Hip Hop Mogul Chris Lighty Found Dead in Bronx Apt at Age 44!
In what is considered easily the most shocking news of the summer, Chris Lighty has been found dead at the young age of 44. Authorities say it was an apparent suicide.
Lighty was found in his Bronx home with a gunshot wound to the head. Although there was no suicide note, a 9 mm was found at the scene and there were no signs of forced entry. The gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted.
Lighty was one of hip hops behind the scenes mogul, starting Violator records and managing the careers of many successful artists including Mariah Carey. Although he was very wealthy he recently was going through a divorce and hit a few financial snags including issues with the IRS, rumor has it that this might have been the reason for suicide.
Chris Lighty used to work for Russell Simmons’ company Rush Management before breaking off and forming Violator in the late 90’s. Simmons tweeted today,
“Today, we lost a hip-hop hero and one of its greatest architects,”
Lighty was known for mixing hip hop with major brands, brokering deals that made Hip Hop stars, money in bundles. Lighty told the press during and interview back in 2007,
“As music sales go down because kids are stealing it off the Internet and trading it and iPod sales continue to rise, you can’t rely on just the income that you would make off of being an artist,”
He knew early on that digital media was sucking earnings out of traditional record sales and sought after marketing opportunities that would earn other artists big paydays from multiple streams of income which included sneaker deals, soft drink deals, and movie roles.
50 cent who has been on the receiving end of some of Lighty’s deals stated,
“Chris has been an important part of my business and personal growth for a decade, He was a good friend and advisor who helped me develop as an artist and businessman. My prayers are with his family. He will be greatly missed.”
Lighty was in the process of divorcing his wife Veronica of seven years who he has two children with. He also had hints of financial issues. City National Bank was suing Lighty for an overdrawn count total of $53,584. He also owed $330,000 in taxes however he recently cleared up millions he owed the IRS after he sold his Manhattan apartment for $5.6 million.
Both his divorce and his $330,000 tax bill are small issues considering Lighty’s business acumen. The mogul was estimated to be worth $30 Million. As more details unfold, hopefully we will know more. RIP Lighty!
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