Will.i.am lives in a hotel as he’s never owned a house.
The Black Eyed Peas musician, 49, is said to be worth around $70 million partly due to his string of hits including ‘Boom Boom Pow’ and ‘I Gotta Feelin’’, but has revealed he doesn’t feel like he’s “made it”, partly as he’s never put down permanent roots.
He said at AfroTech conference in Houston: “As far as the idea of ‘I made it’, I don’t think I made it, because every milestone takes me to the next milestone.
“I’m making it. I’ve never had a house. I bought myself a studio. I have my office, but I stay in a hotel.
“I don’t have a house because I ain’t bought the house that says ‘I made it’.”
Born William James Adams Jr, the singer also stressed he grew up living in a South Los Angeles housing project.
He added: “I remember my mom was like, ‘Wait, put your clothes on. You go up here to get our food stamps. Sit in this line to get this cheese’.
“When you are in a project, that’s your reality. You come outside, your best friend that you grew up with is no longer with you because he got shot and you want to dream different – that’s where I get ambition from.”
The Black Eyed Peas are about to take up residency in Las Vegas and Will.i.am has added to his music fortune by investing in technology companies.
He is also the founder and CEO of Fyi.AI, a new messenger and tool for streamlining apps.
Will.i.am said about the firm’s service: “You don’t need a thousand apps, especially when apps don't talk to each other.
“With FYI it’s all in one place – your news, your calendar, your collaborative work.
“It may sound like a foreign concept, but eventually it’s going to be the system.”
