Rick Ross is teaching his children the importance of generational wealth through his actions in a very boss-like way.
The Maybach Music CEO, who also happens to be the owner of more than 25 Wingstop franchises, shared the joy of entrepreneurship with his eldest son William Roberts III for his 16th birthday by surprising him with his very own franchise in September. The “Aston Martin Music” rapper explained that he decided to gift his son with a business after years of the younger Roberts watching his dad run his own storefronts and having faith in his maturity to handle the responsibility.
“You know my son, he’s a very mature individual. He’s actually a great student, a great son, and he’s an amazing football player as well,” he told hosts Hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings during the Nov. 4 episode of “Assets Over Liabilities.” “He’s very mature, he grew up watching me run in and out of Wingstops. He’s always been ‘Come on I’m finna go to Wingstop, let’s go. I grab a broom, you get the mop, come on, let’s go.’ He understands that. He gets that.”
Although Ross is best-known for creating hits, as his career has grown over the years he’s expanded his portfolio into other areas, including a hair and beard grooming line named RICH by Rick Ross, the Collins Ave cannabis brand, Checkers and Rally’s franchises, and more. He told the hosts that it’s his hope that running his own business will instill his son with values beyond money-making, including responsibility and taking care of others, and show him first-hand that balling only comes after you put in the real work.
“So I just wanted to reward him as he’s coming into a young man, his maturity level, and let him know ‘Come on, let me give you some of these responsibilities as well. It’s not just money and paper, but it’s also responsibilities. Phone calls you sit in on here and there, let me get your input on this and that because it’s valuable.’ I’m just letting him know how valuable he is,” he said.
“I think us as fathers and men, we gotta teach our youngsters how to come into manhood and be responsible and take care of yourself and not only yourself but your family that you gon’ create,” he said of the importance of grooming his son to be his own boss. “So you not just thinking for yourself, you gotta be in the position and on the level to think and take care of others.”
It was previously reported that Ross’ Wingstop franchises helped him earn an estimated $7 million in 2014, and he’s spoken in the past about how when it comes to managing his businesses, no job is too small.
“Ain’t nothing too big nor too small for a real boss,” Ross told AfroTech. “I’ll walk into one of my franchises, and if the floors need to be swept, I’ll grab the broom to sweep it rather than calling somebody over from the register. Nah, I’ll do it myself. You know what I mean? That’s just the approach.”
Ross is father to three children in addition to William: daughters Toie Roberts, 19, and Berkeley Hermes Roberts, 4, and 3-year-old son Billion Leonard Roberts.
