Senegalese-American singer and rapper Akon recently opened up about a friendly competition he and T-Pain had in the past before suggesting his peer went broke trying to keep up with his lavish lifestyle.
During a recent appearance on the BagFuel podcast, the ‘Smack That’ rhymer reflected on his friendship with T-Pain and how it evolved as they both began to achieve superstardom. While discussing the ‘I’m Sprung’ singer, Akon revealed that T-Pain began surpassing his lavish lifestyle and started spending absurd amounts of money.
Akon looked back on one particular purchase that really shocked him and admitted that, after a while, T-Pain began to play a game of one-upmanship by constantly trying to buy bigger and more expensive things than Akon did.
During the height of his fame, Akon owned over 30 cars. However, Akon admitted that whenever he bought a car, T-Pain would purchase a more flashy version, and once bought a Bugatti for $1.7 million. Akon recalled his response, reflecting, “He pulled up in it, and I said, ‘Pain, I don’t know.’ He told me, ‘I’m shitting on these dudes.’ I said, ‘You shitting on me too!’”
Akon later suggested that the reason why T-Pain began to have financial problems was because of this kind of reckless spending. T-Pain, while not naming Akon directly, responded to the claims he made on the BagFuel podcast and took to Twitter, writing, “The very ppl that held me back is tellin y’all how I could’ve been bigger.” He added, “I’m not angry. I’ve grown. I’ve learned how to move forward. I’m in control.”
The Tallahassee native has been very open over the years about his financial shortcomings and, in 2024, during an appearance on Free Game Friday, admitted that (early in his career) he spent his advance very irresponsibly. He specified that he got an $85 million cash injection and, looking back at his financial illiteracy, joked, “What do you think I’m going to do with that money? Save it?”
While their paths diverged creatively, both artists remain cautionary examples of how the fruits of fame can land you in a lot of financial trouble if not handled correctly.
