Will.i.am is a multi-talented individual who has worked in music, technology, entrepreneurship, and philanthropic endeavors. Born Williams Adams, the musician turned entrepreneur has won seven Grammy Awards.
He began as a solo performer before co-founding the musical group Black Eyed Peas. As co-founder of Black Eyed Peas, he collaborated with chart-topping musicians like Britney Spears and met tech pioneers such as Larry Page.
Despite his lifelong interest in technology, he transformed himself into a tech entrepreneur. Raised by a tough mother in the crime-ridden slums of Los Angeles, he was fascinated to technology from a young age. As a result, he specialized in science, engineering, and mathematics during high school.
He did, however, drop out of school after dealing with attention deficit disorder and signing with his first music company at the age of 17, according to Forbes. His current focus is on promoting robotics, AI, and technology.
In a recent interview with the “Drink Champs” podcast, Will.i.am discussed two important investments that transformed his life. The host, N.O.R.E., invited him to select between Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, as if playing “This or That.”
This prompted Will.i.am to discuss how both CEOs had influenced his life. According to AfroTech, Will.i.am stated on a podcast that he invested in Tesla in 2006, at the same time Elon took over. “And then I was a member of Beats. And then Apple purchased Beats from us. So you’re referring to two companies that transformed my life. So I say both.
Will.i.am came up with the idea for Beats by Dre while talking with his mentor Jimmy Iovine. Billboard reported in 2014 that Will.i.am, who has a founding interest in Beats Electronics, is set to get a significant payout from Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of the company. Even though his actual percentage was unknown, he might receive a $30 million payout even if he only had a 1% stake, Billboard added.
In recent days, Willi.i.am has been more focused on his latest project, FYI. According to Forbes, the venture is an AI-powered productivity software that allows creatives to collaborate and communicate on projects while also managing digital assets. FYI, also known as Focus Your Idea, is advertised as “the first productivity tool designed to serve creatives first”.
Will.i.am told Euronews that before FYI, the creative community used six distinct tools. “We were using WhatsApp. You must have a Dropbox account to work with WhatsApp. If your files were too large, you should use WeTransfer. However, if you are unable to open it on WhatsApp, you must send the Wetransfer to emails, which requires email, a calendar, Zoom, and then a chatGPT.
“So you need seven things for creatives to get work done remotely on a phone on fire.” The rapper clarified that all you need for FYI is one tool.