Diddy net Worth is huge. Prosecutors think that 'Benjamins' can be won

His lawyers, as a consultant as a consultant as a consultant of the former officer of the High -Rank Ministry of Justice, have hired in a sign of how difficult the entrepreneur is to lose wealth.

Sean “Diddy” Combs' 1997 Hit “It is all about the Benjamins” to hold the insatiable thirst of the rap mogul after the good life and the shiny falling of wealth: “Colossal-sized Picassos”, 5-carat diamond rings, crystal champagne and skiing in Aspen with “Chicks,” Chicks, “Chicks “won.

By becoming a successful entrepreneur in music, fashion, alcohol and other areas, he became a mogul. He bought all of this and more – private jets, exotic cars, villas on both coasts.

Now, when Combs is exposed to legal proceedings that could send him to prison for life, he also fights against a confusion of the Ministry of Justice, which – if not most – could cost him from an empire from which the prosecutors from 2008 until today are used as part of a criminal entrepreneurship.

Combs and his defense team denied all allegations against him and referred to some as unfounded “money grave”. He was not guilty of the federal offer for sex trade, blackmail and transport to participate in prostitution.

But in a sign of how seriously the entrepreneur's entrepreneur is undertaking, his lawyers, as a consultant, hired the former deputy head of the assets and the money laundering department of the Ministry of Justice.

Stefan Cassella, who acts as an expert and consultant at law enforcement authorities and wrote two books on the subject, has trained thousands of prosecutors and law enforcement officers in the United States and their colleagues overseas.

Cassella said he could not comment on the details of the case due to his participation. On the whole, he told USA Today that the government pursues an aggressive approach by charging combs in the context of the law on the law on the racketer and corrupt organizations or Rico in order to obtain as many assets of the combs as possible.

“Rico's decay should be very wide and therefore has considerable consequences,” said Cassella in an exclusive interview. “So it will be going on what you can prove, was part of the company.”

The public prosecutor rejected a statement and cited the current case.

“A very broad allegations of expression”

In many Rico cases, the prosecutors contain very specific allegations of which “instrumentalities” were used as part of a suspected extortion company, legally for what has contributed to people, cars, planes, houses and companies to facilitate criminal behavior, said James Trusty, the former long -time head of the Doj section.

In a threatening sign of the public prosecutors' intentions, Trusty said, the combs and the associated court documents are essentially aimed at all of his business and personal assets.

“They wrote a very broad allegations of expiry,” said Trusty. “It is so vague and so wide that I would think that the defense would urge details of details” or a more precise explanation of what the Feds pursue.

One thing is certain, said Treuhand that the chic cars, houses and planes that have accumulated are accumulated in the crosshairs of the prosecutors, as well as one of his companies, which in general could be seen as part of the extensive company as part of the way.

For example, if an attack took place in a record studio, this could not only affect this studio, but the Combs record company paid musical artists there to record there, said Trusty.

If Combs is convicted, the jury must then decide how much of its empire is subject to decay, according to Cassella, the law, the law of the Ministry of Justice and a breakdown of rico- and asset loss laws of the Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School.

How much are combs worth? What is the government expressly looking for? And how accessible are his assets after years of the combs that have tried to protect themselves from growing accusations for criminal misconduct?

Still wealthy, but now almost half as much worth: Forbes

In 2024, Forbes Magazine estimated the assets of Combs to 400 million US dollars -a significant decline compared to its number of 740 million dollars for 2019. Both combs and his team later claimed that he was a billionaire, although he did not offer documents to secure the claim.

According to publicly available documents and news reports, the most valuable personal possession of COMBS is probably its 17,000 square meter mansion with 10 bedrooms, which was rated in the Tony Holmby Hills from Los Angeles with over $ 61 million. It was searched as part of a criminal investigation and listed for sale last September.

Combs also has a 9,600 square meter house in the Toluca Lake northwest of the Hollywood sign. And it has a villa of 48 million US dollars on 2 West Star Island in Miami and the adjacent property on 1 West Star Island. On August 20, 2024, Combs paid the mortgage of 18.9 million US dollars so that he could maintain bails in his failed efforts and to stay away from prison, while he stayed out at court hearings, could show two western stars, as documents show.

Combs also has a Gulfstream G550 Jet worth more than 25 million US dollars, known as Loveair, which he rents and at the same time is looking for a sale to pay its enormous legal costs.

Also open to decay: Combs' Bad Boy Records, which has still generated money from recordings and music publishing rights since its start of the company in 1993.

It is not known that Combs has a “colossal picassos”, as he sings in his hit song. However, it is assumed that he has an extensive art collection, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring.

In 2018, he was announced as mystery buyer of the renowned “Past Times” painting by Kerry James Marshall for 21.1 million dollars.

At a time, a fleet of at least 20 luxury cars A Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and an Ultra Luxury Mercedes belonged to as Maybach.

A 2023 'Rebranding' of his empire to Combs Global

In February 2023, Combs announced that “after three decades of entrepreneurial success in his renowned brands” he was “rebranding” and changed the name of his parent company from Combs Enterprises to Combs Global.

According to Combs, this reflected its ambitious vision for the future, including his “pioneering takeover, that he became the largest, vertically integrated multi-state operator in the cannabis industry” for $ 185 million.

His foundations in 2013 included Combs Enterprises his Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Wines and Spirits, based in New York City, the Aquahydrate Water company, Revolt Media, Sean John Fashion and Duftrances, Capital Preparatory Charter Schools and the Sean Combs Foundation.

Over the years, they were expanded by new business units and activities such as Empower Global, our fair stock and love records that focused on R&B.

“Combs Global represents the next chapter of my trip as managing director and a larger vision to build the largest portfolio of leading brands in the world's black ownership,” said Combs. “I have entered first-class teams of top executives, specialists and strategic partners to bring this new dream to life and bring us to the best position to continue writing history and at the same time lead to another 30 years of dominance in the industries.”

The fighting empire begins to crumble

In November 2023, Combs' Empire broke to crumble after allegations of rape, strokes and abuse of his former friend Cassie, also known as Casandra Ventura Fine.

The Combs partnerships also ended with love records, capital preparation schools and the Empower Global Online Black Business Marketplace. And the cannabis company ultimately failed due to fusion complications.

What's the government?

Prosecutors in the southern district of New York or Manhattan have not sealed the charges against combs. Other alleged Coconspirators are charged under seal.

In the indictment, Combs' business “his headquarters at various times in Manhattan and Los Angeles” among various US companies, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, is mentioned in different times in the USA.

Together it all refers to the “Combs business”. And while it is avoiding certain companies, it is said that they include “record labels, a recording studio, a clothing line, an alcohol spirits business, a marketing agency and a television and media company”.

According to the Federal Law, everything that is forfeited after a criminal conviction could possibly be used to help some or to help those who were supposedly sacrificed from combs.

However, both Cassella and Trusty said that the Federal Rico statute was rather intended to punish the convicts than compensate for the victims. For example, it does not include the type of million dollar awards for the pain, suffering and reputation damage caused by the accused, which is common in civil suits such as the civil allocations formed by Ventura Fine.

Instead, the victims would have “literally out of his pocket for the costs of the victims in a criminal proceedings for the repayment of medical expenses and funeral costs if death were involved,” said Trusty.

“It is not a complete picture of the reimbursement that she actually owes according to the law,” he said. “Criminal law has simply never been as extensive as civil law” when it comes to doing whole victims of criminal acts.

However, victims of alleged criminal acts can obtain a share of dilapidated assets through civil lawsuits and law enforcement measures, said Cassella. So far, more than 70 lawsuits have been filed against combs, many of which claim sexual abuse.

In the case of COMBS, prosecutors and FBI investigators are likely to look for assets that the competitive music mogul may have hidden, especially in recent years, as his legal problems.

Combs itself might have pointed out a tendency to reduce money in the 1997 hit, which started his rapp career after years as a producer and Impresario.

“And what you can't have now, let yourself be in your will,” sings Combs in “All about the Benjamins”. “But don't knock me in trying to bury seven zeros in Rio de Janeiry.”

(This story has been updated to meet our standards.)

Josh Meyer is an experienced correspondent who focuses on domestic, national and global security issues, including transnational criminal organizations. Reach him Jmeyer@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @joshmeyerdc and bluesky at @joshmeyerdc.bsky.social.