Contrary to what some people may think, Mathew Knowles wants you to know that he didn’t need his daughter Beyoncé’s girl group, Destiny’s Child, or her extremely successful solo career to elevate their family. In fact, they were all living a relatively comfortable life before embarking on their music journey. The record executive and music manager recently revealed that he and his ex-wife, Tina, were already millionaires before entering the music industry.
This revelation came as a part of Knowles’ recent interview with TS Madison for her “Outlaws with TS Madison” podcast. During their lengthy conversation, they covered Knowles’ breast cancer diagnosis and his decades-long career in the music business. He also decided to clear the air on people’s misconceptions that Bey and Destiny’s Child were the key to making their lives better.
Related: Mathew Knowles Says There’s Only One Reason Why He’s Been Overlooked in the Music Industry
To be specific, Knowles shared that he and Tina were already millionaires by the time Bey was four years old, thanks to the success of their Houston-based hair salon, which was allegedly—at the time—”the number one Black hair salon in Houston in the ’80s,” according to Knowles.
“For all of y’all that talk sh*t to think Beyoncé made me, no,” Knowles said. “We were millionaires when she was… four years old.”
The conversation then shifted to all the success he built in his own non-music career, which included becoming the first Black salesperson in America to sell MRI and CT scanners for Philips Medical Systems, becoming “the number one sales rep in the world” for Xerox’s Medical Division, and later securing a $10 million sale of Music World Entertainment. The latter business entity was the label he developed to shape and form the girl group and propel them to success.
“Those ladies are uber talented. The number one female group in the history of music,” Knowles reflected on the group.
He later added that he has all of the receipts to back up his claims. “I don’t just talk sh*t. I do sh*t. Google everything I say. Don’t trust what I’m saying. Go Google it.”
OK, Mathew! Talk yo stuff!
It seems Knowles’ work ethic and eye for success rubbed off on Bey as she finally hit billionaire status earlier this year. Speaking to his daughter’s massive feat, Knowles said at the time: “I’ve never heard Beyoncé ever talk about money… It’s always been, ‘How can I make my fans happy? How can I be the best at what I’m doing?’ Her money came with the success, but that has never been a goal of hers. And I love that about her.”
