Affine Shakur Net Worth
Split: 13
What is Afeni Shakur’s net worth?
Afeni Shakur was an American philanthropist and former Black Panther band who passed away in 2016 with a net worth of $50 million. Afeni is probably best known for being the mother of famous West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur who was killed in her 20s. Afeni’s vast wealth largely reflects Tupac’s holdings, which include royalties, intellectual property, and more.
In addition to his association with Tupac, Affini is also known for being a former member of the Black Panther Party. She continued to work as a political activist throughout her life. She eventually died of cardiac arrest in 2016 at the age of 69.
early life
Alice Faye Williams was born on January 10, 1947 in Lumberton, North Carolina. Raised by an abusive father, Alice moved to the Bronx with her mother in 1958. She quickly showed a talent for the performing arts, but had difficulty adjusting to a formal educational environment. Eventually, she was accepted to Bronx Science High School. Afeni later described himself as a “street fighter” outside of school and joined Disciple Debs in Harlem.
Political career
At the age of 21, Alice changed her name to Afeni Shakur. Afeni is Yoruba and means “lovers of the people” and Shakur is Arabic and means “thankful”. She then joined the Black Panther Party and started writing their newsletter, The Black Panther Post. She later became a core member of the party, successfully fooling the FBI into thinking the party was in decline, when in fact its influence was growing. Eventually, she landed a position as head of the Black Panther Harlem chapter and began mentoring several new members.
In 1969, Shakur was arrested along with several other members of the Black Panther Party and charged with conspiring to bomb multiple police stations and other buildings across New York. She was eventually charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to bomb buildings and general conspiracy. She and her colleagues faced a total of 30 charges, 12 of which were dismissed. In an unorthodox legal strategy, Afeni chose to defend herself in court without the assistance of a lawyer, while pregnant with Tupac. She didn’t go to law school, but she managed to interview witnesses and argue in court.
One of the witnesses she called into the stands was undercover agent Ralph White. When questioned by Afeni, White admitted that he and two other undercover agents working within the Black Panther Party organized most of the illegal activities she and her colleagues were accused of participating in. White even admitted that he betrayed his community.
This proved crucial in the eventual acquittal of “Black Panther 21” that took place in 1971. The trial took eight months to complete, but Affini spent two years in jail before being eventually acquitted.
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future life
Shortly after being acquitted on all charges, Affine gave birth to Lesane Parish Crooks, which she later renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur in honor of Tupac Amaru II, the Inca leader who led a successful revolt against Spain in the 16th century. She then decided to leave the Panthers and married in 1975. Affini welcomed another child and subsequently divorced her husband in 1982. She and her children moved to Baltimore, at which point she was largely dependent on welfare payments to support her family.
At this point, Alfney was struggling with drug addiction and moved to California for treatment. Her substance abuse caused Tupac to leave the home in 1989, although they later reconciled. By 1991, she was dealing with her drug addiction most of the time, thanks to the Narcotics Anonymous Conference. Then she moved to New York.
other venture capital
In 2004, Afeni published her biography, Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary. In 2009, Shakur traveled around the United States, making various appearances and lecturing. Of particular note is her 2009 keynote address for Black History Month at Vanderbilt University. Afeni also founded many clothing lines and other commercial ventures during her lifetime.
Death of Tupac
Tupac died in 1996 at the age of 25. In his final years, he was supported primarily through advances and loans from Death Row Records. Death Row pays Afeni Shakur $16,000 a month to cover rent on homes in California and Georgia. A forensic accountant later discovered that Tupac did not have any significant assets at the time of his death. No real estate, no stocks, no retirement accounts. He has $105,000 in a checking account.
Afeni moved swiftly to sue Death Row Records and threatened to block the publisher (Interscope Records) from releasing a highly anticipated posthumous album. Thanks to Jimmy Iovine, Interscope stepped in and provided the estate with a $5 million payment. Interscope also forced Death Row to forgive half of the $5 million in debt that Tupac had accumulated on the label. In addition, Tupac’s royalty rate increased from 12% to 18%.
Over the next few decades, Tupac properties would earn tens of millions of dollars in royalties, licensing deals and more. Tupac’s intellectual property alone is worth tens of millions, if not more. This will all contribute to Afeni Shakur’s overall wealth following the death of her son.
