Hip-hop artist and tech investor will.i.am has a big digital rolodex of enterprise leaders he faucets usually for recommendation on his numerous ventures.
These mentors embrace names like Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Oprah Winfrey, music legend MC Hammer, enterprise capitalist Ron Conway, and Beats investor Jimmy Iovine.
“Marc Benioff is my massive brother and my mentor,” will.i.am advised Yahoo Finance Dwell on the World Financial Discussion board (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this week (video above). “I really like Marc.”
Oprah has confirmed to be one other optimistic affect on the musical artist’s life, in response to will.i.am, as her legendary discuss present is a part of how he was capable of launch his solo profession and introduce his I Am scholarship.
“I really like her,” will.i.am mentioned. “That’s the place I went to begin my basis on her present. She pushes me to deliver the most effective out of myself. I’m blessed to have an superior community of parents to maintain me on the straight and slender and push me to resolve issues.”
Extra Yahoo Finance protection of Davos 2023:
‘The man that actually noticed the spark in me’
Fame, fortune and pure curiosity despatched will.i.am into the world of enterprise and investing. Earlier than that, nevertheless, he was born William Adams in Los Angeles in 1975 and grew up with modest means.
Ultimately, will.i.am rose to fame within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s as a member of the Black Eyed Peas, a band that has bought greater than 58 million singles worldwide.
He was an early investor in headphone maker Beats, netting him an undisclosed quantity when Apple (AAPL) bought the corporate for $3 billion in 2014, and in addition struck a partnership take care of Intel (INTC) to advertise numerous {hardware}.
Many of those ventures got here to fruition because of the connections will.i.am made by means of the years.
“MC Hammer — that is the dude that related me to Ron Conway,” will.i.am mentioned. “Jimmy Iovine — that is the man that actually noticed the spark in me. They’re my go-tos.”
Oprah’s shut buddy, journalist Gayle King, can also be a mentor to will.i.am, as he said that he loves her “like an aunt.”
Now, will.i.am is a WEF common and spent this yr’s occasion discussing the way forward for know-how, significantly synthetic intelligence. He is a member of the World Financial Discussion board’s Industrial Revolution Advisory Committee and World Synthetic Intelligence Motion Alliance.
On Thursday, he had a gaggle lunch with mentor Benioff and Williams-Sonoma CEO Lara Alber, amongst different esteemed company.
“I am blessed to have an superior community of parents to maintain me on the straight and slender and pushing to resolve issues,” will.i.am mentioned.
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Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Observe Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.
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