Coca-Cola acquired Glacéau, Vitaminwater’s parent company, for $4.1 billion in 2007. 50 Cent had received an equity stake rather than only a traditional endorsement fee

American rapper and actor 50 Cent’s Vitaminwater deal was more than a conventional celebrity endorsement. The rapper became a stakeholder in Glacéau, the company behind Vitaminwater, through his association with the Formula 50 flavor. When Coca-Cola acquired Glacéau in 2007, Forbes reported that the deal resulted in a roughly $100 million gain for 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III.

Coca-Cola bought Vitaminwater maker Glacéau for $4.1 billion