2022 Impact 50: Wassim ‘Sal’ Slaiby

Founder
Salxco

After Kanye West pulled out of Coachella at the last minute, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby managed to save the day with a last-minute headline performance from two of his artists, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd. Swedish House Mafia played the first half of the set, with The Weeknd joining the stage to show off their numerous collaborations, including “Moth To A Flame,” “Sacrifice,” and “How Do I Make You Love Me?” Prior to the two’s set, another SALXCO artist, Doja Cat, had also taken to the main stage.

“Owning Coachella on both Sunday nights this year was a major accomplishment for our company,” Slaiby says. “Doja Cat’s outstanding performance on Sunday and then Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd closing the night was massive.”

With his roster, Slaiby is set to have an explosive year. The Weeknd followed up his critically-acclaimed 2020 album, After Hours, with the second part of a promised trilogy, Dawn FM. The singer then announced that he would embark on a stadium tour in 2022 along with Doja Cat. Additionally, The Weeknd’s single “Blinding Lights” has been named the biggest song of all time on Billboard.

Slaiby’s journey to becoming a disruptor in the music industry was a long one. He fled from war-torn Lebanon at the age of 16 with just $9,000 in a satchel. 

 After saying goodbye to his mother for what both thought may be the last time, Slaiby made his way to Canada in search of refuge. While sleeping on the sidewalks of Montreal, he found his purpose in management when hearing a rapper performing on the street. 

“Looking back at everything and my life, I built everything from nothing just like [my father] did,” he says. “That is something I’m extremely proud of. I feel like I followed in his footsteps unintentionally.”

As his empire continues to grow, 2022 promises no signs of slowing down for Slaiby and the rest of SALXCO. Rather, taking over Day 3 of Coachella had just been the beginning.