Hip-hop artist and tech investor will.i.am has an extensive library of digital business cards for business leaders, whom he often turns to for advice on various ventures.
These mentors include Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Oprah Winfrey, music legend MC Hammer, venture capitalist Ron Conway and Beats investor Jimmy Iovine.
“Marc Benioff is my big brother and mentor,” will.i.am told Yahoo Finance Live (video above) at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this week. “I love Mark.”
According to will.i.am, Oprah has proven to have another positive impact on the musical artist’s life, as her legendary stand-up show was part of the way he was able to launch a solo career and introduce his I Am scholarship.
“I love her,” said will.i.am. “That’s where I started my foundation on her show. She pushed me to bring out the best in me. I’m lucky to have a great network of people who keep me straight and narrow and push me to work things out.”
More coverage from Yahoo Finance on Davos 2023:
“The one who really saw the spark in me”
Fame, wealth and an innate curiosity have led will.i.am into the world of business and investing. Before that, however, he was born William Adams in Los Angeles in 1975, into humble beginnings.
Ultimately, will.i.am rose to fame as a member of the Black Eyed Peas in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a group that sold more than 58 million singles worldwide.
He was an early investor in headphone maker Beats for an undisclosed amount when Apple (AAPL) bought the company for $3 billion in 2014, and has a deal with Intel (INTC) to promote various hardware.
Thanks to the connections will.i.am has made over the years, many of these ventures have come to fruition.
“MC Hammer — that’s the guy who connected me to Ron Conway,” will.i.am said. “Jimmy Iovine — that guy really saw the spark in me. They were my first choice.”
Oprah’s close friend, journalist Gail King, who also mentors will.i.am, says he loves her “like an aunt.”
Now, will.i.am is a regular guest at the World Economic Forum, where he discussed the future of technology, especially artificial intelligence, at this year’s event. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Industrial Revolution Advisory Council and the Global AI Action Coalition.
On Thursday, he had lunch with mentor Benioff and Williams-Sonoma CEO Lara Alber, among other distinguished guests.
Will.i.am said: “I’ve been blessed to have a great network of people who allow me to be straight and narrow and work my way through problems.”
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Bryan Soltz is a contributing editor, and Yahoo Finance anchor. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi etc. LinkedIn.
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