DJ Khaled's Top 10 Craziest Cars (And 9 Ways He Can Afford Them)

DJ Khaled is one of the most popular producers and DJs in the world. His last two albums, 2016's Major Key and this year's Grateful, have reached No. XNUMX on Billboard thanks to his collaborations with Justin Bieber, Drake and Rihanna. This prompted him to give himself a new moniker: Billboard Billy, which is certainly fitting for a guy who can't do anything wrong in the music world.

In addition to music, Khaled owns restaurants, real estate and a publishing company. He has more sources of income than you have fingers on your hands. He earns six-figure daily DJing fees and millions more from contracts with Mentos, Champ Sports, Apple and other brands, all orchestrated by himself and Jay-Z, who became his manager last year. As Jay-Z wrote in a section of Khaled's new book The Keys, “What we see from Khaled now is who he really is; cameras simply capture its natural state. That's why the world is so drawn to him."

In the last 12 months alone, he has made over $24 million, which is more than enough for his crazy expensive car habit. You see, DJ Khaled only loves the best in life. His motto "We are the best" really applies to every aspect of his life, including his passion for buying cars. “You can want a Hyundai if that's what you want. I want a Rolls-Royce,” he told Forbes. "That's what I want and that's because we're the best."

In particular, he is very attached to Rolls-Royce. The company even sent his son Assad a free Rolls baby seat when he was born. And, as he told Forbes, when Assad turns 16, "I'll buy him a Rolls-Royce for the gate."

Here are 10 insanely expensive cars DJ Khaled owns and 9 ways he pays for them.

19 BMW M1991 3 Years ($30,000)

via hagertyinsurance.co.uk

It was DJ Khaled's first car when he was living in Florida and started DJing and selling mixtapes. He was only a teenager, but by his own admission, at $30,000 he managed to make a down payment on a new red $3 BMW M1991.

He then fooled that with a state-of-the-art sound system. One day, while traveling through Miami, he smelled smoke and stopped, thinking that one of the amplifiers had exploded.

Soon the car caught fire and melted. He then scaled down and bought a $12,000 Honda Civic. By the age of 1995, he began to gain popularity as a DJ and producer and bought himself another M3 - this time blue. He has come a long way since then!

18 2018 Range Rover Sport ($66,750)

DJ Khaled is clearly obsessed with luxury cars, especially cars with a flying lady on the hood (Rolls-Royce). As one of the few non-rolls in his collection, it could definitely perform a lot worse than the Range Rover Sport. In the world of SUVs, these are pretty high-end cars! The Range Rover Sport starts at $66,750, which also makes it one of the few cars he owns that didn't cost six figures to buy. Since the UK first launched this luxury mid-size SUV in 2004, it has become very popular. The Sport is the second generation, first released in 2014, and Khaled owns one of the latest models.

17 2018 Cadillac Escalade ($75,195)

via hennesseyperformance.com

While the Range Rover Sport is handsome and looks cool when it comes to luxury, it just can't match the Cadillac Escalade. The Escalade is pretty much the number one luxury SUV that hip-hop moguls should own. So of course DJ Khaled owns one.

The first 1998 Escalade was identical to the 1999 GMC Yukon Denali. But when it was redesigned for the 2002 model year, in keeping with Cadillac's "art and science" theme, that's when it really became a big deal.

It was Cadillac's first entry into the popular SUV market and has been a bestseller ever since. The fourth-generation Escalade, released in 2015, is powered by a 420-horsepower 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine and costs $75,195.

16 2017 Rolls-Royce Wraith ($285,000)

via celebritycarsblog.com

With modest five-figure cars out of the way, let's make room for heavy hitters. First, we have Khaled's Arabian Blue 2017 Rolls-Royce Wraith. This beauty will set you back $285,000, over a quarter of a million. But believe it or not, this is actually the cheapest luxury car Khaled owns! DJ Khaled told Forbes in an interview: “I want a convertible Dawn. I want a Ghost with stars on the roof. I want Phantoms with footstools to massage my toes." And, of course, his Ghost has stars on the roof. The Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge, launched in 2016, is powered by a 6,592cc twin-turbocharged V12 engine with 623 horsepower, making it a combination of class and speed.

15 2016 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II ($311,900)

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is the next in DJ Khaled's line of stunning luxury vehicles. The Phantom was named after the Silver Phantom, a car produced in 1906. This car was released in 2009 and was designed to be "smaller, more measured and more realistic" than the Phantom, according to Rolls-Royce.

It's also aimed at a "lower price point" and buying new is ONLY $311,900. For us, this is home. For DJ Khaled, it's pocket change... or maybe change in a piggy bank.

His (not pictured here) is painted metallic black and is a Series II model released in 2014. It comes with a new steering gear and other technical modifications in the "Dynamic Driving Package" designed to be more related to the driving experience.

14 2017 Rolls-Royce Dawn ($341,125)

via thafcc.wordpress.com

Rolls-Royce has always had some pretty evil, amazing names for their cars: Wraith, Phantom, Ghost… they all conjure up a similar image of an evil ghost. But Dawn? Not so much. If anything, it conjures up an image of... hope? According to Rolls-Royce, this is an open-top drive, which simply means it's a convertible. Or, in the words of DJ Khaled, it's a "drop". This luxurious four-seater is powered by a 6.6-liter V12 twin-turbo direct injection engine that develops 563 horsepower and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. It is also quite fast and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. This is one of DJ Khaled's favorite machines, and for good reason: it's just amazing.

13 2012 Maybach 57S ($417,402 XNUMX)

The Maybach 57 was the first Maybach car produced after the revival of the DaimlerChrysler AG marque. It is based on the Benz-Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show.

In the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index, Maybach ranked first, ahead of Rolls-Royce or Bentley, so it's clear that DJ Khaled should have had one.

Unfortunately, the car was discontinued in 2012 due to continued financial losses, as sales were one-fifth of the level of profitable Rolls-Royce models. Still, the 57S is a memory and a beautiful car. It cost $417,402 new, but almost none of that cost was saved (unfortunately) as a recent study showed the Maybach 2008 lost $300,000 over the course of 10 years.

12 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII ($450,000)

In the last 12 months alone, DJ Khaled has earned $24 million. This is more than enough to satisfy his passion for Rolls-Royce, but not enough! Especially when you consider the cars he likes to buy, like the new $450,000 Phantom VIII. The average order price for this car is $600,000 because buyers love to have their cars custom made with all sorts of extras. And we assume that Khaled is no different. Khaled told Forbes, "I'll be the first to get it," and he may not have been the first, but he was close. Rolls-Royce claims this car has the “quietest” cabin of any car in the world, and we have no doubt about it. Top Gear also named it "Luxury Car of the Year".

11 2017 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe ($533,000)

via bentleygoldcoast.com

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is currently the most expensive Rolls-Royce model and the most expensive car in its class, with an MSRP of $533,000. It is arguably the most luxurious car in the world, first unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2007.

DJ Khaled's features Eames chair-style seating and a dashboard "gallery" designed to house pieces of bespoke artwork.

As he told Forbes very modestly (sarcastically): “What I love about Rolls-Royce is that you look at me like you're looking at a Rolls-Royce. It's just powerful; it's smooth; it's iconic." It's good that he has music to support this bold statement!

10 2012 Maybach Landaulet ($1,382,750)

The Maybach Landaulet is a Maybach convertible that, according to Car and Driver, "goes beyond simple luxury, this car is made for the ego of a world leader." It's a giant-sized 62 with the same big fabric roof, and it's worth over $1 million to own. The Landaulet is an ultra-premium hand-built limousine with 62 models, of which only a few have been delivered to the States. The production of the car was limited from the beginning, with only about 20 cars produced from Europe and the Middle East. It eventually arrived in the United States in January 2009 and production was halted in 2012. This is the ultimate luxury car, built for true luxury fans. In this DJ Khaled has found a great home for a ridiculously expensive car.

9 He owns a restaurant

Not all of DJ Khaled's income comes from his music, although most of it. He also owns Finga Licking Restaurant. The menu includes red velvet cake, fried chicken wings, grilled steak, shrimp croissants and fried lobster. Its focus is on southern comfort food and this place has really good business.

Khaled knows that at some point he will no longer be able to perform and he will still need multiple sources of income to maintain his lifestyle.

Opening and owning a successful restaurant is one way to do this - and he did it by first becoming famous and then attaching his name to it, similar to how Mark Wahlberg and his family started the Wahlburgers chain.

8 He invests in real estate

Here is another source of passive income that is killing DJ Khaled. Although he was born in Louisiana, he has spent a lot of time in Miami and loves this city very much. He has invested in real estate there in the past, which is a great idea if you have the money and the savvy to know what you are doing. Khaled clearly has both of those things. Many people who have a lot of money think they can do one thing forever, but Khaled knows the importance of diversification and is always thinking of new ways to make big money.

7 He surrounds himself with the right people

It's a bit more esoteric as it's not a specific way to make money, but more of a philosophy of life. DJ Khaled hangs out with all kinds of superstars, there's no doubt about it, but he also has friends in the highest circles from before he was famous.

He hung out with Luther Campbell aka Uncle Luke and the legendary members of 2 Live Crew. Campbell is one of the pioneers of rap, and his relationship with Khaled helped him move up the career ladder considerably.

And what you sow is what you reap, because now DJ Khaled is able to do what Luther Campbell did for him and help other young bucks.

6 He makes a lot of music

It seems obvious, but it's an important distinction to be aware of: there are musicians who release a hit and rest on their laurels. And then there are musicians like DJ Khaled who releases a hit... then releases another, and another, and never stops. He's not just a DJ, he's also a top-notch producer that everyone wants to work with. It doesn't produce as much as it used to, but it still does. And when his DJing career may stall, he can always return to producing other major artists, which will earn him a lot of money and credits when he gets older.

5 Performance at the Grammys (including at festivals)

One of the things that gives DJ Khaled serious exposure and allows him to sell his music indirectly is his Grammy performances and festival appearances.

This year he headlined the huge Wireless Festival in London, which took place from 6 to 8 July. All tickets sold out quickly and DJ Khaled was one of the headliners along with J. Cole, Cardi B, French Montana and many more.

He also performed at the Grammys, where there are no artists like Khaled. Through this, he has also earned a ton of new fans and will thus earn more money.

Social networks are a great way to make money these days. The more famous you are, the richer you can become. So it's no surprise that DJ Khaled has full command of the social media game. He uses all outlets to his advantage, using his social media stunts and updates to create a buzz among fans, further increasing his popularity. He has 11.6 million followers on Instagram, 3.5 million followers on Facebook, 4.1 million followers on Twitter. The newest thing he has mastered is Snapchat, where he stays very active and uses the newness of technology. Khaled has effectively become a living meme and is a great way to stay relevant in this ever-changing world.

3 Gaining views of his music videos

DJ Khaled knows exactly what his audience wants, as evidenced by his social media prowess. He also knows how to make great music videos, which is a forgotten art these days. People used to spend tons of time and money making fantastic videos, but that seems to be gone. Well, not for Khaled. He's back in a time when music videos were great: he puts a lot of time and care into his products, and he really cares about the end result. He also has a slew of superstar artists, which is another way for him to stay on top and keep making money with all his might.

2 He gets a lot of money

From all those production credits and collaborations, plus writing credits and music videos, DJ Khaled created the perfect storm of royalties. He has steady sources of income through his music.

Royalty is indeed the most important aspect of making money in the music industry.

He receives royalties for just about everything he does, whether it's a live performance, every time his songs are on the radio, or the songs of his clients. Over the years, these fees accumulate so that later on he can just sit back and collect checks. But we doubt he will ever do so given his drive.

1 His cars are rising in price

Finally, one way DJ Khaled can afford his insanely expensive car collection is by simply sitting in cars. The ones he buys appreciate rather than depreciate because he buys luxury collectibles. With the exception of Maybachs, which depreciate greatly over the years, Rolls-Royces are especially appreciated every year. This means that in the future, his car collection could pay off! He can buy a luxury car, sell it for more than he bought, and then use the proceeds to buy a brand new one. It's a long road, but it's something Khaled can always go back to if all else fails.

Sources: forbes.com, caranddriver.com, millionairessaying.com.