6ix9ine’s net worth ‘technically less than zero’, rapper claims

Rapper says he would never recover financially if made to pay victims of a 2018 robbery he was allegedly present at

Controversial rapper 6ix9ine is struggling financially and cannot make sufficient money from his music, he has claimed.

The New York rapper is the defendant in a civil lawsuit brought by the victims of a 2018 robbery that he was allegedly present at.

Seketha Wonzer and Kevin Dozier were robbed in New York at gunpoint in April 2018 by members of a notorious gang that 6ix9ine was formerly affiliated with, the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.

He and the crew apparently mistook the two men for members of Rap-a-Lot Records, with whom 6ix9ine – real name Daniel Hernandez – was feuding at the time.

6ix9ine, 25, admitted to filming the robbery but claimed it was his manager Shotti’s idea to rob the men, during testimony against his former associates in his 2019 racketeering and firearms case, Pitchfork reported in 2020.

Wonzer and Dozier filed their lawsuit against 6ix9ine in December 2020 and are seeking more than $5m (£3.8m) each in damages.

However, the rapper reportedly told the judge in the case, John P Cronan, on Sunday 13 March that he is no longer making money from his music.

“I did receive large advances under the recording artist and merchandising agreements prior to my arrest,” Tekashi, born Daniel Hernandez, said in court documents seen by various US media outlets.

“However, I do not receive any royalties under those agreements either since my royalty accounts remained un-recouped. I have had to try to restart my career after my release from prison. I was out of the business for two years, which caused me to lose all the momentum I had achieved before I was arrested. I may never reach the levels of success I had before my arrest.”

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The rapper continued: “If the Court awards the compensatory damages and punitive damages sought by the Plaintiffs at this inquest, it will surely bankrupt me in a way from which I will never recover to the permanent detriment of the family members who rely upon me.”

His accountant, Justin Kobay, claimed that 6ix9ine’s net worth stands at “technically less than zero”.

6ix9ine also admitted to being in fear for his life, after testifying against Nine Trey.

“I will never lead a normal life since my cooperation made me a target for Nine Trey as well as other gangs,” he said, according to the court documents. “I live with that fear every day.”

A three-part documentary series, Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine, was released on Showtime in the US last year.

In interviews promoting the project, director Karam Gill, who did not meet 6ix9ine, called the rapper a “horrible human being”.

“I think viewers will be shocked to realise how hyper calculated [he is]” he told Page Six. “Tekashi was someone who never did anything online on accident. Every click, word and action online was designed with care to spark a reaction.”