He’s built an empire and was just named Forbes’ richest celebrity with a staggering net worth of $820 million, but that isn’t Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs‘ greatest accomplishment.
“That doesn’t matter to me,” the music mogul, 47, tells PEOPLE exclusively about his latest accolade. “I don’t care about the Forbes list. I care about being a great dad.”
After a full day of cracking jokes with his six kids — sons Quincy Brown, 26, Justin, 23, Christian, 19, twin girls D’Lila Star and Jessie James, and daughter Chance, all 10 — at his $39 million Holmby Hills estate during a PEOPLE photo shoot, the star opened up about hitting his stride as a loving father.
“I got three girls, three boys, and they’re really kind, great people,” says Combs, who charts his rise in the industry in his new documentary, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story (produced by Live Nation and available now on Apple Music). “They got a lot of love in their heart. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
The never-married Combs gives his children’s mothers most of the credit, though. “I’ve been truly blessed to have some great, incredible relationships that have afforded me these children by these very strong, intelligent, beautiful black women,” he says about his exes Misa Hylton-Brim, Kimberly Porter and Sarah Chapman. “The mothers of my children my best friends. My hat goes off to them.”
For much more on Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs’ life as a dad and his plans for the future, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
While he’s still figuring out his next steps professionally, one thing Combs does know is that he wants to spend even more quality time with his family.
“I’m just trying to play catch-up from all the times I was on tour and on the road and doing different things,” says Combs, who launched Bad Boy Records in 1993 and has lucrative partnerships in fashion, media and the liquor trade. “I’m still working and we still deal with the issues of just not spending as much time as maybe I should.”
His kids, however, say they’ve always felt their father’s presence in their lives and are grateful for his support.
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“He’s always motivating me and pushing me to be great,” says Justin, who recently graduated from UCLA and plans to attend business school in hopes of taking over the family business one day. “ my dad and also my best friend at the same time.”
Echoes Christian, who’s taking after his dad in the music industry: “He is the boss of what I do in terms of making music. He oversees everything, he’s the leader. We have a close relationship.”
According to Combs’ oldest son Quincy (whom he adopted at 3 years old), his dad is also “a friend, a teacher and a therapist.” The Star actor — whose biological father is Al B. Sure! — has learned to turn criticism into “fuel” as he navigates his way through Hollywood thanks to Combs.
“The biggest lesson my father has taught me is to really not focus on that ‘No,'” says Quincy. “That ‘No’ actually is your gas to your car that’s supposed to fuel you into fighting through.”