Rick Ross exclaims, “Look at it,” as he extends his arms and tilts his head to enjoy the beautiful Florida sun. “This is Miami.” Gorgeous. It’s certainly intended for me. Wearing a blue tracksuit from Balenciaga and sneakers from New Balance, Ross has just pulled up to his home on Star Island, a posh Miami Beach community where past and present residents include Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan, and pharmaceutical billionaire Phillip Frost. His rose-gold Rolex “Presidential” Day-Date is adorning his wrist. The 47-year-old rapper, businessman, and self-described “biggest boss” is beaming, shaking hands with everyone, providing blunt smokes, and sipping from the bottle of Luc Belaire rosé that he always has with him. (In addition, Ross goes by “Rozay,” a reference to his preferred wine.) We’re in the rear, close to the pool that overlooks Biscayne Bay, because Ross wants an improvement, and the home he reportedly spent $35 million on is being prepared for destruction. Ross claims that when he was growing up in Carol City, roughly 20 miles distant, the idea of this opulent existence first began to take shape.
“You knew what luxury was right then, when you saw that Jaguar and you were getting out of your Buick,” he explains. We also cherished my dad’s Buick, but I was drawn to and recognized elegance at a young age. I knew I wanted to be riding on leather seats by the time I was in the third grade. We succeeded in it. Yes, in fact.
For a considerable amount of time, Ross has been a connoisseur of luxury goods, accumulating an impressive assortment of jewelry, watches, vehicles, and real estate. The crown prize, a Gulfstream G550, the preferred private aircraft for those with comparable interests and financial constraints, arrived last year. However, the largest boss does not operate in a regular manner (or, as with the aforementioned breakdown, in someone else’s way). He sent the aircraft to private-jet design experts Duncan Aviation shortly after he took custody of it so they could give it the complete Rick Ross makeover, both inside and out. He really represents the lifestyle he has always sang about, now more than ever.
“Look at it,” Rick Ross says, arms outstretched, head tilted, basking in the brilliant Florida sun. “This is Miami. Beautiful. It’s most definitely for me.” Dressed in a blue Balenciaga tracksuit and New Balance sneakers, his wrist adorned with a rose-gold Rolex “Presidential” Day-Date, Ross has just pulled up to his property on Star Island, the exclusive Miami Beach enclave where Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan, and pharmaceutical billionaire Phillip Frost are among past and present residents. The 47-year-old rapper, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “biggest boss” is in a buoyant mood—smiling, shaking everyone’s hand, offering puffs of his blunt, and pouring from the bottle of Luc Belaire rosé he keeps near him at all times. (As a nod to his wine of choice, Ross also goes by “Rozay.”) Because the house Ross spent a reported $35 million on is being prepped for demolition—he wants an upgrade—we’re in the backyard, next to the pool that overlooks Biscayne Bay. The vision of this life of grandeur, Ross says, first came into focus when he was growing up about 20 miles away in Carol City.
“When you seen that Jaguar and you’re stepping out of your Buick,” he says, “you understood what luxury was right then. And we loved my dad’s Buick, but I understood [luxury] early and I was attracted to it early. By the time I was in third grade, I knew I wanted to be riding in leather seats. We pulled it off.” Indeed.
Ross has long been a voracious consumer of the finer things, having amassed enviable collections of cars, jewelry, and watches as well as a substantial real-estate portfolio. Last year marked the arrival of the crown jewel, a Gulfstream G550, the private jet of choice among those with similar tastes and budgets. But standard issue (or, as with the aforementioned teardown, someone else’s style) is not how the biggest boss rolls. Shortly after taking delivery of the aircraft, he handed it over to private-jet design specialists Duncan Aviation to give it the full Rick Ross treatment, outside and in. Now more than ever, he fully embodies the lifestyle he has always rapped about.
Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, was raised to admire both the obvious “winners” in his community and the professional players he saw on TV. He remembers that when he first heard rap music and then the high-wattage aesthetics that went along with it, “that shit just took over my soul.” Even though Ross was a brilliant offensive lineman on his high school football team and had a scholarship to play for Albany State, he returned home to Miami a few weeks into his freshman year of college because of his dreams of being a famous rapper. He didn’t turn around. He states, “I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
Following years of laboring behind the scenes for other musicians, Ross received praise from critics and fans alike when he released his first studio album, Port of Miami, in 2006. The song, which sold 187,000 copies in its first week, peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum. Since the release of his first single, “Hustlin’,” he has released a number of additional songs, including “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast),” “Aston Martin Music,” and “Stay Schemin’.” Drake and DJ Khaled are among his regular collaborators. Ross established Maybach Music Group in 2009, and he signed future superstars Meek Mill, Wale, and French Montana thereafter.
It wasn’t like I woke up in six months with a smash record. I arrived here after a protracted journey.
His aspirations for commercial endeavors outside of music expanded along with his growing success. Ross, who has always loved Wingstop’s lemon-pepper wings, purchased his first franchise in 2011 and has since owned up to 30 locations (albeit he only has one at the moment). His line of fast food has grown to include a few Rally’s and Checkers in recent years. He has also experimented with hemp and hair care products. Ross insists that he is first and foremost an artist, despite the fact that he flaunts the trappings of ultra-successful entrepreneurship—he laughs when people mistake the rare colored diamonds in his tennis necklace for regular sapphires. His 12th studio album, Too Good to Be True, a joint project with Meek Mill, was released in November. “Having talent is more important to me than being the wealthiest rapper, Black man, or hip-hop executive,” he declares. That was never the intention. It never has been. What I want this to most of all signify, while I sit here on Star Island, is my gift. Fuck the status; remember the gift when someone views my 200-car collection..
The view from his Star Island home.DEVIN CHRISTOPHER
In reality, two hundred is really his best guess; he is unsure of the precise number of cars he has. He tells Robb Report that the 1976 Chevrolet Caprice he got for his sixteenth birthday was his first vehicle. “My grandfather gave it to me; may he rest in peace.” The most recent one he had? A bespoke Maybach, which he bought a few months ago for just less than $600,000, in a color he calls Air Max Gray. He’s been in a vocal (and years-long) love affair with Maybachs. He claims that “they represent true luxury.” “A Maybach has the best backseat in the business.”
Rick Ross wears his own Louis Vuitton sweater and sneakers, Exclusive Games pants, Vobara chain and bracelets, and Cartier glasses while riding his Schwinn retro tricycle.DEVIN CHRISTOPHERNot that he’s in the back seat all the time. He rattles off a few more favorites, saying, “I like to drive. The Rolls-Royce Phantom is definitely one; it’s a big boy, and I’m a big boy.” After that, we may visit a sports vehicle. I go by the moniker Ferrari Fatboy. Nothing compares to seeing a large lad fit into a Ferrari. Ross doesn’t require a custom outfit, even if he enjoys one-of-a-kind vehicles. He sums up his personal style in one sentence: “I’m the biggest boss,” implying that his self-assurance enables him to do everything. When it comes to getting dressed every day, he adds, “It’s really not that much pressure.” “I have no stylist to give a shout-out to.” 
Ross boards his G550 wearing his own Nova Men jacket.
So the Boss shops for himself? “All Rozay, baby,” he declares. He is a regular at the Louis Vuitton shop in the Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas and the Neiman Marcus site at the Bal Harbour Shops (“One time for Andy,” he adds, mentioning his favorite sales colleague).
Given the LV emblem tattooed on his right cheek, it would be reasonable to conclude that Ross’s favorite line is Vuitton menswear, which is now created by his friend and sometimes colleague Pharrell Williams. Ross verifies this. His appreciation for his preferred brands goes beyond surface admiration: Inked around his forehead and head are a Rolex crown, a Maybach insignia, a Miami Heat logo, and a New York Times-style T. The last one is a tribute to his two Times bestsellers, the business book The Perfect Day to Boss Up and the biography Hurricanes. “Rich Forever,” which is also the name of an Instagram account that Ross created in 2012, is inscribed just above his chin and framed by his distinctive beard. It’s also his own objective.
Wearing his own Nova Men jacket and Exclusive Games pants in his 1957 Chevrolet BelairDEVIN CHRISTOPHER
Ross has never revealed his wealth to the public and now refused to do so, although he is well known for being vocal about his expenditures. In a September radio interview, Ross said that he spent $100 million in six months on his private plane, his house on Star Island, and other purchases. How this buying binge fits in with being “rich forever” may seem confusing to an outsider, but Ross maintains that his approach to money management is well-thought-out.
“My sister and mother are the members of my financial management team,” he claims. Naturally, we have our accountants and lawyers, but my sister and mother are the real brains. They are everything to me; they are my eyes. Despite having complete faith in his family, he believes that “you want to be hands-on with everything you’re doing.” Nobody ought to get too large for that. I like those figures; you want to know how much money you’re earning and how much you’re spending. Then, to be clear: “Should I save? Naturally. This is not to imply that he never takes a chance or that he follows his mother’s advice.
Ross’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with 816 emeralds.DEVIN CHRISTOPHER
When Ross paid an estimated $5.8 million for a 45,000-square-foot, 109-room Georgia house that had formerly belonged to boxing legend Evander Holyfield, in 2014, he and his mother became estranged. “What are you doing, Mom?,” my mother said. Five properties are already owned by you. With this, what are you going to do?
The last ten years have seen the realization of his response. Nicknamed the Promise Land, the 235-acre estate is home to horses and buffalo, has a 350,000-gallon swimming pool (among the biggest, if not the largest, private pools in the nation), and was used as the main filming site for the 2021 film Coming 2 America. (The pragmatic Ross even purchased a John Deere tractor and likes to use it on occasion to mow the expansive grass himself.) The yearly Rick Ross Car & Bike Show, which the rapper started in 2022, is also held at the estate. Previous year, regular admission tickets were $325, while VIP tickets, which included the opportunity to “party with the Boss,” cost $2,500. The prospect was undoubtedly alluring to anybody who has seen recordings of Ross having fun in Miami or footage from his appearances at Drai’s nightclub in Las Vegas, where he just renewed the multiyear residency he obtained in 2021. Ross is renowned for his enjoyment of a good time.
Ross declares, “I still love to party more than anything.” Rozay wants to go if the party is awesome and exciting. If this is a hot club, I’d want to attend. We’re heading right to the restaurant if it’s popping.” Ross and pals had dinner at Casadonna, David Grutman’s new Miami hot spot, the night before our interview. “I want the Dover sole, I want the fucking angel-hair pasta with the lobster tucked underneath it, and Rozay wants to come and eat the branzino,” he says. It seems like a fun night was had—in fact, it sounds a lot like the night, more than ten years earlier, that would ultimately turn Ross into Luc Belaire’s face.
Ross in a Louis Vuitton denim jacket, $3,300
“I’m celebrating having the biggest record in the nation at the time, partying up in New York, and DJ Clue and some more people sent over a big basket of black bottles,” he remembers. There was drinking, standing on sofas, and drinking some more. “What was it we were drinking in those black bottles last night when I wake up in the morning? It was incredible. Clue connected Ross to Brett Berish, the CEO of Sovereign Brands, the parent firm of Luc Belaire, who created those iconic beverages and sold Jay-Z the Armand de Brignac Champagne house, also known as the Ace of Spades, the next time Ross was in New York. Since then, Ross has enthusiastically promoted Luc Belaire, helping to fuel the hip-hop community’s and, therefore, the general public’s, appreciation of the French sparkling wine.
Nothing compares to seeing a large lad fit into a Ferrari.
When we go to Ross’s aircraft hangar, the 96-foot-long, shining black G550 that is parked outside is the main attraction. It is embossed with his name in gold, with each S represented as a dollar sign in a striking logo that he designed himself. Inside, the dazzling white floor and shining automobiles reflect sunlight, making for a glare so intense that several members of our team choose to wear sunglasses. Along with a Rolls-Royce, Corvette, Pontiac Firebird, vintage Chevrolet, and a large assortment of arcade games, three Ferraris are arranged in a line.
In his hangar with, from left, a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am, a 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom, a 1957 Chevrolet Belair, and a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. Louis Vuitton jacket, $3,300, and pants, $2,270, both in denim, and Ross’s own Vuitton sneakers.DEVIN CHRISTOPHER
Now sitting in one of his own aircraft’s cream leather seats, Ross quips, “I flew Delta for so long,” hinting that he would need to take a commercial trip once a year in order to maintain his Diamond Medallion status. All kidding aside, Ross is ecstatic with his stylish new wings. About creating the plane to his specifications, he remarks, “We cut no corners.” He selected the elegant wood panels and leather accents for the 16-seater aircraft because “it was just that Rozay vibe.” An oven is his one unassailable characteristic.
He seems happy that he can have freshly prepared meals while in flight, saying, “That was just something that was really important to me.” “Many planes don’t have one, but I was forced to have one.” For extended journeys, there’s a bed in the rear, and the seats are covered with blankets fashioned just for him out of Louis Vuitton cloth. “They take care of that for me, so I just relax and kick back like a boss.” He took his mother and sister for a ride on his very first flight.
The apparent benefit of not having to worry about my mom passing through TSA is that you don’t have to, but in the end, the decision to purchase the jet was based on the estimate that it would make him money in the long term. “It was definitely based on me being able to get more things accomplished when I spoke to some of my counterparts, some guys that I’m in business with,” he clarifies, which is important when you’re trying to quadruple your fortune, as Ross claims he is.
I adore those figures; you want to know how much money you’re earning and how much you’re spending.
The foundation of the mogul’s present hoard of upscale items is his first significant acquisition, a $4,500 Geneva watch that he bought in his late teens. He claims to have purchased the watch, which he characterizes as a Rolex impostor with a “sprinkle” of diamonds, at the 183rd Street Flea Market. “My jeweler, Morgan, was the one from whom I bought it. Ross recalls, “He let me work my layaway plan and showed me a lot of love.” He claims that at the time, a Geneva watch was “honorable” in Carol City and signified distinction. “I knew my Geneva watch was on and popping as soon as I got it.”
Ross’s prized watches include, clockwise from top left: a Patek Philippe diamond- pavé Nautilus, a diamond-encrusted Hublot Big Bang that was a gift from Dr. Dre, a diamond Rolex “Presidential” Day- Date, a yellow-gold Rolex “Presidential” Day-Date, a white-gold Rolex “Presidential” Day-Date with mint-green dial, a Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton with baguette diamonds, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with diamonds, a yellow-gold Rolex Sky-Dweller.DEVIN CHRISTOPHER