How Vanilla Ice constructed an actual property empire valued at $20 MILLION
He had one of the modest identifiable hits of the 1990s before fading away.
But Vanilla Ice later reinvented himself as a real estate aficionado and home renovator, and he now has an eye-popping net worth of $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The rapper (whose real name is Robert Van Winkle) initially made a fortune with his hit single Ice Ice Baby in 1990, but he insulated himself after it fell off the charts by purchasing a string of homes at the time, most of which he never lived in.
Back in 2018, DailyMail.com revealed that Vanilla Ice, 56, was worth around $9 million and was raking in about $800,000 per year.
And on a recent episode of Steve-O’s podcast Wild Ride!, the rapper explained how he made ‘millions for doing nothing’ thanks to his luck in amassing a real estate empire.
Vanilla Ice, 56, amassed a massive fortune thanks to his real estate interests, years after his early hits faded from the charts; pictured in 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
DailyMail.com revealed h was worth $9M in 2018 and taking in $800K per year, but he now has a net worth of $20M, according to Celebrity Net Worth; seen in 1989
The rapper looked back on the success of Ice Ice Baby, telling the Jackass star: ‘We were selling a million records a day, easy!’
Van Winkle technically avoided the one-hit wonder label thanks his his popular cover of Wild Cherry’s Play That Funky Music, but his success quickly dwindled as the ’90s progressed.
But while he was still flush with cash, Vanilla Ice said he snatched up homes ‘all over the country,’ even though he ‘never used’ them.
But he was astounded when he decided to sell several of the homes and found that they had significantly increased in value.
‘They sold really quick and I made millions for doing nothing!’ he gushed. ‘I didn’t even change the carpet … and I go, ‘Holy s***, let’s go buy a bunch more of them.’
In addition to his newfound skill as a real estate magnate, Vanilla Ice developed a taste for renovating old and dilapidated properties after one of his many homes was severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
He decided to renovate the home himself before putting it on the market, and he credited the DIY experience with developing a passion for real estate that has sustained him in the decades since he stopped being a charting musician.
Vanilla Ice shared that the experience inspired him to go to design school to learn more about his new craft, and he later worked as a general contractor.
While he was still flush with cash from his Ice Ice Baby single, Vanilla Ice said he snatched up homes ‘all over the country,’ even though he ‘never used’ them; seen in 1990 in NYC
He later spent nine seasons renovating his properties on his reality series The Vanilla Ice Project, which aired from 2010 to 2019
He later went to design school and became a general contractor for years after developing a passion for flipping and renovating homes
He even managed to combine his public persona with his love for real estate and renovations with his reality series The Vanilla Ice Project, which began airing in 2010.
For each of its nine seasons, he would purchase a home to flip, and each episode was devoted to renovate a different room of the house.
According to him, he prefers to buy off-market homes, and he focuses on distressed homes and properties under tax liens.
The rapper said he ‘puts out tax dockets on properties,’ so he’s then able to snap up the houses ‘for pennies on the dolla
