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Hip-hop artist and tech investor will.i.am has a big digital rolodex of enterprise leaders he faucets usually for recommendation on his varied ventures.
These mentors embody names like Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Oprah Winfrey, music legend MC Hammer, enterprise capitalist Ron Conway, and Beats investor Jimmy Iovine.
“Marc Benioff is my massive brother and my mentor,” will.i.am advised Yahoo Finance Reside on the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this week (video above). “I really like Marc.”
Oprah has confirmed to be one other constructive affect on the musical artist’s life, in keeping with will.i.am, as her legendary speak present is a part of how he was in a position to launch his solo profession and introduce his I Am scholarship.
“I really like her,” will.i.am mentioned. “That’s the place I went to begin my basis on her present. She pushes me to carry one of the best out of myself. I’m blessed to have an superior community of parents to maintain me on the straight and slender and push me to resolve issues.”
Extra Yahoo Finance protection of Davos 2023:
‘The man that basically noticed the spark in me’
Fame, fortune and pure curiosity despatched will.i.am into the world of enterprise and investing. Earlier than that, nevertheless, he was born William Adams in Los Angeles in 1975 and grew up with modest means.
Finally, will.i.am rose to fame within the late Nineties and early 2000s as a member of the Black Eyed Peas, a band that has bought greater than 58 million singles worldwide.
He was an early investor in headphone maker Beats, netting him an undisclosed quantity when Apple (AAPL) bought the corporate for $3 billion in 2014, and in addition struck a partnership take care of Intel (INTC) to advertise varied {hardware}.
Many of those ventures got here to fruition due to the connections will.i.am made by the years.
“MC Hammer — that is the dude that related me to Ron Conway,” will.i.am mentioned. “Jimmy Iovine — that is the man that basically noticed the spark in me. They’re my go-tos.”
Oprah’s shut pal, journalist Gayle King, can be a mentor to will.i.am, as he acknowledged that he loves her “like an aunt.”
Now, will.i.am is a WEF common and spent this 12 months’s occasion discussing the way forward for expertise, notably synthetic intelligence. He is a member of the World Financial Discussion board’s Industrial Revolution Advisory Committee and International Synthetic Intelligence Motion Alliance.
On Thursday, he had a gaggle lunch with mentor Benioff and Williams-Sonoma CEO Lara Alber, amongst different esteemed visitors.
“I am blessed to have an superior community of parents to maintain me on the straight and slender and pushing to resolve issues,” will.i.am mentioned.
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Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Observe Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.
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