Free Agency 📈- $20M, Joe Budden, and becoming dangerously independent
A disclosure of epic proportions.
Free Agency
🔖
Hi! Was traveling last week, but we back! . Joe Budden telling the New York Times how he is making $20M in top line revenue in 2025 is something worth writing about, but not for the reasons you might think.
Transparency in media is rare, but an individual explaining what they make and where it is coming from is unprecedented. I hope we stop talking about things like this like they're "regular" and give them the analysis they deserve. This is my humble attempt.
This is a deep dive, so TL;DR:
• Know what you’re paying for—Budden trades platform fees for ownership, control, and community tools. Price your independence consciously.
• Independence is still interdependence—Joe owns the IP, and is in a healthy relationship with Patreon. Map your dependencies and build exit ramps.
• Don’t confuse luck with leverage—Budden’s fifteen-year runway made scale possible. Start where you are, but structure for longevity.
Transparency in media is rare, but an individual explaining what they make and where it is coming from is unprecedented. I hope we stop talking about things like this like they're "regular" and give them the analysis they deserve. This is my humble attempt.
This is a deep dive, so TL;DR:
• Know what you’re paying for—Budden trades platform fees for ownership, control, and community tools. Price your independence consciously.
• Independence is still interdependence—Joe owns the IP, and is in a healthy relationship with Patreon. Map your dependencies and build exit ramps.
• Don’t confuse luck with leverage—Budden’s fifteen-year runway made scale possible. Start where you are, but structure for longevity.
In the event you do not know who Joe Budden is:
A former rapper who first gained fame in the early 2000s with his hit single "Pump It Up" (honestly, a banger to me) and as a member of the hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse. After retiring from rap in 2016, he successfully pivoted to media, launching The Joe Budden Podcast and establishing himself as one of hip-hop's most influential cultural commentators and independent content creators.
This entire thing stems from Joe deciding to flex on his Instagram about his earnings and views on Patreon.
I agree with Joe. It is different.
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