Rapper 50 Cent is enjoying a surprise windfall of almost $8 million after suddenly remembering that he had a stash of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. According to Newsweek, 50 Cent gained the bitcoins when he accepted the cryptocurrency as payment for his 2014 album Animal Ambition.”
“I’m a keep it real I forgot I did that shit. Lol,” 50 Cent said in a now-deleted comment on Instagram.
Newsweek reported that fans paid 50 Cent 700 bitcoin for the album, which only sold 124,000 copies. In 2014, Bitcoins were priced between $770 at the start of the year but were trading at the mid $350 range by December 2014. Now, even after falling by almost 50% since the end of 2017, Bitcoins are trading at a comfortable $11120.00.
50 Cent’s newfound crypto-windfall likely comes at a good time for the rapper. In 2015, he filed for bankruptcy after running afoul of federal and state tax collectors. According to Newsweek, the 42-year-old rapper paid more than $22 million since 2015 in the process of digging out.