He may be making it big now, but some people have wondered about his upbringing. Was Post Malone poor? Is he a typical rags to riches story?
Yes, at one point Post Malone was poor. The artist makes big money now but there was a time, particularly right before he became famous, where he was really struggling financially.
Post’s upbringing has a lot to do with his success today. He’s one of the most versatile artists out there. From touring with Justin Bieber to recording with Kanye West, he’s always keeping fans on his toes.
But he wasn’t always successful. In fact, his beginning interests in music didn’t pay off financially and Post couldn’t afford things like rent and cigarettes.
Post Malone: His Early Years
Post Malone’s real name is Austin Richard Post. He was born in Syracuse, New York. When he was 10, Post moved to Grapevine, Texas and took his interest in music to a new level. Dominating the video game Guitar Hero (and teaching himself how to play), Post quickly got enough skill to try out for a Dallas-based heavy metal band.
Due to some bad (or was it good?) luck, Post’s guitar string broke during the audition and he didn’t make the band.
After realizing that community college wasn’t for him, Post joined a gamer friend in his move to Los Angeles. He continued playing Guitar Hero and eventually found that he was ready for a real guitar.
Making use of the platform YouTube, Post began sharing some of his music with the public.
No Money For Beer & Cigarettes
While he has been known to have a preference for some of the finer things in life (he now has a massive mansion, several cars, and even a Louis Vuitton guitar), Post has always prioritized a few basics in his life—namely, beere and cigarettes.
But in his early music days, he couldn’t even afford those. Post was at one point living in a closet.
When the single White Iverson was released, many of Post’s friends wanted him to wait, they wanted him to get it perfect. But Post couldn’t wait. He had no money and decided to release it as soon as he thought it was ready.
And it’s a good thing that he did—the song turned him from a SoundCloud singer to a successful artist in no time.
After releasing the song on SoundCloud, Post woke up to positive comments from Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa—two of hip-hop’s biggest names. This marked a turning point in not only Post’s musical career, but also his financial life as well.
One Million Views
After the hit song got over one million views in just a month, Post had record labels lining up at his door. He signed with Republic Major in 2015 and the song ended up peaking at number 14 on the BIllboard Hot 100.
His debut album “Stoney” was released on December 9, 2016 and featured massive artists like 2 Chainz, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, and Quavo. A couple albums, several platinum records, and a handful of Billboard Hot 100 songs later—and Post is really rather rich right now.
Rags to Riches
So I guess we can answer that yes, Post Malone is a pretty good rags to riches story. He went from sleeping in a closet to sleeping in his sprawling mansion (worth $3 million). He owns a $420,000 Phantom car. In 2019, he notoriously “made it rain” in a nightclub with $50,000 worth of $1 bills.
The artist doesn’t need to worry about not being able to afford cigarettes and beer now—he not only works with Budwiser to produce commercials, but also notoriously orders beer and cigs via the food app Postmates. Oh yeah, and he’s spent more than $40,000 on that app in just a single year.
While Post Malone spent nearly all of his paycheck on Versace slippers when he used to work at a chicken fast food restaurant, now he spends much more than that—without even noticing a dent in his bank account. The artist makes big money, and he still loves spending it.