Jay-Z’s net worth has skyrocketed to $2.5 billion, according to Forbes

• Jay-Z's net worth has skyrocketed to $2.5 billion, according to a new report from Forbes.

• The lofty figure makes Jay rap's wealthiest star by a large margin.

• Diddy is his closest competitor with a net worth of around $1 billion.

Jay-Z has extended his lead at the top of hip-hop's rich list.

According to a new report published by Forbes, the "99 Problems" rapper is now worth $2.5 billion — $1.1 billion more than the outlet reported in 2021.

The lofty figure makes Jay rap's wealthiest star by a large margin. Diddy is his closest competitor with a net worth of around $1 billion, according to former Forbes editor Zack O'Malley.

"Even in a year without a tour or album release, Jay-Z mints millions from his Armand de Brignac champagne and D'Usse cognac," said Forbes.

The report also cited the 53-year-old mogul's ownership of Roc Nation, and "a fine art collection including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat."

It also noted Jay's venture capital firm, Marcy Venture Partners, which according to Tech Crunch closed its second fund in 2021 with $325 million in capital commitments.

Jay has, of course, made a pretty penny from selling his records too.

According to Best Selling Albums, he's sold over 41 million albums worldwide, with his best-selling record being his second studio album, "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life," which has shipped 5.5 million copies worldwide.

One of Jay's records that never sold a copy was an unreleased collaboration with Michael Jackson on a version of his 2001 hit "Girls, Girls, Girls."

It was previously believed the collaboration between the two superstars was merely a rumor, but earlier this month,  Just Blaze, who produced the album version of the track, revealed he found the recordings while searching his computer a couple of years back.

"I find this folder that says 'MJ vocals,'" Blaze recalled. "And I'm like, 'MJ? Don't that mean Michael Jackson?"

"And I realize as I'm listening to it, it's him singing on 'Girls, Girls, Girls.' And I'm like, it's true," he added. "Like I never, the last 20 years... I just found it during quarantine. So all these years, I've never known it was actually a real thing. And turns out the files had been sitting downstairs this entire time."

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