Getty Usher attends Imagine Gala on April 22, 2017.
Usher is a singer, songwriter, and actor. He began his career as a teenager in the 1990s, and has since gone on to become of the best-selling artists of all time. That being said, the man born Usher Raymond IV has run into some legal controversy as of late, when a unidentified woman sued him for giving her herpes.
Usher is currently facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit. As a result, many fans are curious as to how much the singer has saved up over the years. Well, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Usher has an estimated net worth of $180 million.
To learn how he made his fortune, and what he like to spend it on, read below.
1. The Unidentified Woman Wants $20 Million for Emotional Harm & Medical Bills
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWqJi1DF_eR/?taken-by=usher&hl=en
The woman who brought forth the lawsuit, listed on court documents as Jane Doe, claimed that she and Usher hooked up on April 16th. Doe revealed that the two had intercourse, and that she performed oral sex on the singer at her home in Atlanta. NY Daily News reports that the couple hooked up twelve days later in New Orleans, where Doe states that Usher did not wear protection.
Now, Doe is accusing the singer of being purposely negligent, and failing to take proper precautions given his herpes diagnosis. She insists that she never would have slept with Usher had she known about the STD. TMZ, who broke the story, reveal that Doe is seeking damages for emotional distress, punitive damage, and payment of her medical bills.
The initial lawsuit came out to $10 million, but TMZ reports that Doe, who has since tested positive for herpes, has upped the lawsuit to $20 million.
2. He Settled a $1.1 Million Lawsuit to Another Woman Who Claimed He Gave Her Herpes
This lawsuit isn’t the first that Usher has incurred after his herpes revelation. Earlier this month, Radar Online reported that the singer exposed a woman named Maya Fox-Davis to herpes between 2009 and 2010. Fox-Davis claims that she witnessed a green substance coming out of Usher’s genitalia, but “Believing Raymond’s statements that it had been nothing and cleared up, [she] continued her relationship.”
Three weeks later, Fox-Davis says she woke up feeling very sick with a “fever of 100 degrees, chills, headache, and aches and pains.” She also developed “lesions and blisters” on her genitalia, she was diagnosed with herpes soon after, and sued Usher for $1.1 million. He agreed to pay, in addition to covering Fox-Davis’ medical bills.
Usher’s ex-wife, Tameka Foster, stated on Instagram that “her health is good” (read the full post here). The singer is currently married to music executive Grace Miguel. To learn more about her, click below.
3. He’s Been a Co-Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers Since 2005
Coming off of the success of 2004’s Confessions, Usher decided to parlay his business into different arenas. So in 2005, when Entertainment Weekly reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers were sold to a new group of owners, few were surprised to find that one one of them was the “Yeah!” singer himself.
Forbes reports that Usher invested $9 million in the whopping $375 million purchase, giving him an estimated 1% stock, and making him the third musician ever to own an NBA team (Jay-Z and Nelly had stock in the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Bobcats, respectively).
In a 2005 interview with Forbes, Usher said he was eager to grow with the team: “I know I have the talent to entertain. Now I just want to be a great businessman.”
Given the success the Cavaliers have had over the past decade– 5 Central Division Championships, 3 Eastern Conference Championships, and an NBA Championship– it seems as though Usher’s investment paid off. As of 2016, the team is worth an estimated $1.1 billion, roughly four times the price of when he bought his stake.
In addition to sports, Usher also owns the fragrance lines Usher He and Usher She. His latest fragrance, VIP, was released in 2009.
4. He’s Donated Millions to Various Charities & Organizations
Throughout his career, Usher made it a point to raise money for those that are less fortunate than he. In 1999, Usher and ‘N Sync participated in the “Challenge for the Children” benefit basketball game, which raised money for several charities in Atlanta. The musicians helped raise over $500,000, according to MTV News.
That same year, Usher and his mother Jonetta Patton launched New Look, a non-profit organization meant to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and adolescents. On the New Look history page, it states that the organization has reached out to over 40,000 children.
In a 2011 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Usher discussed the importance of philanthropy in his life:
I think anybody, not just children, is a product of a great environment. If you put them in a better environment from a sad situation, nine times out of 10, they’ll go in the right direction. That’s what New Look has become: our tracking system allows us to watch our kids make it through high school, hopefully go to college, help them with scholarships, the grants that we make available for them. They feel supported… I want people to feel compelled to do something positive because they just love it, they’re excited about it, and it’s cool.
In recent years, Usher has continued his philanthropic spirit. He partnered with UNCF to create the Usher Raymond Scholarship Program in 2014, which awards $100,000 to one student per year.
In 2016, he partnered with Kevin Hart, Chris Paul, Pharrell Williams, and others to raise money for students attending historically black colleges. According to Billboard, they raised $500,000 to be dispersed between 20 students.
5. He’s Sold Over 75 Million Albums Worldwide
Usher’s bread-and-butter, like most musicians, is his music. He released his self-titled debut in 1994, but it wasn’t until the release of My Way in 1997 that he became a household name. The album sold 8 million copies, eventually going 6x platinum and spawning the hit singles “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Nice & Slow,” which became his first number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Usher’s third album, 8701 (2001), kept the hot streak going with critical acclaim and a 4x platinum certification.
In 2004, however, the singer rocketed into another stratosphere. His album Confessions became a instant smash, selling a million copies in its first week, and spawning four number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “Yeah!”, “Burn”, “Confessions Part II”, and “My Boo.” Confessions remains Usher’s best-selling album to date, earning a diamond certification and selling 20 million copies worldwide.
Usher’s subsequent albums have continued to be successful, with Here I Stand (2008), Raymond v Raymond (2010), and Looking 4 Myself (2012) each going platinum. His latest release was Hard II Love. (2016) As of this year, he has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making him one of the highest-selling artists of all time.
In addition to his own music, Usher has helmed the labels US Records and RBMG Records, the latter of has released every Justin Bieber album to date.
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Usher’s Net Worth 2017: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know