and it was using the latter (on which he describes himself as “a master”) that first made him go viral.
He ran Nicki Minaj fan accounts, and his work garnered much praise and attention in 2017. Special recognition came from his flash fiction-style interactive “scenario threads,” popularized on Twitter using TweetDeck's dashboard app.
He got into some trouble for his use of multiple accounts, using them to promote each other, as it violated Twitter's spam policies. But it worked for him.
These days, his YouTube channel has around 18.5 million subscribers, and all his videos get at least several hundred thousand views.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Music
Sometime in 2018, Lil Nas X decided to focus on music and discovered it was the path to success. So he adopted his stage name in tribute to Nas; the rest is history.
He released his first mixtape, Nasarati, on SoundCloud in July. While it was well-received by those who heard it, it didn't result in immediate musical stardom, and SoundCloud took it down due to a copyright conflict.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Deal of a Lifetime
In December 2018, he released the country rap song “Old Town Road,” having bought the beat for the song anonymously on beat-selling platform Beatstars from Dutch producer YoungKio for $30.
He made around 100 memes to promote the single, which went viral on TikTok in early 2019. But it's the single that truly made him a star.
“Old Town Road” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It has set the record as the highest certified song ever by the RIAA, with 15-times platinum status in the United States. It accumulated 15 million equivalent song units and sold over 18 million copies worldwide.
Since “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has released nine singles. Two of them – 2021's “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” and “Industry Baby,” which featured Jack Harlow – hit the number one spot.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Collab King
He has collaborated with Nas, Travis Barker, Doja Cat, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, and Miley Cyrus.
He released his first EP, 7, in June 2019, and it reached number two on the Billboard 200. His first album, Montero, was released in September 2021 and reached the number two spot.
The Long Live Montero Tour – Lil Nas X's debut concert tour – will take place in 2022. It will travel across North America and Europe, beginning in September 2022 in Detroit, Michigan, and concluding in Barcelona in November. There will be 27 shows in total.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Other Endeavors
In 2021, Lil Nas X appeared as the musical guest on an episode of Saturday Night Live and as himself in rapper Lil Dicky's sitcom Dave.
In August of the same year, Taco Bell unveiled him as their Chief Impact Officer. It started a relationship that will undoubtedly earn him vast amounts of money. He now appears in some of the company's TV commercials.
In a 2022 episode of the Disney+ animated series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, he voiced the character June Bug.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
How Does Lil Nas X Spend His Money?
Like most stars with vast amounts of money, Lil Nas X enjoys spending it on lavish things.
For instance, he often wears expensive clothing and jewelry. When it comes to clothes, his favorite brands include Chanel, Gucci, and Prada. In addition, he spends thousands on bling, and some of his jewelry items feature several diamonds.
He's also very generous and often buys gifts for his family and friends.
When he received his first substantial paycheck, he rented a bowling alley for himself and his family members, and the trip cost $8,000.
After collaborating with Billie Ray Cyrus on “Old Town Road,” he bought a Maserati GranTurismo worth $200,000 for Miley's father.
And, of course, he has a large luxury home. It's in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, and cost a whopping $2.35 million. The property is 2580 square feet and boasts four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Bright Future
Lil Nas X is one of the planet's biggest and most recognizable stars. While he's not yet amongst the very richest, he's certainly well on his way to getting there, and it's only a matter of time before he's staggeringly wealthy.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
More Articles From the Wealth of Geeks Network:
- How to Budget Better in 2021 With a Printable Budget Binder
- 13 Reusable Household Items That Will Actually Save You Money
- 29 Best Game Apps to Win Real Money Online
This post was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.