Afrobeats singer Daniel Benson, popularly known as BNXN, has weighed in on the debate over whether musicians or athletes are wealthier, stating that NBA players earn significantly more than most Nigerian artists.
The Finesse crooner shared his views during a recent livestream with streamer Ojo, where he spoke about his interactions with professional basketball players in the United States.
According to BNXN, his personal experience with several NBA players convinced him that the financial gap between top American athletes and many Nigerian musicians is substantial.
“I am friends with a few NBA players. These guys have so much money. Nigerian artists don’t even have as much money as them,” he said.
The singer noted that, aside from footballers, NBA players rank among the highest-earning athletes globally and enjoy financial rewards that most musicians cannot match.
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“NBA players are insanely rich. A player of Jaylen Brown’s calibre has so much money. Afrobeats are not close to athletes in terms of earnings,” BNXN added.
BNXN’s comments have sparked reactions on social media, where fans continued the long-running discussion comparing the wealth of entertainers and professional athletes.
While Nigerian music stars have achieved significant international success through streaming, touring, endorsements and brand partnerships, leading athletes in major American sports leagues often earn tens of millions of dollars annually through salaries, bonuses and commercial deals.
The debate over the relative wealth of musicians and athletes remains a frequent topic among fans, particularly as Afrobeats continues to expand its global influence and produce some of Africa’s most commercially successful artists.