| Real Name: | Shad Gregory Moss |
| Birthday: | March 9, 1987 |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Height: | 170 cm |
| Occupation: | American Rapper, Actor, TV Presenter, Broadcaster |
Shad Gregory Moss is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and broadcaster. We know him by his stage name Bow Wow. He had several successful albums in the early 2000s, reaching platinum on four albums. But in 2012, he announced he was broke.
He had only $1,500 in his bank account. Now, he earns millions. How much did Bow Wow earn? And how did he earn his money? Let’s see.
Content Compass
Early Life and Music Career
Bow Wow showed interest in rap at the age of three. He began rapping when he was just six years old, under the moniker “Kid Gangsta”. He was a fan of N.W.A. In 1993, he performed at a concert in Los Angeles. Snoop Dogg noticed him at the concert and gave him the name Lil Bow Wow. He appeared on the album Doggystyle.
Bow Wow released his first album when he was just 13 years old in 2000. At 11, he met with record producer Jermaine Dupri. He helped him produce a soundtrack for the movie Wild Wild West in 1999. In 2000, at the age of 13, he debuted with his single Beware of Dog, under his stage name Lil Bow Wow. His album, released in 2001, reached double platinum on March 5, 2001.
In 2002, he released his second album, Doggy Bag. Again, he got the platinum certification. He even performed the track Basketball for the soundtrack of the movie Like Mike.
In 2002, he decided to drop “Lil” form his stage name. He said he feels he is old enough to do it. He wanted to grow up, and the Lil irritated him.
In 2003, he released his third album, first with his new stage name. The album, called Unleashed, featured guest appearances by Birdman, Mario, Amerie, and Jagged Edge.
In 2005, he released his fourth album, Wanted, with the first single Let Me Hold You featuring Omarion. His single peaked at #1 on the rap chart. On this album, he invited Ciara, J-Kwon, Chris Brown, and T-Pain. At the time, he dated Ciara, but that relationship lasted shortly. In 2007, Bow Wow released a collaborative album with Omarion.
He planned to release his album Underrated in November 2011. Yet, he announced on his blog that he will delay the album for 2012. With guest appearances from Chris Brown, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Nas, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Birdman, and others, the album was going to rock. But the album got delayed again.
In 2013, Bow Wow stated that the reason is raising his daughter. He wanted to be more mature before working and releasing the album. He stated he will release the album when he is 28. And in 2014, he announced that he will drop the name Bow Wow. He wanted to go by his real name, Shad Moss. It was time for a change and the next chapter in his life. Bow Wow no longer fits his new personality as a father, host, and actor. Then, in 2016, he announced he is retiring from rapping.
You can say Bow Wow made a lot of money with his music career. Here are his best selling albums.
- Beware of Dog, released in 2000, sold more than 3 million copies
- Doggy Bag, released in 2001, sold more than 1.5 million copies
- Wanted, released in 2005, sold more than 1 million copies
- The Price of Fame, released in 2006, sold more than 1.6 million copies
- Unleashed, released in 2003, sold more than 770,000 copies
Acting Career Making a Change
Bow Wow was quite popular as a young child. He made guest appearances on sitcoms and movies. For example, he got the main role in Like Mike. After the success of the movie, he made appearances in Smallville, Ugly Betty, Entourage, Lottery Ticket, and more.
But that was all before 2012. On March 28, 2012, a court-ordered him to pay $3,000 a month in child support. On October 2, 2012, he claimed he was broke and had only $1,500 in his bank account. Everything changed the next day.
He signed a deal to be one of the four new co-hosts of BET’s 106& Park. The show is available in 85 million homes in the US, Canada, Japan, Africa, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Bow Wow’s Money in 2020
Bow Wow has more than 10 million albums sold worldwide. He began his career at the age of 13. He appeared in the Like Mike movie. So, how much money does he have? After all the legal battles, he’s worth $1.5 million.
He has sold more than 14 million digital copies of his work over the Internet. His music and acting career are not the only sources of his income. He earns money from sponsorships and endorsement deals. Some reports say that he earns up to $16,000 per deal.
Some of the brands he promotes include Caviar Gold, Cavoda Vodka, Besado, Asphalt Yacht Club, and more. Per his sponsored posts on Instagram, he earns between $8,000 and $13,000. He also has a YouTube channel that earns up to $10k per year.
Net Worth, Lifestyle and Assets
With a cash flow of $1.5 million, Shad can afford a lavish lifestyle. He owns a few houses across the world. But he lives in a beautiful mansion in Georgia worth close to $1 million. He also has a beach facing house in Japan. Bow Wow loves luxury cars and jeeps. And he can spend quite a lot on it.
His garage includes:
- Lamborghini Murcielago, price $150,000
- Range Rover Sport Super Charged, price between $63,000 and $93,000
- Lamborghini Gallardo, price $191,000
- Bentley Continental GT, price $196,000
- Porsche 911 Turbo, price $85,00
Personal Life
Shad Gregory Moss was born on March 9, 1987, in Columbus, Ohio. He adopted the stage name Lil Bow Wow as a child. Later, he dropped the Lil from his name, and after a while, went back to his original name.
He has a daughter, Shai Moss with Joie Chavis. His list of girlfriends includes Ciara, Kim Kardashian West, Keyshia Cole, and Erica Mena.