Jerry Heller Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What was Jerry Heller’s Net Worth?

An American music manager, writer, and businessman, Jerry Heller had a net worth estimated at $20 million. Heller gained prominence for managing some of the first “gangster rappers,” including N.W.A and Eazy-E. However, before venturing into rap music, he had already achieved significant success, representing numerous high-profile artists during the 60s and 70s, such as Journey, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison, Credence Clearwater Revival, Black Sabbath, and the Who.

In the 80s, he began collaborating with R&B and Hip-Hop artists, including Egyptian Lover and The D.O.C. He later became involved with several prominent West Coast rappers, managing Ruthless Records and artists like Eazy-E, N.W.A., the Black Eyed Peas, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Dr. Dre, and more. Recently, many new fans have become aware of Jerry Heller due to his controversial representation in the film “Straight Outta Compton,” where he was portrayed by Paul Giamatti. Following the negative depiction, Heller initiated a lawsuit against the film’s producers.

In 2016, Jerry passed away at the age of 75 from a heart attack while driving in Thousand Oaks, California. This occurred amidst the controversy surrounding “Straight Outta Compton,” and his attorney later attributed his death to the stress associated with the lawsuit and his negative portrayal in the movie. At the time of his passing, he resided just two doors down from Eazy-E’s notorious mansion, known for hosting wild parties. Heller also owned and drove a white BMW with the license plate “RTHLSS2,” which was a gift from Eazy-E.

Early Life

Born on October 6, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio, Gerald Elliot “Jerry” Heller grew up in a Jewish family. He later enlisted in the United States Army and attended the University of Southern California after finishing high school. By the early 60s, Heller was working in the agency business. He spent time at various agencies before launching his own in Beverly Hills.

Career

The Heller-Fischel Agency was established in the late 60s and quickly became a successful business. In its inaugural year, the agency generated $1.9 million, with revenues increasing to $3.7 million in the following year. By the third year, earnings reached $5.8 million, and by the fourth year, Jerry’s new agency reported over $7 million annually. At this stage, he was representing artists such as the Who, Black Sabbath, and Grand Funk Railroad. The agency also employed several successful songwriters, including Carly Simon, Van Morrison, and Cat Stevens. His business approach involved keeping artists active between hit releases by scheduling tours alongside other headlining acts represented by different agencies.

Entering the mid-1980s, Heller recognized a new and rapidly rising genre in the United States: rap music. He co-founded Ruthless Records with Eazy-E, which eventually contributed to the success of Priority Records and Interscope Records. Ruthless Records ended up selling over 110 million records, further expanding its roster to include successful artists and producers like Dr. Dre, who achieved considerable success with Heller’s support. Although Jerry eventually departed from Ruthless Records and Eazy-E passed away, the company at one time generated over $10 million monthly in revenue.

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(Photo by Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images)

In the 1980s, Heller was responsible for managing artists such as C.I.A., which featured a young Ice Cube. He also worked with the World Class Wreckin’ Crue, highlighting a young Dr. Dre among its members. Partnering with Eazy-E led Ruthless to release a total of six platinum albums. Eventually, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre departed from Heller’s management, resulting in the dissolution of N.W.A. Despite this, Eazy-E continued his partnership with Jerry, prompting Dre and Cube to create diss tracks targeting both founders of Ruthless. Notably, Ice Cube’s diss track directed at Eazy-E contained the line “You let a Jew break up my crew,” alluding to Heller.

Jerry Heller’s memoir titled “Ruthless: A Memoir” sheds light on various aspects of West Coast hip-hop’s early days. Within its pages, he refuted claims of financial misconduct. Additionally, he recounted an instance when Eazy-E allegedly contemplated murdering Suge Knight but claimed he had persuaded the rapper against it. Heller later expressed regret regarding his intervention, stating, “I should have let him kill him.”

Controversy

The portrayal of Jerry Heller in the 2015 film “Straight Outta Compton” triggered significant controversy in recent years. Outraged by the depiction, Jerry initiated a lawsuit against N.W.A. members, NBCUniversal, various production staff, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. He contended that the film made false assertions that tarnished his reputation. In response, the defendants filed a countersuit, leading to the dismissal of nearly all claims in Heller’s suit, apart from one critical allegation. Following Jerry’s death, his lawsuit was officially dismissed in 2018. Unlike his representation in “Straight Outta Compton,” Heller was depicted in a more positive light in the 2016 film “Surviving Compton.”

Death

On September 2, 2016, Jerry Heller went for a drive in Thousand Oaks when he experienced a sudden heart attack, resulting in a car accident. He sustained injuries but, despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, tragically passed away at the age of 75. Shortly after, his lawyer asserted that both the heart attack and crash were largely influenced by “Straight Outta Compton,” claiming the film had subjected him to immense stress, a sentiment that was later reiterated by TMZ.