It’s no secret Kanye West is rolling in dough — but exactly how much? The rapper’s net worth is a staggering $6.6 billion, according to Bloomberg. So, how does the Chicago native accumulate so much cash year after year? Between his music career and his foray into the fashion and business worlds, here’s a breakdown.
Kanye Is, First and Foremost, a Rapper
The entrepreneur first came onto the music scene in the late ’90s, creating beats for other artists. He started his career as a rapper in 2004 with his debut album, The College Dropout. He has since released nine more studio albums: Late Registration, Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne (with legend Jay-Z), Yeezus, The Life of Pablo, Ye and his gospel album, Jesus Is King.
Kanye Has His Own Record Label
G.O.O.D. Music, founded by Kanye in 2004, has released music by Big Sean, Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Common, John Legend and Kid Cudi, among others. According to Bloomberg, his music catalog, including the offerings from G.O.O.D., is worth at least $110 million.
Kayne Is a Fashion Designer
The musician owns Yeezy, a footwear and high fashion brand, both founded in 2015. To date, he has designed more than a dozen wildly popular sneakers designs for the footwear leg of the company, which is in partnership with Adidas. The first shoe, Yeezy Boost 750 in light brown, sold out in 10 minutes.
He receives about 10 percent royalties on revenue from the brand through Adidas, as “expenses” come out of his cut and the sportswear brand produces, markets and distributes the shoes. He owns the brand in its entirety and receives royalties on the designs.
The “Stronger” artist made another big move in June 2020 when he announced he is teaming up with retailer Gap to create a new clothing line called Yeezy Gap, which will be released in 2021. During the reported 10-year contract, “Gap will pay royalties and potential equity to Yeezy,” the New York Times reported.
Combined, his partnerships with Adidas and Gap are worth between $3.2 billion to $4.7 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Kanye Is a Businessman
Bloomberg claims Kanye has $1.7 billion in additional assets, including a stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian‘s company Skims.
He also owns KW Foods LLC, which owns the Fatburger chain of restaurants in Chicago. He also owns a creative content company named DONDA, for his late mother Donda West. Additionally, the rapper is a shareholder in streaming app TIDAL and his stake is estimated at 3 percent.
Kanye Owns Property and Vehicles
According to Forbes, the star values his properties and their “improvements” at $81 million, with an additional $21 million in land.
In 2014, he and former wife Kim acquired a $23 million mansion in the Hidden Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 2019, they expanded the 4.5-acre property to 7.5 acres. With renovations made over the years, it is worth at least $60 million. However, following their split, the SKKN founder acquired sole ownership of the property. Kanye also owns a 300-acre estate on Stokes Canyon Road in Calabasas where Sunday Services are held.
In Wyoming, Kanye owns several properties: a 6,700-acre ranch called Bighorn Mountain Ranch, a 1,400 acre ranch called The Monster Lake Ranch and a commercial property.
Additionally, his documents claim he owns $3,845,162 in vehicles and $297,050 in livestocks (presumably at his Wyoming ranches).
Kanye Invests — and Keeps Cash Under the Bed
Bloomberg claims the designer has $122 million in cash and stocks, which means Kanye is looking toward his future when it comes to his wealth.
Kanye Has Debt
An unfortunate truth, the “Gold Digger” singer owes various companies $100 million between mortgages, advances and other liabilities.
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