Abel Tesfaye, known worldwide as The Weeknd, is reportedly in early talks to secure a staggering US$1 billion financing deal using his music catalogue as collateral. The negotiations are said to be taking place with New York private equity firm Lyric Capital Group, positioning Tesfaye for what could become one of the largest music-rights backed financing arrangements ever for a single artist.
The structure of the deal would see Tesfaye keep ownership of his publishing and master recordings while leveraging them to raise capital. Unlike many legacy artists who have sold their catalogues outright, The Weeknd’s approach suggests he is seeking to unlock liquidity without giving up creative control. It’s a model that looks more like a refinancing than a sale, allowing him to continue steering his musical empire while building new ventures outside of the studio.
If finalised, the arrangement could put him in a league of his own, demonstrating how modern stars can fund expansive projects without sacrificing the rights that underpin their legacies.
The discussions around his music are unfolding at the same time Tesfaye has been openly questioning the future of his stage persona. For years he has hinted that The Weeknd may not last forever, with his recent film project Hurry Up Tomorrow billed as possibly his final work under the name.
He has admitted to fans and the press that he is “getting there” in the process of retiring The Weeknd moniker, though his ongoing tour commitments have delayed any final decision.
He has also confessed that fame itself has always felt “weird” to him, suggesting that while his work deserves recognition, the cult of celebrity was never a natural fit.
This shift away from his globally recognised brand underscores why a billion-dollar capital injection could be so significant—it would give Tesfaye the financial firepower to reinvent himself creatively without being dependent on the commercial success of future albums released under The Weeknd name.
The billion-dollar catalogue play is just the latest in a string of carefully orchestrated business moves that show Tesfaye is thinking far beyond music.
In fashion and branding, he has fronted major campaigns for Puma, H&M and Alexander Wang, while also forging partnerships with lifestyle and tech companies. In 2021, he became a shareholder in OverActive Media, which owns esports franchises such as Toronto Defiant, further broadening his influence into gaming and digital culture.
Tesfaye has been a visible supporter of creative communities, particularly through his involvement in Black HXOUSE, an incubator designed to support Black Canadian entrepreneurs. He has also entered the world of digital assets, joining Tom Brady’s NFT platform Autograph as a board member and experimenting with his own NFT music and art projects.
Most recently, he launched his own coffee brand, Samra Origins, inspired by his Ethiopian heritage, and unveiled collaborations with brands as diverse as Nespresso, Roblox and Paris Saint-Germain FC. Each step reflects not just celebrity endorsement, but a clear strategy to turn his personal brand into a diversified global enterprise.
Tesfaye has also proven increasingly comfortable behind and in front of the camera. His acting debut came with a cameo in Uncut Gems in 2019, but he has since taken much larger strides in television and film.
He co-created and starred in HBO’s drama The Idol in 2023, a controversial but high-profile project that underscored his ambition to shape stories as a writer, producer and actor. More recently, his feature film Hurry Up Tomorrow further cemented his move into screen entertainment. He has also written and appeared in episodes of American Dad! and made guest appearances on Saturday Night Live.
For Tesfaye, film and television appear to be more than vanity projects. They are extensions of his creative world, where he can bring his music’s dark, cinematic edge into scripted storytelling.
The decision to leverage his catalogue rather than sell it outright may prove to be one of Tesfaye’s most influential moves. It allows him to maintain control of his body of work while still accessing the type of financial resources normally only available to those who cash out. At just 35, he is far younger than most artists who have opted to sell their life’s work, suggesting he is playing a much longer game.
The timing also lines up with his creative pivot away from The Weeknd persona. With the brand at its commercial peak, securing a billion-dollar deal provides both freedom and insurance. If his next chapter sees him focusing on film, television, fashion or entrepreneurship, he will have the financial muscle to do it on his own terms.
Abel Tesfaye is not just making music, he’s rewriting the rules for how artists can finance their futures. A billion-dollar catalogue financing deal would not only shatter records, it would set a new precedent for how creative control and financial security can coexist.
By retaining ownership while leveraging value, Tesfaye is positioning himself as one of the savviest artist-entrepreneurs of his generation. Whether he continues as The Weeknd or reinvents himself under a new identity, one thing is certain: his next moves will be watched as closely in boardrooms as they are on stage.
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