Chance the Rapper's Ex-Manager Faces $1.5 Million Forfeiture After Court Ruling

Chance the Rapper has won another court ruling against his former manager, Pat Corcoran, who must surrender undisclosed commissions collected from the rapper's merchandise vendors and forfeit management fees that could total $1.5 million. Cook County Circuit Court Judge James E. Hanlon Jr. ruled October 13, 2026, that Corcoran breached his fiduciary duty by profiting from transactions he was supposed to oversee on the artist's behalf.

The decision resolves the final outstanding liability claim in a nearly six-year legal dispute between Corcoran and the Chicago rapper, whose legal name is Chancelor Bennett. Although the judge ordered the former manager to give up certain compensation, the amount owed has yet to be determined and could include additional payments received from merchandise vendors.

Corcoran managed Bennett's career from 2012 until their relationship ended in 2020. He subsequently sued the rapper for approximately $3.8 million in unpaid commissions and royalties, arguing that their verbal agreement entitled him to compensation even after his dismissal. Bennett disputed that arrangement and filed counterclaims alleging breach of contract, tortious interference, and breach of fiduciary duty.

In March 2026, a Cook County jury rejected Corcoran's claims and awarded Bennett $35 in nominal damages on his counterclaims. The remaining fiduciary duty issue was reserved for Hanlon, who considered evidence from the jury trial and a subsequent proceeding in May before issuing his 28-page ruling.

At the center of the decision were payments Corcoran's merchandise company received from vendors supplying products to Bennett. Hanlon found that the manager collected undisclosed commissions on purchases made with the rapper's money while also receiving management compensation for overseeing those transactions. The arrangement allowed Corcoran to profit from both sides of the business dealings without adequately disclosing his financial interests.

As Bennett's manager and agent, Corcoran owed him fiduciary duties of loyalty and disclosure, which prohibit secretly profiting from transactions handled on a client's behalf. Hanlon concluded that the merchandise arrangements breached those obligations because Corcoran was negotiating with vendors for Bennett while receiving payments from the same businesses.

The judge ordered Corcoran to surrender the vendor commissions and forfeit the 15 percent management fees attributable to merchandising during the relevant period, including compensation paid through entities he controlled. The remedy requires Corcoran to give up profits and fees connected to his misconduct, rather than merely compensate Bennett for financial losses he can establish.

Bennett's representatives estimate that the forfeited management fees could reach $1.5 million, with the vendor payments potentially increasing the amount. Hanlon has not fixed the final sum, and the parties have been given an opportunity to agree on the calculation before further court proceedings.

The ruling also addressed allegations involving Corcoran's outside business interests, including UnitedMasters, the Ramova Theatre and We Are the Times. Hanlon distinguished the manager's obligations when acting on Bennett's behalf from his freedom to pursue independent investments. Although the court identified additional fiduciary concerns, it declined to extend the merchandise-related financial remedies to ventures that fell outside Corcoran's management responsibilities.

Bennett also failed to secure punitive damages or the return of all compensation paid to Corcoran during their working relationship. The former manager earned more than $10 million over those years, but Hanlon determined that stripping him of the entire amount would also penalize legitimate services that benefited the rapper.

Corcoran's representatives characterized the decision as a partial victory, emphasizing that the court rejected Bennett's effort to recover more than $10 million. They maintained that Corcoran performed years of valuable work and disputed the extent of the financial harm attributed to the merchandise arrangements.

Beyond the monetary relief, Hanlon ordered Corcoran and his company, Pat the Manager LLC, to transfer ownership of ChanceRaps.com to Bennett within 14 days. Corcoran had registered the domain in his own name in 2013 and retained control of it throughout the litigation, despite its connection to the rapper's branding and merchandise business.

The parties are scheduled to return to court November 30, 2026, if they cannot agree on the amount Corcoran must surrender. The remaining proceedings will determine the financial consequences of the fiduciary duty ruling rather than revisit the underlying finding that he breached his obligations to Bennett.