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Part 3: Berner Spent $20M on Lawyers to Fight "Cookies" Hostile Takeover While Battling Cancer
Part 1: Berner on How He Flipped His Mom's $19K Inheritance into $1M a Year Business
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In a candid interview, rapper and entrepreneur Berner revealed how he avoided meeting with Diddy for nearly a year due to intimidation by the mogul’s powerful presence. Despite Diddy’s repeated attempts to connect, Berner admits he was shy and unsure, dodging calls but eventually agreed to meet out of respect. During their meeting at Diddy’s house, Berner recalls Diddy acting like a “used car salesman,” ultimately asking for 10% equity in Berner’s cannabis brand, Cookies, just to lend his influence.
Berner respected Diddy’s undeniable business acumen—highlighted by his success with Ciroc—but felt the deal’s terms didn’t make sense for his company or legacy. He preferred maintaining control of the brand he built from the ground up, envisioning passing it down to his children. The story sheds light on the tension between preserving entrepreneurial independence and navigating offers from celebrity investors.
