‘Fortune’ Lists Chance the Rapper as Youngest Business Person on Their 40 Under 40 List

Chance the Rapper, a 24-year-old hip-hop artist worth $9 million, was listed as the youngest person on Fortune’s new 40 Under 40 list, an annual ranking of the most influential people in business.

At just 24 years old, the rapper has a business savvy beyond his years. He earned $500,000 through an Apple Music deal and became the first independent artist to be nominated and win a Grammys, three in total. In addition, earlier this year, he was named to Fortune’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” list.

Back in October, the ride-sharing service Lyft announced that it has teamed up with the Chicago rap star to give its customers a way to give back to Chance the Rapper’s New Chance Arts and Literature Fund, which supports arts education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Furthermore, the musician’s philanthropic work has earned him the moniker “Chance the Giver.”

“A recording artist and entertainer, Chance the Rapper may be as well known for his commitment to improving Chicago Public Schools as he is for his music career. He’s been known to stand down the Illinois governor, when Bruce Rauner seemed to equivocate about CPS funding. Chance has already pledged $1 million to CPS and raised millions more.

“The Rapper, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side and is the son of Ken Williams-Bennett, former deputy chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, was quoted as saying the following on the Power 106 website about his partnership with Lyft: “Through the New Chance Arts & Literature Fund, I’m committed to giving the kids in Chicago as much as I can. And now with Lyft’s Round Up & Donate, we can give them much more because the more we ride, the more we raise to bring more arts programs to Chicago Public Schools,'” writes Black Enterprise Education Editor, Robin White-Goode.