Singer Akon has credited Lady Gaga’s success with making him financially secure, saying her rise to global stardom was a blessing that changed his fortunes.
The Senegalese-American singer signed Gaga, then known as Stefani Germanotta, in 2007 after she had been dropped by Def Jam Recordings following a brief stint with the label.
Impressed by her music, Akon pushed to bring her under his KonLive Distribution imprint, which partnered with Interscope Records to release her early work.
He told the Associated Press: “I was like, ‘Yo, I want to sign that right there. She needs to be under my umbrella.’ Jimmy was like, ‘Yeah, whatever you want. Take her. Let’s get it done.’”
Akon also contributed to Gaga’s early music, including her breakout hit “Just Dance”, which helped introduce her to a wider audience.
As Gaga rose to international fame with albums such as The Fame and Born This Way, Akon benefited from his stake in her career.
In 2010, he said: “She’s pretty much retired me. She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment. I’m glad I believed in her, boy.”
He later revealed that he sold his stake back to Interscope after deciding to cash out while Gaga’s commercial success was still soaring.
“Actually, I cashed out,” he said. “I got out while the goodin’ was hot… I sold my shares and got out before it was too late.”
The exact amount Akon earned from the deal has never been made public. However, reports have attributed to him a 2011 remark that Gaga made him ten times more money than his own music career had generated over the preceding decade.
Akon became one of the biggest international music stars of the 2000s with hits such as “Locked Up”, “Lonely”, “Smack That”, “I Wanna Love You” and “Don’t Matter”.
His blend of R&B and African-influenced sounds helped establish him as a major figure in global pop music.
He has not completely retired from music. In 2026, he released Beautiful Day, his first full-length project since 2008, featuring collaborations with Stephen Marley, Ozuna and rising group SIMIEN.
He also toured with Ne-Yo on the Nights Like This tour, performing in more than 50 cities worldwide.
In recent years, Akon has also pursued business and development projects in Africa. These include Akon Lighting Africa, an initiative aimed at expanding access to electricity, and Akon City, a proposed technology-focused city in Senegal built around renewable energy.
Akon has also been involved in cryptocurrency through Akoin. However, Akon City has faced delays, public criticism and questions about its progress. He has maintained that the project is still being developed.
Meanwhile, Gaga has grown into one of the world’s biggest pop stars, with hits including “Poker Face”, “Bad Romance”, “Born This Way”, “Shallow” and “Die With a Smile”.
She has also established a successful acting career, winning an Oscar for co-writing “Shallow” for the film A Star Is Born.
Her latest album, Mayhem, was released in March 2025 and featured songs including “Die With a Smile”, “Disease” and “Abracadabra”.
She subsequently headlined Coachella and embarked on the Mayhem Ball tour, which travelled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia before concluding in April 2026.
The tour reportedly grossed nearly Sh54 billion ($420 million), placing it among the highest-grossing tours by a woman in Billboard Boxscore history.
Gaga has also reportedly welcomed a daughter, Rose Bean Polansky, and is said to be working on a Mayhem Ball concert film while continuing to develop her Haus Labs beauty brand.
Although she has taken a break from major public performances, Gaga has reassured fans that more music could be on the way. Asked about her next album, she replied: “Don’t worry.”