Steve Aoki Net Worth

What is Steve Aoki's Net Worth?

Steve Aoki is an American electro-house musician, entertainer, DJ, Grammy-nominated record producer, and music executive who has a net worth of $120 million. Steve Aoki grew up in a household far removed from his father, Rocky Aoki's Benihana empire. He pursued his own passions in music, founding the indie record label Dim Mak in 1996 while still a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Through Dim Mak, Aoki first gained attention for releasing records by up-and-coming acts like Bloc Party, The Kills, and eventually The Chainsmokers, helping shape the indie and electronic scenes of the 2000s.

As a DJ, Aoki built his reputation on marathon sets filled with crowd interaction and stunts — most famously "caking" fans by throwing full sheet cakes into the audience. His energetic performances, which often included inflatable rafts, champagne sprays, and stage diving, set him apart in the EDM boom of the 2010s. Musically, he released a string of popular albums and collaborations with some of the biggest names in pop and hip hop, including Linkin Park, Kid Cudi, LMFAO, Iggy Azalea, and will.i.am. His 2012 album "Wonderland" earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album.

Aoki has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid DJs, performing hundreds of shows a year and headlining major festivals like Tomorrowland, Coachella, and Ultra. Beyond music, he has expanded into fashion, philanthropy through the Steve Aoki Foundation, and even appeared in films and on television. His 2016 Netflix documentary "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" offered an intimate look at his relentless work ethic and family background.

Early Life

Steven Hiroyuki Aoki was born on November 30, 1977, in Miami, Florida, to Rocky Aoki and Chizuru Kobayashi. When Aoki was a child, his family relocated to Newport Beach, California. His father is a former Japanese wrestler who founded the restaurant chain Benihana. He has two older siblings, sister Kana, and brother Kevin, as well as half-sister Devon Aoki. Steve Aoki graduated from Newport Harbor High School in 1995. Aoki went to college at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with two BA degrees, one in Feminist Studies and the other in Sociology. In college, he ran underground concerts out of the Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative, where he lived at the time.

Career

Steve Aoki built his career on relentless touring and high-energy performances that turned him into one of the most recognizable DJs in the world. In his early years he established a cult following on college campuses, performing night after night and developing the wild stage presence that would become his trademark. Even as his fame grew, Aoki continued to keep a punishing schedule, performing as many as 250 shows a year. During his Deadmeat Tour in 2012, he headlined more than 55 cities across the U.S. and Canada in just 60 days.

Aoki founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996, naming it after a Bruce Lee martial arts concept in tribute to his childhood hero. Through Dim Mak he released early work from acts like Bloc Party and The Chainsmokers, while also building his own profile as a DJ and club promoter. Known for his ability to blend genres, Aoki has remixed everyone from Drake and Eminem to The Killers, Lenny Kravitz, Snoop Dogg, and even the Jackson 5.

His debut album "Wonderland" (2012) earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album, followed by his futuristic "Neon Future" series: "Neon Future I" (2014), "Neon Future II" (2015), "Neon Future III" (2018), and "Neon Future IV" (2020). Along the way he collaborated with some of the biggest names in pop and rock, including Linkin Park on the hit single "A Light That Never Comes," the Backstreet Boys on "Let It Be Me," and artists ranging from Kid Cudi to Iggy Azalea. His 2017 project "Steve Aoki Presents Kolony" leaned heavily into hip hop, bringing in features from Migos, Lil Yachty, and 2 Chainz.

Outside of music, Aoki has turned Dim Mak into a full lifestyle brand, launching his own fashion line, The Dim Mak Collection. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he also created "The Neon Future Dinner Series" on YouTube, a virtual talk show where he connected with guests like Lisa Ling, Henry Golding, Tony Hawk, Shaun White, T-Pain, and will.i.am. Designed to keep him engaged with peers and fans during lockdowns, the series underscored Aoki's ability to stay relevant across platforms and connect with audiences beyond the club scene.

Benihana Estate Battle

After the death of his father, Benihana founder Rocky Aoki, Steve became entangled in a long-running family feud over the fortune Rocky left behind. In 1998, Rocky had placed his shares of Benihana of Tokyo — which controlled the chain's overseas franchises and the lucrative Honolulu restaurant — into a trust worth an estimated $50 million. Following Rocky's marriage to his third wife, Keiko Ono Aoki, conflicts erupted between her and his six surviving children.

Rocky disinherited four of his kids before his death in 2008, leaving Steve and his sister Devon as the only heirs. Under the terms of the trust, however, neither could access the money until turning 45, with Keiko serving as trustee in the meantime. Steve and Devon accused Keiko of mismanaging the assets and fought to have her removed, while she defended her stewardship.

In 2016, New York's Court of Appeals ruled that the trust ultimately belonged to Steve and Devon. Steve gained access to his share in 2022 upon reaching the required age, while Devon's portion will remain locked until 2028. The battle, though protracted, confirmed Steve's role as an heir to his father's complex legacy.

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Personal Life

In 2015, Steve Aoki married his long-time girlfriend, Tiernan Cowling, in Hawaii. She is Australian. They were engaged for five years.

Aoki is a gamer. In 2020, it was announced that he was taking part in the Warzone Royal Ruckus, a charity tournament of the best gamers, athletes, musicians, and influencers playing Call of Duty in support of the Equal Justice Initiative. The organization is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. More than 100 pro gamers and celebs came together to compete in Call of Duty: Warzone Royal Ruckus two-day charity tournament on June 11 and 12, 2020.

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Philanthropy

The Aoki Foundation helps fund research on the brain, specifically with a focus on regenerative medicine and brain preservation. Aoki's foundation also supports disaster relief, animal rights, and people with developmental disabilities.

During Aoki's 2013 North American tour, he donated a dollar of every ticket sale to four charities: the Brain Preservation Foundation, the University of Rochester Medical Center – Memory Care Program, the American Brain Foundation, and Infusio. His fans were asked to vote for their favorite charity. The Brain Preservation Foundation won and received $33,000 of the $65,000 Aoki raised from ticket sales.

Real Estate

Steve Aoki and his wife live in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nevada. The 16,000-square-foot home sits on a 40,000-square-foot lot and was built in 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis and real estate market meltdown. It was on the market for $12 million for years. The property went up for auction in 2014, and Aoki picked it up for less than $3 million—the only catch was he had to pay all cash. Aoki spent years and millions of dollars to convert the property into the technologically savvy and modernist space of his dreams, which he calls Aoki's Playhouse.

Art Collection

Aoki owns an impressive art collection. His collection includes pieces by Damien Hirst and Banksy.

Investments

Steve Aoki is an investor in a number of private companies, including clothing company Vision Street Wear, e-sports team Rogue, Uber, and SpaceX.

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