Hakeem Lyon Actor Bryshere Y. Gray
Hakeem Lyon actor Bryshere Y. Gray earned $3 million from Empire on FOX. Here is how he spent it, and why he is now in Nairobi, Kenya starting over.
When Empire first aired on FOX in 2015, Bryshere Y. Gray became an overnight sensation. His portrayal of Hakeem Lyon, the youngest, most flamboyant son of hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon. Captivated millions across six electrifying seasons. But while the character Hakeem Lyon was busy building a rap empire on screen, the real-life actor behind the role was navigating a very different financial story off it.
Now 32 years old, Bryshere Y. Gray is in Nairobi, Kenya! In a candid sit-down with media personality Oga Obinna, he opened up about how he earned, spent, and ultimately outlived a $3 million payday that many entertainers would have turned into generational wealth.
Who Is Hakeem Lyon in Real Life?
For anyone wondering who Hakeem Lyon is in real life, the answer is Bryshere Yazuan Gray, born November 28, 1993, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Professionally known by his stage name Yazz the Greatest, Gray landed the role of Hakeem Lyon on Empire at just 22 years old, starring alongside Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard. It remains his most defining role. Hakeem Lyon’s real name in the series was simply Hakeem Lyon, the youngest of three brothers including Andre and Jamal, and the favorite son of Cookie Lyon.
Gray has since appeared in The New Edition Story (2017), Canal Street (2019), and Honey: Rise Up and Dance (2018), making those among the notable Hakeem Lyon movies and television credits beyond Empire. His Instagram handle @yazzthegreatest, where he commands over 5.5 million followers, remains his most active public platform alongside his presence on X (formerly Twitter).
Breaking Down the $3 Million
Gray confirmed in the Oga Obinna interview that his earnings from Empire totaled $3 million. His breakdown was direct and disarming.
The single largest expenditure was a home in Arizona, purchased for $1 million in cash. Next came a Rolls-Royce at $200,000 also cash, followed by a Mercedes-AMG at $60,000, a used Corvette at $20,000, and a Camaro at roughly $20,000. Vehicle spending alone reached approximately $300,000.
He also took care of his family in meaningful ways. His mother used his financial support to purchase a five-bedroom house in Delaware, where she recently settled. His grandmother relocated to a new mansion with a pool in Tampa, Florida. A move she had long delayed despite Gray’s earlier support. His sister, he noted, was still next on the list.
By his own account, Gray saved close to half of the $3 million, roughly $600,000. An achievement many entertainment earners never reach.
The Financial Lessons Nobody Told Him
What Gray’s story illustrates with uncomfortable clarity is how fast entertainment money moves when there is no structured investment strategy behind it.
A $1 million primary residence in Arizona generates no income. Three cars depreciating simultaneously consume capital silently. Living costs in the United States, as Gray himself acknowledged, are relentless. Legal challenges that followed his post-Empire years, including multiple arrests and probation issues between 2019 and 2025. The most recent assault charge in Chesapeake, Virginia in 2025, which was ultimately dismissed. Almost certainly drained the remaining savings through legal fees and lost earning opportunities.
The wealth was real. The plan to grow it was not.
Had Gray invested even $500,000 across instruments like Nasdaq-listed ETFs, income-generating rental property, or even Kenya’s tax-free infrastructure bonds offering 14 to 15 percent annual returns, his financial position today would look dramatically different.
Hakeem Lyon Is Now in Kenya and Staying
Here is where the story takes a genuinely compelling turn. Bryshere Y. Gray is currently in Nairobi, Kenya, and in the Oga Obinna interview he declared he is staying “forever.” He has been spotted at venues including Garden Square by Ashaki and has embraced the city’s nightlife and creative scene with visible enthusiasm.
He has also been active in the studio. His Instagram recently showed him working at Canvass Records on a Swahili remix of Siaska, captioning it: “Jiandaeni kwa Remix ya Siaska! Big up mwenyewe, nguvu zote! Twendeee!” His new single Bad Guy dropped across major streaming platforms, signaling a genuine musical push, not merely a publicity appearance.
Gray also revealed he is a father of five children, all reportedly around the same age, adding to the personal weight he carries as he rebuilds.
Kenya represents something real for him. A market where his name still carries weight, where the entertainment industry is growing. Especially, where the cost of living allows him to breathe and create without the financial suffocation of American city life.
The Bigger Picture
Bryshere Y. Gray is 32. Hakeem Lyon will always be part of his identity, the character who introduced him to the world. But the man behind the role is now writing a second chapter, far from Hollywood, in a country that is receiving him with open arms.
Whether Kenya becomes a genuine fresh start or a temporary refuge depends entirely on what he builds here. The financial lessons from Empire’s $3 million are already written. The next chapter is still being recorded.
