Cardi B is one of the most successful rappers in the world, and she has a wallet to prove it

She’s known far and wide for her “money moves,” but how much is the unique rapper Cardi B really worth?

Born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, the superstar better known as Cardi B rose to fame through videos she posted for free on social media sites like Instagram and Vine. Now, almost a decade later, the woman who once worked as a stripper to make ends meet is worth a cool $40 million.

The notoriously outspoken artist first made a name for herself by sharing quick 6-second clips that showcased her raunchy sense of humor. Fans were immediately taken with Cardi’s quick wit and sassy personality, and her fan base grew so quickly that she stopped stripping and began hosting club events instead.

She then appeared on Love & Hip Hop: New York for two seasons. Cardi gave viewers a glimpse into her difficult relationship with her incarcerated fiancé and her rising popularity in the music world, earning an estimated $200,000 to $400,000. She later drew on both her stripper job and her acting career when she starred as Diamond alongside Jennifer Loped in Hustlers.

Not surprisingly, a large part of the Bronx-born artist’s income comes from her successes in the music industry. Cardi broke the record for the female artist with the most singles in the Billboard Hot 100 at one time, and her first hit, “Bodak Yellow,” was the first track by a female rapper to earn certified Diamond status for reaching 10 million song sales or streams.

The tours also help Cardi pay her bills. She was paid $170,000 for two 35-minute performances at the 2018 Coachella festival, but rumor has it she spent $300,000 on her sets just to make sure everything was perfect.

Other sources of income include some forays into fashion, such as Cardi’s capsule collections with Reebok and work with designers like Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Balenciaga. These collaborations are especially appealing considering Cardi had trouble getting couture duds when she made her first big appearance. “A lot of designers turned me down,” Cardi said. “They didn’t really want to work with me. I told myself, you know what, I’m going to buy their pieces until they want to work with me. … I’m going to prove to them that I’m a freaking fashion icon.”

Today, Cardi B continues to make a name for herself as someone who breaks rules and records. The one-time Vine influencer now has more than 121 million followers on Instagram, nearly 16 million followers on TikTok and beams her music to some 35 million Spotify users every month. She regularly gives her husband luxury cars and even checks worth millions, and the couple owns real estate in New Jersey, Atlanta and the Dominican Republic.

In other words, things are going pretty well for Miss Cardi B, and she’s $40 million to prove it.