Machine Gun Kelly, also known as MGK or mgk, is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur who has an estimated net worth of $35 million.

Born Colson Baker, MGK first gained attention as a rapid-fire rapper from Cleveland before becoming one of the most versatile artists of his generation. His career has moved through hip-hop, pop, pop-punk, alternative rock, and Americana, giving him multiple sources of income through music, touring, acting, business ventures, and real estate.

MGK released his debut studio album, Lace Up, in 2012 and followed it with albums including General Admission, Bloom, and Hotel Diablo. His career changed dramatically with 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall, a pop-punk album produced with Travis Barker that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

He followed that success with Mainstream Sellout, which also debuted at No. 1. His later work continued to explore different genres, including the 2025 album Lost Americana and the 2026 collaborative mixtape Blog Era Boyz with Wiz Khalifa.

Outside music, MGK has built an acting career and launched businesses connected to coffee, fashion, beauty, entertainment, and his personal brand.

Machine Gun Kelly Net Worth $35 Million
Date of Birth April 22, 1990
Place of Birth Houston, Texas

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    Early Life

    Richard Colson Baker was born on April 22, 1990, in Houston, Texas. His parents were missionaries, and their work resulted in a childhood that involved frequent moves. Baker spent time living in Egypt, Germany, Denver, and several other parts of the United States.

    His mother left the family when he was young, and he was primarily raised by his father. During his teenage years in Denver, Baker experienced bullying and turned to rap as a way to express himself.

    He became interested in hip-hop after listening to artists including DMX, Eminem, and Ludacris. He began recording music as a teenager and adopted the stage name Machine Gun Kelly because of his rapid delivery.

    His childhood remained financially difficult for several years. He eventually settled in the Cleveland area, which became the foundation of his musical identity.

    Early Music Career

    MGK began building his music career through mixtapes, freestyle competitions, and local performances. He became the first rapper to win at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and later appeared on MTV2’s Sucker Free Freestyle.

    His early mixtapes included Stamp of Approval, 100 Words and Running, and Lace Up. Despite gaining attention, he was not financially secure at the time. He worked at Chipotle and other jobs while continuing to pursue music.

    His song “Alice in Wonderland” helped expand his audience, while “Cleveland” became an important hometown anthem. His music eventually became popular enough to be played during Cleveland Cavaliers games.

    MGK’s career accelerated in 2011 when Sean “Diddy” Combs signed him to Bad Boy Records.

    Lace Up and Mainstream Rap Success

    MGK released his debut studio album, Lace Up, in 2012.

    The album featured songs such as “Wild Boy,” “Invincible,” and “Hold On (Shut Up).” It also included collaborations with artists such as Waka Flocka Flame, DMX, Tech N9ne, Young Jeezy, and Twista.

    Lace Up debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and established MGK as a nationally recognized rapper.

    He later released the mixtape Black Flag, which included collaborations with Pusha T, Meek Mill, and Wiz Khalifa.

    His second studio album, General Admission, arrived in 2015 and also debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The project had a darker and more personal sound and included songs such as “Till I Die” and “A Little More.”

    Bloom and “Bad Things”

    MGK reached an even wider audience with “Bad Things,” his 2016 collaboration with Camila Cabello.

    The song became a major crossover hit, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It introduced MGK to listeners who were less familiar with his earlier hip-hop work.

    “Bad Things” appeared on his 2017 album Bloom, which also included songs such as “At My Best” and “Trap Paris.”

    The album showed that MGK was becoming increasingly comfortable working outside traditional hip-hop. That experimentation eventually led to the biggest transformation of his career.

    Eminem Feud

    MGK’s feud with Eminem became one of the most publicized moments of his rap career.

    The dispute partly traced back to a 2012 social media post involving Eminem’s daughter, Hailie. Years later, Eminem referenced MGK on “Not Alike,” a track from his 2018 album Kamikaze.

    MGK responded with “Rap Devil,” a diss track directed at Eminem. The song became one of MGK’s biggest rap releases and reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    Eminem responded with “Killshot,” turning the disagreement into a widely discussed rap battle.

    The feud added to MGK’s profile at a time when he was preparing to take his music in a very different direction.

    Hotel Diablo

    MGK released Hotel Diablo in 2019.

    The album included “I Think I’m Okay,” a collaboration with Yungblud and Blackbear. The song incorporated pop-punk and alternative-rock influences and became an important preview of MGK’s next musical era.

    Other songs on the album included “Glass House,” “Hollywood Whore,” and “El Diablo.”

    Hotel Diablo debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

    Tickets to My Downfall

    MGK’s biggest musical transformation came with 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall.

    Working closely with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, MGK moved away from rap and embraced pop-punk. The album was built around electric guitars, live drums, melodic hooks, and the sound associated with late-1990s and early-2000s pop-punk.

    The album produced songs including “Bloody Valentine,” “Concert for Aliens,” and “My Ex’s Best Friend.”

    Tickets to My Downfall debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The success transformed MGK from a successful rapper into a major rock and pop-punk performer.

    The financial impact of the new direction extended to touring. His 2021 North American tour sold more than 212,000 tickets and generated approximately $11.5 million from 31 reported shows.

    Mainstream Sellout

    MGK continued his pop-punk success with Mainstream Sellout in 2022.

    The album again featured extensive work with Travis Barker and included songs such as “Papercuts,” “Emo Girl,” “Maybe,” and “Ay!”

    Mainstream Sellout debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving MGK consecutive chart-topping albums. The project later received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album.

    The accompanying Mainstream Sellout Tour became another important source of income. The tour generated approximately $39.8 million and ranked among Pollstar’s top worldwide tours of 2022.

    One of the biggest performances took place in Cleveland, where more than 50,000 fans attended his hometown stadium concert. The show generated about $3.1 million.

    Genre: Sadboy and “Lonely Road”

    Following Mainstream Sellout, MGK continued moving between musical styles.

    In 2024, he collaborated with Trippie Redd on the EP Genre: Sadboy. Later that year, he teamed up with Jelly Roll on “Lonely Road.”

    The song incorporated elements of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and moved MGK further toward country, Americana, and roots-influenced music.

    During this period, he increasingly used the lowercase professional name “mgk.”

    Machine Gun Kelly Net Worth

    Lost Americana

    MGK released his seventh studio album, Lost Americana, in August 2025.

    The project continued his experimentation with rock, pop, alternative music, and Americana. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.

    “Cliché” became one of the album’s major singles.

    MGK supported the album with the Lost Americana Tour, which continued into 2026. Wiz Khalifa joined him for the North American summer leg, connecting MGK’s newer musical direction with his earlier hip-hop career.

    Blog Era Boyz

    In 2026, MGK returned to hip-hop with Wiz Khalifa on the collaborative mixtape Blog Era Boyz.

    The project looked back to the late-2000s and early-2010s era when artists built audiences through mixtapes, blogs, internet promotion, and grassroots fan communities.

    For MGK, the release represented a return to the rap sound that originally established his career.

    The project also coincided with his touring relationship with Wiz Khalifa, allowing MGK to bring together different eras of his career.

    Acting Career

    MGK has also earned income through acting.

    His early film roles included Beyond the Lights in 2014 and The Land and Nerve in 2016. He later appeared in Netflix’s Bird Box.

    In 2019, MGK played Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in the biographical film The Dirt. The role introduced him to a wider audience beyond music.

    His other acting credits include Big Time Adolescence, Project Power, and Midnight in the Switchgrass. The latter became particularly significant because he met Megan Fox while working on the film.

    MGK later co-wrote and starred in Taurus, a 2022 drama about a troubled musician. He also co-wrote, co-directed, produced, and starred in Good Mourning, a comedy released that same year.

    Although acting has added another source of income, music and touring have remained central to his career.

    Business Ventures

    MGK has expanded his income beyond entertainment through several business ventures.

    He founded 27 Club Coffee in Cleveland, a coffee shop and restaurant whose name references musicians who died at age 27.

    He also launched UN/DN LAQR, a nail-polish brand connected to his distinctive fashion and nail-art style.

    Another business interest is Floor 13, his production company, which has been involved in entertainment projects.

    MGK has also worked with major fashion companies and participated in advertising and modeling campaigns, adding commercial partnerships to his income sources.

    Personal Life

    MGK became a father while he was still young. His daughter, Casie Colson Baker, was born in 2009. She has appeared with her father at public events and remains an important part of his life.

    MGK’s relationship with actress Megan Fox became one of the most closely followed aspects of his personal life. The pair met while working on Midnight in the Switchgrass in 2020 and began dating that year.

    They announced their engagement in January 2022. Their relationship later went through periods of separation and reconciliation before they ended their engagement.

    Fox announced in 2024 that she was pregnant. Their daughter, Saga Blade Fox-Baker, was born on March 27, 2025.

    MGK and Fox subsequently focused on co-parenting their daughter.

    Real Estate

    MGK has also made significant moves in the California real estate market.

    In 2020, he rented a newly built home in Sherman Oaks for approximately $30,000 per month.

    In April 2022, he purchased a large estate in Encino, California, for $7.5 million. The property had previously been owned by Logan Paul, who had purchased it for $6.55 million in 2017 before renovating it.

    The gated property covers approximately 8,689 square feet and sits on nearly an acre of land. It features seven bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen, a wine cellar, multiple fireplaces, a swimming pool and spa, an outdoor kitchen, landscaped grounds, and a separate guesthouse.

    The purchase represented one of the largest publicly reported real estate investments associated with MGK.