Jay-Z launched Roc-A-Fella Records independently in 1996 after drug-dealing days, releasing Reasonable Doubt.
​Key moves include Roc Nation (entertainment firm), liquor brands like D’USSÉ (sold stake for $750 million in 2023) and Armand de Brignac (50% to LVMH in 2021).
Investments in Uber, sports teams, and music royalties propelled him, without major label deals early on.​
