By Jessica Wedemeyer
11:40am PDT, Oct 15, 2022
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No one is more wonderfully over-the-top than Cardi B! The chart-topping rapper makes no secret of her affinity for the finer things in life — from her impressive collection of Birkin bags to her daughter's jaw-dropping jewelry collection. (If you've got it — "it" being money — flaunt it, right?!) In honor of her 30th birthday on Oct. 11, 2022, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at some of the biggest examples that prove the mother of two is nothing like the rest of us!
Keep reading to get the scoop on Cardi's biggest splurges and expenditures…
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Cardi B and husband Offset love the finer things in life… and Cardi's 29th birthday celebration was no exception! On Oct. 11, 2021, the "Up" rapper was feted at a dancehall-themed party attended by A-list guests including Megan Thee Stallion, Normani, Lizzo and Snoop Dogg. Surprisingly, the star-studded affair wasn't even the most extravagant part of the festivities: Offset gifted his wife a seven-bedroom house — yes, you read that correctly — in the Dominican Republic!
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We commend her generosity! On Jan. 19, 2022, CNN published a statement from Cardi B announcing her intention to pay the funeral costs for the 17 people who died when a fire ravaged a Bronx apartment building 10 days earlier. "I'm extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still," Cardi explained. "So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal. I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy."
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Imagine being so famous that you can get a table at any restaurant at any time! On Nov. 29, 2021, Page Six reported that when Cardi B, husband Offset and 10 friends showed up for dinner at New York City's Brooklyn Chop House without a reservation, the restaurant gladly accommodated them — despite being fully booked for the evening and having a line out the door! "The restaurant had to sway an existing party — with booze on the house — to get them to finish their dinner party sooner," wrote the gossip column, adding that Brooklyn Chop House offered the other group "bottles of Cristal and free desserts to get them to vacate the area for Cardi." The power couple only had to wait 15 minutes for their table. To show their appreciation, they spent more than $1K on dinner and another $1K on the tip.
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Would you expect anything less?! On Jan. 4, 2022 — four months after welcoming son Wave Set Sephus — Cardi B took to Instagram to share a slideshow of photos of herself decked out in a vintage Dior ensemble while posing next to a matching Dior stroller from which she'd hung a coordinating Dior diaper bag. The price tags on these luxury goods, as reported by Page Six? Stroller: $7,700. Diaper bag: $3,300. Trench coat: $27K. Matching skirt: $1,193. Bodysuit: $850. The total cost of the items, which were designed by John Galliano for the fashion house's Fall 2000 collection, was nearly $40K!
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According to Page Six, Cardi B donned around $2.5 million in diamonds for her performance during the Hot 97 Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Aug. 22, 2021. In addition to her 8-carat diamond engagement ring from husband Offset, which is worth around $500K, she rocked a 20-carat heart-shaped sparkler from the Migos rapper that's worth $1M and a new chain featuring an oversized charm shaped like the Playboy bunny logo crafted by celebrity jeweler Elliot Elliante from more than 160 carats of VS1 diamonds and more than 750 grams of 14-karat gold. (It's worth $400K.) The mother of two also rocked several blinged-out pieces from Jewelry Unlimited: five honeycomb diamond Cuban chokers custom-made to fit her neck (lower-end versions of the piece start at around $40K) and 14 bracelets including a Cuban link piece worth nearly $20K, a mariner link bracelet worth nearly $17K, a white gold Gucci link piece worth nearly $17K and several more Cuban link and tennis bracelets that are worth more than $10K apiece. But that's not all! Cardi completed her look with a bedazzled manicure, a diamond-encrusted Audemars Piguet watch that's reportedly worth $250K and hoop earrings featuring daughter Kulture's name spelled out in diamonds.
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On Aug. 9, 2021, Cardi B took to Instagram to show off the custom Swarovski crystal-embellished Birkin bag she gifted her 3-year-old daughter, Kulture. According to Page Six, the rapper dropped $48K on the accessory, which was inspired by … and you're not going to believe this … a bag the adorable tot spotted at a Claire's store. "Kulture saw a small bag with a rainbow and started begging for it. In typical Cardi way, she didn't get that bag, but she called me instead to try to replicate that rainbow on a Birkin for Kulture," Privé Porter CEO Michelle Berk told the New York Post's gossip column, adding that it took 100 hours of work to place the 30,000 crystals that make up the rainbow.
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If a Birkin a day keeps the doctor away, then Cardi B and her clan are going to be with us for a long, long time… On July 20, 2021, the rapper took to Instagram to show off her absolutely insane collection of Birkin bags … or at least a portion of her absolutely insane collection of Birkin bags. (Take a look here.) Pictured among the rainbow array of pricey accessories is the rare multi-pocketed Birkin Cargo bag for which Cardi dropped an estimated $240K in February 2021, as well as the Birkin she was snapped carrying on her way into Queens County Criminal Court in New York City on April 19, 2019.
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Cardi B and her husband, Migo rapper Offset, pulled out all the stops when their daughter, Kulture, turned 3 in July 2021. The trio arrived to the little girl's extremely over-the-top birthday bash in a horse-drawn carriage (see it here) and were greeted by a "unicorn" and several Disney princesses. After passing through a lengthy tunnel of balloons, they celebrated with a tiered Cinderella-themed birthday cake, a petting zoo and a seafood tower that nearly reached the ceiling. "My beautiful baby. I will do anything and everything for you," the proud mama captioned one slideshow of photos. (No kidding!) It's unclear exactly how much Cardi dropped on the extravagant affair, but one thing is certain: It wasn't cheap! And that's not even counting Kulture's birthday gift from her mom…
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Name a more Cardi B way to introduce your new child to the world… we'll wait! On April 14, 2022, the rapper and mom of two took to Instagram to introduce her baby boy, Wave Set Cephus. Naturally, their 7-month old son was dripping in diamonds for his big debut. In addition to rocking diamond stud earrings, baby Wave wore a multi-strand diamond necklace that featured a massive diamond-encrusted wave-shaped pendant with his name spelled out in diamond baguettes alongside a colorful baby shark riding a surfboard attached to a Cuban link chain. The custom piece, which was certainly worth thousands of dollars, was created by celebrity jeweler Elliot Eliantte. (See a video here.)
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On July 11, 2021, Cardi B took to Instagram to show off her daughter's 3rd birthday present: an Elliot Eliantte charm necklace worth a whopping $150K. "Her daddy out did me but I still got my baby nice. Thank you @eliantte for my baby charm necklace," she captioned a slideshow of videos showing off her little girl's enthusiastic reaction to her birthday bling, which she sported in a snap Cardi posted on Instagram the following month. (Offset, by the way, outdid Cardi by gifting Kulture a $250K Richard Mille watch.) After fans questioned her decision to spend so much money on Kulture's birthday bling, Cardi fired back on Twitter, "When your kid want ice cream for dinner do you give them ice cream for dinner? My baby is overly spoiled wit toys and super educated. If mommy and daddy fly then so is my kids."
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Speaking of Birkins… On Oct. 25, 2020, Cardi B took to Instagram to clap back at a racist social media post claiming that Birkin bags "lost their value" when she and other Black rappers started buying them. After revealing that she'd just bought "four bags today from the Hermés store," Cardi asserted that she does, in fact, "add value" to the brand "because when we mention brands in hip hop … [sales] go up." And she's not wrong! She went on to cite her track "Bodak Yellow" and how her reference to Christian Louboutin's red-bottomed shoes resulted in "an estimated $4.5 million in media value." Take that, haters!
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Valentine's Day is the perfect Hallmark holiday for celebs to shower their partners in luxury items! In 2022, aside from gifting Cardi B six (yes, SIX!) Chanel bags, Offset also filled their home with large elaborate floral arrangements including four heart-shaped arches in the living room and a giant heart-shaped sculpture by the pool beautifully topped off with rose petals. Petals also lined the stairs of their home, trailed through hallways and led the way to the larger arrangements. Cardi took to Instagram to praise her hubby for his extravagant display of affection, writing alongside a slideshow of photos, "My day went like this yesterday. Love you my baby."
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On April 6, 2021, Cardi B took to her Instagram Story to show a few of the luxury items she'd purchased for her daughter, Kulture, who'd yet to celebrate her 3rd birthday at the time. "I went crazy shopping — all for Kulture, though. Nothing is mine — all KK," she said while showing off four Chanel boxes, three Dior boxes and one Dolce & Gabbana bag. She also showed off her haul — which Page Six estimated to be worth a whopping $29K — in a since-deleted Instagram post. "This is what happens when God gives me the baby girl I always wanted. I shop more for her than I do myself," she wrote in the caption.
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In December 2020, Cardi B gifted husband Offset a $600K Lamborghini Aventador SVJ for his 29th birthday … just three months after she filed for divorce amid a cheating scandal. (They subsequently reconciled.) Imagine what she would've given him if he'd been faithful!
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In mid-2019, Cardi B dropped around $400K on daughter Kulture's first birthday bash, which featured an elaborate dessert table, a "Word Party"-themed cake and gifts including a blinged-out necklace with a diamond-encrusted charm featuring characters from "Word Party." (TMZ reported at the time that the chain likely cost around $100K.) "It's like, 'Damn, $400,000 for a birthday party?' But that's because it's her first birthday party and s*** costs!" Cardi said at the time.
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On July 10, 2022, Cardi B and Offset's daughter, Kulture, received a truly over-the-top gift to celebrate her 4th birthday: a massive stack of $50,000 in cash. What business does a preschooler have handling that kind of dough? Beats us! Offset took to his Instagram Story to share a video of the adorable tot sitting in a car while holding up her present. The Migos rapper and Cardi then took their baby girl to Candytopia where she marveled over a portrait of her mom crafted from various types of sweets. The following week, Cardi took to Instagram to share a slideshow of images taken at Kulture's extravagant mermaid-themed birthday party that featured inflatable slides, a bounce house and elaborate balloon sculptures.
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In July 2019, Cardi B took to Instagram to share a since-deleted breakdown of her income that showed exactly how much she makes per performance at various music festivals. She earned more than most people make in years over the course of one summer: $300K for Bonnaroo in Tennessee, $750K for Roskilde in Denmark and $900K for Open Air Frauenfeld in Switzerland. She also shared that she makes $150K per stop on her own tour.
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Cardi B took to Instagram in May 2019 to share that she spent $80K on jewelry — including nine diamond tennis bracelets in white, yellow and rose gold and a pair of diamond stud earrings — for daughter Kulture, who was just 10 months old at the time.
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On April 5, 2019, DailyMail.com reported that Cardi B and Offset dropped more than $200K that January to snap up five houses in a row on the same street — as well as an empty plot of land and another house the next block over — in the Atlanta suburb of Jonesboro.
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On Feb. 20, 2019, Cardi B took to Instagram to show off one of the most blinged-out pieces in daughter Kulture's jewelry box: a rose-gold bangle spelling out her name in diamonds from Shyne Jewelers. "Thank you @iamcardib for letting us make Kulture this masterpiece!" the jeweler captioned a video of the custom bracelet on Instagram.
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Cardi B took to Twitter on Feb. 5, 2019, to rant about haters and how they react to how she chooses to spend her money. In the process, she revealed that she spends between $250K and $300K a month. "You know what I hate? I hate when celebrities do something very extravagant, buy something very luxurious, [and] there's people in the comments like, 'You could have donated that,' or 'We going backwards. You could have done this and that with your money.' It's like, who are you to tell people what to do with their hardworking a** money?" she said. "First of all, do you know that artists, celebrities, the IRS out of every check that you make, they automatically take 45 percent of your check? That means in order to spend $500,000, you gotta make at least a million. A lot of artists like me and a lot of rappers that I know, they literally take care of their whole family and that's not tax [deductible] because the IRS don't consider that a 'business.' On top of that, being an artist, looking good for ya, doing all this extra s*** to please ya, that s*** costs money. Like me, for example, my bills is like … about $300,000 or $250,000 every single month, and I try to put it cheaper and it's just, it's not."
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On Dec. 1, 2018, Offset dished on Cardi B's hectic travel schedule — and her expensive habit of chartering private jets to be with their daughter, Kulture. "She's flying private jets for baby girl to be with her," the Migos rapper told Us Weekly. "She's paying a lot of money, but it's all love for Kulture. And that's who she do everything for first and I respect it. … I'll fly to her or she'll fly to me. Because we need the time [together]."
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In late October 2018, Cardi B confirmed reports that she and Offset were offered seven-figure deals for the first photo of their daughter — and turned them all down. "We just don't wanna show our baby right now," she told Apple Music at the time. "I got offered seven figures, but I'm just not ready yet." Can you imagine?!
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On Nov. 19, 2018, Cardi B took to Instagram to show off the two-story New York home with a built-out basement that she bought for her mom. Though she didn't divulge the exact cost of the swanky new crib, she revealed that it cost way more than $600K: "Last year I was so thirsty to buy my mom a home and I could only afford a house that cost $600,000. And you know, we live in New York, so cribs that looks like that look like s***. I waited, I waited, I waited, I waited till I could afford a dream home, and I copped it," she said in a video showing off the house, which features a gym and a theater. If only we could all treat our mamas so well!
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On July 28, 2018, Cardi B took to Instagram to show off the his-and-hers Lamborghinis that she and husband Offset bought themselves after welcoming their daughter, Kulture. "Blessed & Gifted. Official Lamb owners @offsetyrn #aventador #His&Hers #kultureparents," the "Bodak Yellow" rapper captioned a photo of herself posing on the hood of a blue Lamborghini Aventador alongside her hubby on the hood of a green version of the same car. And get this: Cardi paid for her ride in CASH. After some of her followers suggested that the rapper was just leasing the Lambo and didn't actually purchase it herself, she posted her bank statement to show a cash withdrawal of more than $500K.
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Several media outlets reported in mid-February 2018 that Cardi B was expected to pull in around $250K in club appearance fees while hosting various parties and events during NBA All-Star Weekend. According to TMZ, the rapper makes around $100K to perform and $60K for a "nightclub walk-through." In other words, she makes more cash to briefly attend a party than the average American makes in a year.
