Source: John Lamparski / Getty
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson splashed on the music scene over two decades ago with the single, “How to Rob.” But according to legal documents obtained by the New York Post, one of the rapper’s own business partners swindled him out of millions, too. But now, that ex-employee will have to pay it all back.
In June 2018, Mitchell Green was “hired as Employee #1” as the director of brand management for Sire Spirits, the liquor and beverage company owned by Jackson. The company launched two popular products in the following years, Branson Cognac and the champagne Le Chemin du Roi. The beverages fetch $200 and $150, respectively. Nevertheless, Green saw fit to add his own “agency fees” when he negotiated deals with wholesalers and distributors, which fetched the Cornell University grad more than $2 million.
But “after two years of embezzling from Sire Spirits,” Green came clean in February 2020 when someone else found out about his scheme and began extorting him as well. The new party also threatened to tell on Green, so Green confessed. He was then booted from the organization and taken to arbitration.
Ultimately, the arbitrator ordered Green to pay back the funds he stole, plus nearly $950K more that he paid to a wholesaler. Green was also on the hook for $2.7 million in legal fees and other costs. So the final bill for his ploy came up to $6.2 million.
According to his LinkedIn page, Green is currently the Director of Strategy and Marketing for M.S. Walker. But he’s made no public comment regarding the decision taken against him. Meanwhile, Jackson just celebrated the 10th birthday of his second son, after whom the brand was named. “My Boy @sire_jackson turned 10 yesterday,” the rapper posted on his Instagram page. “He is getting so big i can’t believe how fast the time went. #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi.”
