Before He Amassed a $30M Net Worth, Idris Elba Was A Pot-Preneur 'I Did All Kinds Of Things, To

Throughout the course of his career, Idris Elba has been many things.

As AfroTech previously reported, the actor’s most recent title was “Knight.” In 2016, he was named an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for his “services to drama.” He was granted the OBE in the New Years Honours, so his proper title is “Sir Idris Elba, People Magazine’s 2018 Sexiest Man Alive.”

He’s also been a producer, a director, and an investor in various projects such as a genderless skincare line.

He’s inked a book deal with HarperCollins, negotiated a contract with Crunchyroll, and even proposed a way to hold social media trolls accountable for their actions.

But before he did all that, he was involved in the cannabis business. And according to Complex, no less of an authority than Dave Chappelle, dropped the proverbial dime on the Internet’s favorite fantasy James Bond casting. As it turns out, Chappelle disclosed Elba’s previous side hustle on the ever-noxious Joe Rogan podcast, wherein the controversial comedian revealed that the actor sold marijuana “on the side” while working as a doorman at the famed Caroline’s in New York City.

Recently, too, Elba came clean about his previous business ventures — and admitted that he had several side hustles before he “made it big.”

“I used to sell weed,” Idris Elba said, according to Complex. “I did that for a little bit just to, you know, help pay the way. I DJ’ed quite a bit. I was a doorman. I was a doorman at Caroline’s comedy club [in New York], which is fascinating now, when I meet the comedians that you kind of remember the English guy. Tall English guy with the funny accent and the little hair. David Chappelle remembers me ‘cause he used to buy weed from me. Anyway, moving on. Yeah, I did all kinds of things to be honest, all kinds of things.”

Idris Elba: From Green Plants to Green Wallets

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Idris Elba has an estimated net worth of $30 million. The outlet confirms that he achieved his net worth by doing a variety of “gigs” in the entertainment industry — everything from acting to producing to being a DJ.

And let’s not forget this little gem:

Iconic.

Bernadette Giacomazzo is the SEO Manager at Blavity, Inc. She is also a NYC-based editor, writer, photographer, and publicist with a career spanning more than two decades in the entertainment industry. Her work has been featured in People, Teen Vogue, BET, HipHopDX, XXL Magazine, The Source, Vibe, The Los Angeles Times, and more. Giacomazzo is also the author of The Uprising Series and is the CEO of G-Force Marketing & Publicity, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has obtained film, television, radio, and print placements for blue-chip clients all over the world. She will release "In Living Color: A Cultural History" on Rowman & Littlefield Press in February 2023, and "The Golden Girls: A Cultural History" on Rowman & Littlefield Press in August 2023.

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