In 2005, hip-hop star 50 Cent (née Curtis Jackson) appeared in a loosely autobiographical film, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Two years prior, the Eminem protégé had released his debut album of the same name. The album was a critical and commercial success; the same can't be said for the movie. Either way, while nine bullets legendarily attempted to fell Jackson in his youth, it's safe to say 50 has achieved his goal of impressive wealth. In September, "Fiddy" appeared second on Forbes list of "Hip-Hop Cash Kings," banking $32 million in 2006 alone.

In May 2007, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) purchased a little company called Glaceau, which makes Vitaminwater. The soft-drink giant's $4.2 billion cash and stock purchase translated into a payout of $400 million for 50 Cent, who held a sizable stake in the brand (his estimated profit after taxes was around $100 million). Other 50 Cent projects include the G-Unit record label, a clothing line, a sneaker line through the Reebok brand, ring tones, and video games -- to name only a few.

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Money Winners of 2007: 50 Cent parlays H2O into serious dough originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.