Chance the Rapper wins final claim against ex-manager in merch case
Chance the Rapper has won the last remaining claim in his legal fight with former manager Pat Corcoran.
A judge in Chicago ordered Corcoran to hand over commissions he received from vendors supplying Chance's merchandise business and to give up his management fee on that business, with Chance's representatives saying the fee forfeiture could reach USD $1.5 million on top of the vendor payments, Music Business Worldwide reported.
The 28-page ruling was issued on Tuesday 13 October by Cook County Circuit Court Judge James E. Hanlon Jr. He found that Corcoran breached his fiduciary duty, the legal obligation to act in his client's best interests, in connection with the merchandise business.
The court heard that Corcoran was paid twice on the merch. He took a 15% management commission from Chance, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, and he also took separate payments from the vendors Chance was buying from. Chance's team described those vendor payments as "kickbacks".
The judge ordered Corcoran to give up that 15% merch fee for the period covered by the ruling. He also ordered Corcoran and his company, Pat the Manager LLC, to transfer ownership of the ChanceRaps.com domain to Chance within 14 days. Corcoran registered the domain in his own name in 2013 and kept hold of it throughout the litigation.
The judge did not grant everything Chance sought. He rejected Chance's bid for damages designed to punish Corcoran and declined to strip Corcoran of all pay he earned as Chance's manager. The ruling noted Corcoran earned more than USD $10 million across Chance's music, touring and merch businesses over the period covered.
For fans, this means the business dispute that has run alongside the music for almost six years is now legally closed, apart from any appeal.
The case began in November 2020, when Corcoran, through Pat The Manager LLC, sued Chance over unpaid commissions. That claim grew to $3.8 million in unpaid commissions and royalties, Music Business Worldwide reported. Chance countersued, alleging breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, a claim that a manager improperly disrupted future business deals.
On 20 March 2026, a Cook County jury found Corcoran had failed to prove he was owed the $3.8 million, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The jury ordered Corcoran to pay Bennett $35 in damages on the countersuit and recommended he turn over the ChanceRaps.com domain.
The October ruling dealt with the merch issues left for the judge to decide. Billboard reported that Chance won that second trial, securing a financial judgment that may total $1.5 million.
