Net Worth Ranker
What Is Damon Dash’s Net Worth?
Damon Anthony Dash, an American entrepreneur, record producer, and music executive, possesses a net worth of approximately $100,000 as of early 2025. This figure contrasts sharply with that of his former business partner, Jay-Z, who has achieved billionaire status. Dash’s financial history has been marked by various challenges, including claims of being unable to meet child support obligations due to garnished income, as stated in a New York court in late 2019.
Early Career and Roc-A-Fella Records
Born on May 3, 1971, in Harlem, New York, Damon Dash’s early life involved attending private schools and developing an entrepreneurial spirit. As a teenager, he engaged in various jobs, such as sweeping floors at a barbershop and selling newspapers, to afford personal items like sneakers. Dash credits his mother, who passed away when he was 15, for instilling in him a “hustler” mentality. The pivotal moment in Dash’s career arrived with the co-founding of Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z. This venture served as the foundation for Dash’s ascent in the music industry, solidifying his role as Jay-Z’s business partner and former manager. In 1999, Dash orchestrated a tour for Jay-Z that generated $19 million in revenue. He also co-founded the Rocawear clothing line with Jay-Z, which later sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Financial Issues and Legal Battles
Over the years, Damon Dash has faced numerous financial and legal challenges. In 2014, he was mandated to pay $50,000 to Linda Williams, the mother of his son Boogie, due to her prosecution on harassment charges in 2009. By August 2015, reports indicated that Dash owed $4.14 million in back taxes to the state of New York. During his divorce proceedings with Rachel Roy, Dash disclosed owing $2 million in back taxes and facing foreclosure on two New York City apartments. Additionally, several NYC law firms and creditors were suing him for non-payment. His Chevy Tahoe was repossessed due to his inability to maintain the $700 monthly payments. Dash was eventually forced to vacate his $9 million Tribeca, New York home, which was subsequently sold in foreclosure for $5.5 million. In September 2019, Dash sought court intervention to terminate his child support payments to Roy. He claimed that in 2018, his total earnings amounted to $56,000, while Rachel’s income exceeded $500,000. However, in March 2019, Dash was ordered to pay Rachel Roy $341,991, along with $25,000 for attorney fees.
In November 2019, Dash was arrested for failing to pay $400,000 in child support, leading to a reported payment of over $1 million for his release. Later that month, he filed legal documents asserting his financial instability and inability to cover a $2,400 personal debt. He stated that his sole income source, his own business, was generating zero profit. Furthermore, he revealed that $2 million received from producer Lee Daniels as part of a lawsuit settlement was garnished by creditors. By January 2024, Dash was again in court seeking a reduction in his child support obligations, claiming a total income of only $5,140 for the previous year and proposing a monthly support payment of $430. In 2012, rapper Curren$y sued Dash for $1.5 million, alleging the unauthorized release of music. Dash’s attorney contended that the music was released legally. In June 2022, a lawsuit between Jay-Z and Damon Dash regarding Dash’s plan to sell his ownership percentage of Roc-A-Fella Records’ album “Reasonable Doubt” as an NFT was settled. Jay-Z had previously obtained a restraining order to prevent Dash’s attempt. In early 2023, Dash was largely cleared of a sexual assault allegation by Monique Bunn, who had sued him in 2019. Jurors awarded Bunn $30,000 in damages but did not find Dash liable.
Roc-A-Fella Share Auction
Damon Dash retained his 33.3% stake in Roc-A-Fella Records despite his various controversies. In July 2024, it was revealed that his stake would be auctioned by the U.S. Marshall’s service to satisfy an $800,000 civil judgment related to a copyright and defamation case won by a film director in 2022. Roc-A-Fella Records still holds the rights to Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt” album, listed as the company’s biggest asset in auction documents. The minimum bid for Dash’s 33.3% stake was set at $1.2 million. In September 2024, Dash publicly accused Jay-Z of sabotaging the auction, thereby diminishing the potential value of his stake. He claimed that this would hinder his ability to pay off the approximately $130,000 he owes in child support and the millions owed in back taxes. The New York City Department of Social Services also intervened, asserting that the rights would be owned through 2098, contrary to some online implications of ownership expiring in 2031.
Other Ventures and Relationships
Beyond his involvement with Roc-A-Fella Records, Damon Dash diversified into other ventures, including film production, marketing, merchandise, and talent management. His film company produced notable films such as “The Woodsman,” starring Kevin Bacon, and “Paid in Full,” featuring Mekhi Phifer. Dash also founded DD172, a media collective encompassing a magazine, “American Nu,” a web design firm called VNGRD79, an art gallery, and a record label division, BlueRoc Records. Damon Dash was in a relationship with R&B singer Aaliyah from 2000 until her death in August 2001. He was married to Rachel Roy from 2005 to 2009, with whom he had two daughters, Ava Dash (born in 1999) and Tallulah Dash (born in 2008). Dash also has a son, Dame “Boogie” Dash, born in 1991, with former girlfriend Linda Williams. Additionally, Dash and his fiancée, film producer Raquel Horn, have a son together, Dusko Dash, born on November 14, 2020.
