Cashing in his chips: Soulja Boy inks lucrative endorsement deal with World Poker Fund

Soulja Boy isn’t exactly a household name in the poker community, but the the young rapper/entrepreneur is proving that you don’t need to know when to hold ’em/fold ’em, so long as you know how to “Tell ‘Em.”

World Poker Fund Holdings, an online and event-based social gaming platform, has announced an endorsement deal in which it will pay the young mogul $400 million over the next five years to mobilize his vast social media network in support of the company’s online gaming assets. These include both CelebrityWorld.com and its soon-to-launch “in-flight gaming” platform.

The latter aims to service 3 billion travelers worldwide and plans to operate across multiple major airlines. With that kind of ambition, the company needs a spokesperson that can move the needle and it seems to think that Soulja Boy and his 15 million social media followers fit that bill.

When he tweeted the message below on May 1, it was easy to assume that he had mistaken a very, very good dream for reality, but it now seems that the deal is as real as it gets.

$400 million deal confirmed. I still they think they low balled me though. I was thinking 2 or 3 billion..

— Soulja Boy (@souljaboy) May 1, 2016

Of course, there’s always the possibility that this whole thing is just a giant publicity stunt, meant to further the respective brands of both parties. For the time being, however, there just isn’t any evidence to support that theory.

If Soulja Boy does indeed see every dollar of the $400 million he has been promised, it would make him one of the wealthiest entertainers on Planet Earth, and would put him in the company of moguls like Jay-Z, Bono, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Beyonce, etc. Pretty good for a kid who self-published his first single — Crank That (Soulja Boy) — on the internet. Said the soon-to-be spectacularly rich artist:

“I invest in things I understand. I enjoy music, and, of course, gaming. Being an influencer is a form of currency. Having portfolio diversification is critical if you want to be an effective brand ambassador. With regards to World Poker Fund, I believe in its strategy, its team, the vision, and management’s ability to target its financial goals.”

Stay tuned for updates and, if you’re planning on playing cards with Soulja Boy anytime soon, know that you had better be a very high roller.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/27JgBeo
Adam Poltrack