T.I. Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is T.I.’s net worth?

T.I., an American rapper, actor, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, record executive, and author, boasts a net worth of $30 million. This total reflects the joint wealth shared with his wife, Tameka Cottle, better known as “Tiny Harris.” The couple has been together since 2001 and married since 2010. Additionally, our figure accounts for the $71 million judgment they were awarded in September 2024 following a successful copyright infringement lawsuit against the toy company MGA Entertainment, which will be discussed further in this article.

T.I. is recognized as a pioneering figure in the hip hop subgenre of trap music, along with fellow artists Gucci Mane and Jeezy. Often referred to as “The King of the South,” he gained fame with his second album, “Trap Muzik,” released in 2003, featuring hit tracks such as “24’s” and “Rubber Band Man,” despite his debut album, “I’m Serious,” coming out in 2001.

Over the course of his career, T.I. has put out more than ten studio albums, earned several Grammy Awards, and topped the charts with multiple No. 1 singles, including “Live Your Life” and “Whatever You Like.” As an actor, he has been featured in films like “ATL,” “Takers,” and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Ant-Man” series. Beyond entertainment, he co-founded Grand Hustle Records and partakes in various philanthropic activities. Although T.I. has faced legal and personal challenges that have occasionally impacted his career, his influence in the hip-hop genre is undeniably substantial.

$100 Million OMG Girlz Lawsuit

T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, co-founded a teen pop group named OMG Girlz in 2009, featuring their daughter Zonnique Pullins as one of the members. The group gained recognition for their unique hairstyles and outfits, even though they released only a few singles. These distinctive stylistic choices led T.I. and Tiny to take legal action against MGA Entertainment and its owner, Isaac Larian, claiming infringement. Notably, Larian is a billionaire largely due to the success of the Bratz doll brand, and MGA is also known for creating “L.O.L. Surprise! OMG Dolls,” which sported urban attire and vibrant hairstyles similar to those of the OMG Girlz members.

Believing the similarities were too close to be mere coincidence, T.I. and Tiny filed a lawsuit against MGA, demanding $100 million in damages.

The following is an exhibit presented in court that T.I. and Tiny asserted demonstrated the illegal copying of the OMG Girlz:

A mistrial occurred in the first trial when jurors were exposed to testimony labeling the company as engaging in “cultural appropriation,” despite such testimony being prohibited. In the second trial, held in July 2023, a jury determined that MGA had not infringed on any copyrights or trademarks belonging to OMG Girlz. However, this wasn’t the last of the bad news. The couple not only failed to secure the $100 million lawsuit but were also instructed by the jury to pay MGA $6 million for attorney fees. The case continued beyond this point. In September 2023, a retrial was granted to T.I. and Tiny following an unexpected Supreme Court ruling in a separate case. This separate ruling stated that the First Amendment did NOT safeguard a dog toy company from producing a chew toy that resembled a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle. By the end of the THIRD trial in September 2024, the jury sided with T.I. and Tiny, mandating MGA Entertainment to pay a staggering $71 million in damages to the couple, which included $17.9 million in compensatory damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages.

Tax Issues

Over the years, T.I. and Tiny have faced multiple challenges with the IRS. In 2012, a lien amounting to $1,397,283.47 was imposed on the couple. Following their failure to pay this amount, a second lien was placed in 2013 for $3,173,476.39, representing taxes owed for that year.

In 2015, the IRS asserted that the unpaid taxes and penalties owed by the couple reached a total of $4.5 million. By 2018, this debt had reportedly escalated to $6.2 million, with the IRS filing several tax liens against them in an effort to collect the owed amounts.

In March 2018, the couple managed to pay down part of their debt, contributing $1 million towards it.

Early Life

Born as Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. on September 25, 1980, in Alabama, T.I. is the offspring of Clifford “Buddy” Harris Sr. and Violeta Morgan. He was brought up by his grandparents in the Center Hill area of Atlanta, while his father resided in New York City. T.I. often visited his father throughout his childhood. He began his rapping journey at the age of eight and eventually left school to pursue a music career. Following his departure from high school, T.I. became involved in drug dealing, which led to multiple arrests. His signature move of wearing rubber bands on his wrist to signify his earnings earned him the nickname Rubber Band Man, which also became one of his early singles.

Career

His first major-label record deal was signed with LaFace, a subsidiary of Arista, in 1999. After his release from Arista, he joined Atlantic and founded his own label, Grand Hustle Records, in 2003.  As of the current date, Harris has produced ten studio albums, with seven making it to the top five of the Billboard 200 charts. Notably, his single “Live Your Life” achieved number one status, displacing his other song “Whatever You Like,” marking him as one of a select few artists to have two songs occupying the first and second positions on the chart simultaneously.

T.I. garnered significant attention in 2003 with his featured role on Bone Crusher’s “Never Scared” single. The same year saw the release of his landmark album “Trap Muzik,” which featured popular tracks like “Rubber Band Man” and “Let’s Get Away.” In the following year, he collaborated with Lil’ Wayne on Destiny’s Child’s hit “Soldier” and released “Urban Legend.” His 2008 project “Paper Trail” became his most successful album to date, also marking his third #1 album.

He collaborated with Pharrell Williams on Robin Thicke’s number one hit “Blurred Lines.” Following this, T.I. signed with Columbia Records in 2013 when his decade-long deal with Atlantic ended. He followed up with “Paperwork” in 2014 and “Dime Trap” in 2018.

In addition to music, Harris featured in films such as “ATL,” “Takers,” “Get Hard,” “Identity Thief,” and “Ant-Man” and its sequel. He also appeared in reality shows like “T.I.’s Road to Redemption,” “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle,” and “The Grand Hustle.”

Moreover, T.I. authored two novels: “Power & Beauty” and “Trouble & Triumph.”

Legal Issues

Controversy is not unfamiliar to T.I. Harris has served two jail terms, once for probation violations and another for a federal weapons charge. On September 1, 2010, he and his wife Tiny faced drug-related arrests. The resulting drug charges led to T.I.’s sentencing on October 15, 2010, where he received an 11-month prison term for violating his probation terms. His offenses included possession of ecstasy, a positive test for opiates, and associating with a convicted felon, his P$C partner C-Rod. However, the drug charges against T.I. were dropped on October 25.  On November 1, T.I. returned to the Forrest City Federal Facility to serve his 11-month sentence.

Crypto Currency Lawsuit

In August 2017, an entrepreneur based in Atlanta initiated a cryptocurrency project named the FliK Token. By November 2018, a group of investors
“`FliK and T.I. faced a lawsuit alleging that they incurred significant financial losses due to misleading statements made by the founder regarding the token’s future. One of the accusations was that the founder “insinuated” that billionaire Mark Cuban would be collaborating with FLiK, a claim that never materialized.

The founder’s assertions about the rapid value increase of the FLiK Token are particularly noteworthy. Initially priced at approximately six cents per token at launch, the founder assured investors that it would rise to about $14.99 per token within a span of 15 months—something that, to put it mildly, did not occur. Following a brief rise from six cents to 21 cents, the tokens plummeted in value, and by August of this year (one year post-launch), their worth had dipped below one cent each.

In September 2020, T.I. reached a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, agreeing to a civil monetary penalty of $75,000 and committing to refrain from participating in the offerings or sales of digital-asset securities for at least five years. The SEC indicated that T.I. promoted and sold FLiK tokens via his official social media accounts, wrongfully claiming co-ownership of the cryptocurrency while urging his followers to invest in it.

T.I. conveyed his regrets regarding the business endeavor with FliK’s founder, Ryan Felton, through a spokesperson:

“Mr. Harris regrets his involvement with Mr. Felton…He attempted to assist a local entrepreneur who proposed a novel concept for an online streaming platform aimed at eliminating barriers for creators of music and video content. Unfortunately, Mr. Felton did not deliver the promised platform and instead sought to capitalize on Mr. Harris’s fame and reputation. Mr. Harris did not profit from Mr. Felton’s unsuccessful venture and promptly distanced himself from it upon discovering the project’s lack of development. Mr. Harris cooperated fully with the SEC’s inquiries, and today’s settlement resolves that investigation completely. He remains committed to exploring ways to support new artists in accessing digital distribution.”

Jewelry Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed in 2016 by Aydin & Co, a jewelry store located in Georgia, asserted that T.I. had been neglecting to pay for their jewelry over several years. The store stated that they provided the rapper with an 18.5 karat white gold bracelet, a ring, and a yellow gold rosary. Although he made a payment of $20,000, the total cost for the three items was $64,000. Furthermore, the lawsuit claimed that he owed the store more than $400,000. Consequently, the store pursued legal action against the rapper for a total of $755,000. The case was ultimately settled out of court in September 2018.

Personal Life

In 2001, T.I. began dating Tameka Cottle, who is widely recognized as Tiny Harris, and they exchanged vows on July 30, 2010, in Miami. Together, they are parents to two sons and one daughter. Furthermore, T.I. has a stepdaughter through Tiny and two sons along with a daughter from different relationships.

The origin of his stage name can be traced back to his childhood nickname “Tip,” which was inspired by his paternal great-grandfather.

T.I. sparked controversy in October 2015 when he made remarks regarding Hillary Clinton, a candidate for the 2016 presidential election: “Not to be sexist but, I can’t vote for the leader of the free world to be a woman. Just because, every other position that exists, I think a woman could do well. But the president? It’s kinda like, I just know that women make rash decisions emotionally – they make very permanent, cemented decisions – and then later, it’s kind of like it didn’t happen, or they didn’t mean for it to happen. And I sure would hate to just set off a nuke. [Other leaders] will not be able to negotiate the right kinds of foreign policy; the world ain’t ready yet. I think you might be able to [get] the Loch Ness Monster elected before you could [get a woman].” Following backlash on social media, T.I. issued a public apology via Twitter.

In November 2019, further criticism came his way when he revealed on the Ladies Like Us podcast that he accompanied his 18-year-old daughter each year to a gynecologist for a hymen check to confirm her virginity.

In response to this, T.I.’s daughter Deyjah Harris shared in July 2020 that the entire hymen incident had a traumatizing effect on her, leading her to maintain distance from her father. On July 27, she expressed via tweet: “watch how you speak to your children. i don’t care how old they are, they still deserve the same respect that you expect in return. i still love you .. but from a distance. not because i don’t care about you, but more so for the sake of my own well-being and inner peace.”

Atlanta Mansion

In January 2020, T.I. and Tiny acquired a stunning 14,000-square-foot mansion in Atlanta, Georgia, for $3.27 million. Situated in a private gated community along the Chattahoochee River, the property boasts a large pool, spa, gym, and outdoor fireplace. Below is a video tour showcasing T.I. and Tiny’s Atlanta residence: