'Alter Ego': Inside will.i.am net worth and how his ADHD helped his creativity
With virtual reality now a part of our lives, our online avatars are just as important as your real-life persona. For the perfect mix of talent and digital prowess, get ready for Fox's new reality competition, 'Alter Ego'! As per the show's synopsis -- "A singing competition where contestants reinvent themselves and perform like never before -- as their dream avatar."
With Alanis Morissette, Nick Lachey, Grimes and will.i.am as the judges, contestants will take on digital avatars while showcasing their singing talents! Of course, it comes as no surprise that will.i.am is a part of the judges' panel, seeing that he has a long-standing history regarding his deep passion for tech!
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Who is will.i.am?
William James Adams Jr., known popularly by his stage name, will.i.am, is a rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and the founding member of the pop group, Black Eyed Peas. He was born on March 15, 1975 in Eastside Los Angeles, California. He was raised by his mother, Debra and never met his father, William Adams Sr. His mother encouraged him to pursue music and even sent him to public schools in West Los Angeles to encourage him to do the same. While in high school, he met Allan Pineda, who would go on to become a fellow member of Black Eyed Peas with Adams.
Adams' ADHD helped him creatively.
As reported by MTV, the artist has ADHD. However, he never let it stop him. If anything, he used it as a source of his creativity. "For every obstacle there's some type of solution. So if you have ADHD it's your passion point." he explained in an interview.
"One thing I learned about ADHD is that it's hard to keep your attention and you can't sit still and you're always moving and thinking about a whole bunch of things." he added.
"But those traits work well for me in studios and in meetings about creative ideas. I've figured out a place for it. If you listen to the songs I write, they are the most ADHD songs ever. They have five hooks in one and it all happens in three minutes. I figured out a way of working with it." he said, breaking down his creative process.
"Music is my therapy and my straitjacket. Music keeps me sane and keeps my mind on something. It's fragile up there" he stated.
His net worth
As reported by Celebrity Net Worth, Adams has a net worth of a whopping $70 million. Apart from music, he does have multiple other ventures that has led to such a massive net worth.
He's acted in movies such as 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', 'Date Night' and even voiced the character Moto Moto in 'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa' and was a part of 'Rio' and 'Rio 2'. He's also been a judge on 'The Voice', the UK and Australian versions.
He has also been an ardent supporter of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) an international youth organization that operates the FIRST Robotics Competition and other competitions. In 2011, Intel named him as the director of creative innovation. He was also the first artist to stream a song from the surface of Mars in 2012 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, making inter-planetary music history.
In 2016, he acquired the Tel Aviv machine-learning technology start-up Sensiya. The following year, he was made chief creative officer of 3D Systems, a company that engineers and sells 3D printers, 3D printing materials, and 3D scanners. In 2017, he even won an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding contribution to the field of engineering by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Catch 'Alter Ego's special two-night premiere on Wednesday, September 22 and Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 9/8c only on FOX.