- Wealth: $400 Million
- Born: Jun 8, 1977 (47 years old)
- Birthplace: Atlanta
- Sex: Male
- Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
- Occupation: Record producer, Lyricist, Vocalist, Actor, Movie Producer, Rapper, Entrepreneur, Scriptwriter, Fashion designer, Music Video Director
- Nationality: United States of America
Kanye West Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, fashion designer, and businessman who has an estimated wealth of $400 million. When Kanye was a multi-billionaire, he was among the three wealthiest self-made black individuals in US history. Kanye achieved broad recognition with the launch of his 2004 record The College Dropout. Presently, he is among the most prosperous and recognized artists globally with 24 Grammy victories out of 75 nominations. In recent years, he has shifted his focus from music to the corporate sector, earning a minimum of $100 million annually from his various ventures. The bulk of his income has originated from royalties and other profits associated with his Yeezy brand and collaboration with Adidas. However, his outspoken opinions and controversies have led to the loss of numerous sponsors and business partnerships in recent years.
Kanye possesses complete ownership of the Yeezy clothing line. During his time in partnership with Adidas, he received a percentage of every dollar earned. The Yeezy brand raked in $2 billion in yearly revenue and $250 million in profits for Adidas. At the highest point of his collaboration with Adidas, the estimated value of the Yeezy brand stood at $4 – $5 billion independently.
In March 2021, a UBS evaluation projected that Yeezy would boost Kanye’s net worth by $3-4 billion. The same assessment suggested that Kanye’s previous contract with The Gap contributed $1 billion to his net worth.
When valuing Kanye West’s net worth in mid-2021, we considered the following assets and liabilities:
Assets:
- Real estate assets = $120 million
- Music catalogue including G.O.O.D Music = $80 million
- Yeezy.com website = $100 million
- Yeezy brand’s value = $5 billion
- The Gap partnership’s value = $1 billion
- Cash, equities, and other assets = $400 million
Total assets = $6.7 billion
Liabilities and other considerations = $100 million
Wealth = $6.6 billion
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Beginning of Life and Career
Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. After his parents’ separation when he was three, West relocated with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. There, he started experimenting with music after meeting producer/DJ No I.D., who guided him. In 1997, he received a scholarship to study at the American Academy of Art but switched to Chicago State University to pursue English. Eventually, he abandoned his studies at 20 to chase a music profession.
Post-college dropout, West initiated crafting beats for local musicians while perfecting his style. His initial production acknowledgments were for the maiden album of Chicago rapper Grave, Down to Earth, in 1996. Other artists he created for during that era include Foxy Brown, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, and Harlem World.
Path to Stardom and Musical Journey
In 2000, West experienced a significant breakthrough when he commenced working as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, collaborating with artists like Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. His contribution to Jay-Z’s 2001 album The Blueprint evoked significant interest in his skills as a producer. His production accolades from that era encompass a notable roster of talent, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson.
Despite flourishing as a producer, West aspired primarily to be a rapper. In 2001, he successfully persuaded Capitol Records’ head to sign him to Roc-A-Fella Records after Capitol’s initial rejection.
Following a grave car accident in October 2002 where he sustained a serious jaw injury, West found inspiration and recorded the track Through the Wire with his jaw wired shut. This song laid the groundwork for his debut album, The College Dropout, which was leaked months before its intended release in August 2003. West utilized this period for remixing, enhancements, and adjustments, delaying the album’s launch thrice. Ultimately, The College Dropout hit shelves in February 2004 to widespread acclaim, garnering 10 Grammy nominations and eventually achieving triple platinum status in the US.
While working on his second album, West invested $2 million in production, even hiring a live string orchestra. Late Registration debuted in August 2005, selling over 2.3 million copies in the US by year-end. Subsequent albums include Graduation (2007), 808s& Heartache (2008), My Gorgeous Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), a joint album with Jay-Z Listen to the Throne (2011), Yeezus (2013), The Journey of Pablo (2016), You (2018), a joint album with Kid Cudi Spectators of Ghosts (2018), Christ is King (2019), and Donda (2021).
West unleashed the album Yeezus in 2013. The album achieved the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart as well as on the US R&B and US Rap charts and in four other nations. His album The Journey of Pablo was unveiled in 2016 and hit the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on the US Rap and US R&B charts. West’s track “FourFiveSeconds” (with Rihanna and Paul McCartney) reached #1 on the US R&B chart. In 2017, he was up for six Grammy Awards. His subsequent album, You, emerged in June 2018. Regrettably, You was the primary album in Kanye’s career not to reach platinum status.
Aside from his personal albums and releases, West has persistently continued his work as a producer and showcased artist for other musicians, including 6ix9ine, XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, Chance the Rapper, Kid Cudi, and Teyana Taylor. Other music-related projects he has been involved in include his weekly “Sunday Service” arrangement with the Sunday Service Choir, where they have been delivering performances each Sunday since January 2019. He also collaborated with contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft on two operas, Nebuchadnezzar and Mary.
| Kanye West Earnings By Year: | |
| Year | Earnings |
| 2007 | $17,000,000 |
| 2008 | $30,000,000 |
| 2009 | $25,000,000 |
| 2010 | $12,000,000 |
| 2011 | $16,000,000 |
| 2012 | $35,000,000 |
| 2013 | $20,000,000 |
| 2014 | $30,000,000 |
| 2015 | $22,000,000 |
| 2016 | $18,000,000 |
| 2017 | $22,000,000 |
| 2018 | $90,000,000 |
| 2019 | $100,000,000 |
| 2020 | $200,000,000 |
| 2021 | $100,000,000 |
| 2022 | $100,000,000 |
| Total: | $637,000,000 |
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Yeezy
West has always demonstrated his passion for fashion and was the foremost non-athlete to secure a shoe contract with Nike with his 2009 Air Yeezys sneaker. He has also crafted footwear with Louis Vuitton, Bape, and Giuseppe Zanotti. Furthermore, he introduced two clothing collections at Paris Fashion Week in 2011 and 2012.
In December 2013, Adidas officially declared its new shoe collaboration agreement with West. The Yeezy Boost 750 sneaker in “Light Brown” was initially launched on February 14, 2015, exclusively accessible on the Adidas mobile app to individuals in New York City, and sold out within 10 minutes. By December 2017, a total of 19 shades and six designs had been unveiled in the Adidas and Yeezy sneaker collaboration. In 2015, West revealed Season 1 of his Yeezy clothing line with Adidas. Season 2 swiftly ensued later in the same year, with Season 3 in February 2016.
In light of the success of his early releases, Adidas unveiled a long-term agreement with West in June 2016. On average, Kanye garners a 10% royalty on net revenues from Adidas. He procures a generous royalty for merchandise retailed through his own website, YeezySupply.com, as opposed to Adidas.com. His combined average royalty rate is around 10%.
It’s important to mention that Kanye solely possesses the Yeezy apparel line entirely as of the current moment.
G.O.O.D Music
In 2004, Kanye inaugurated the record label and production company G.O.O.D Music with Sony BMG. “G.O.O.D” stands for “going out of our dreams.” Artists under the label encompass West himself, John Legend, Common, Big Sean, Pusha T, Q-Tip, Kacy Hill, and Teyana Taylor.
Other Holdings and Charitable Work
He also possesses the firm KW Foods LLC., which holds the rights to the Fatburger fast-food franchise in Chicago. In January 2012, West unveiled the establishment of DONDA, a creative content corporation named after his deceased mother, Donda West. Additionally, West is a co-proprietor of the music streaming platform Tidal, along with other music artists such as Jay-Z, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, and Nicki Minaj. Most involved stakeholders hold a 3% equity stake.
His philanthropic initiatives incorporate the Kanye West Foundation, which supports education for African American and Latino children, alongside contributing time, talent, and funds to Hurricane Katrina relief, World Water Day, and Live Earth, among other organizations. In June 2020, following the George Floyd homicide, Kanye donated $2 million divided between the Floyd family and other victims of police brutality, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
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Property Holdings
Kanye West possesses approximately $100 million worth of property in the United States (land, structures, and residences). The ensuing is an overview of his most remarkable real estate acquisitions and transactions.
Throughout their union, Kim/Kanye’s principal abode was an extensive estate in the LA suburb of Hidden Hills, California. This estate encompasses multiple interlinked parcels, with the initial one purchased in 2014 via two distinct transactions amounting to $23 million. The first version of their property featured a recently constructed mansion on 4.5 acres. The couple proceeded to invest millions of dollars over several years in personalized adjustments, reorganizations, and expansions of the residence. In 2019, they extended their estate through two separate transactions for adjacent properties to form a combined 7.5-acre colossal entity. A substantial $28.5 million was allocated to real estate dealings exclusively to establish the Hidden Hills estate. Multimillion amounts were further spent on enhancements. The current evaluated worth of the Hidden Hills estate surpasses $60 million. In September 2021, Kim paid Kanye $23 million to officially pass on the property to her name. About $3 million of that sum was intended for the interior contents of the house.
In September 2021, Kanye purchased $57.3 million worth of a seaside property in Malibu. The residence, crafted by Tadao Ando, was constructed in 2013 for a Wall Street magnate named Richard Sachs. Sachs invested seven years in amassing permits and finalizing the construction. The finished dwelling spans 4,000 square feet and comprises 1,200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel, and 12 pylons driven 60 feet into the sand. Sachs listed the property for sale in 2020 for $75 million. Kanye did not relocate to the home. He placed it on the market in December 2023 for $53 million. According to the listing agent, prospective buyers must allocate “several million dollars” to render the residence habitable post Kanye’s uncompleted construction projects. Here is a visual tour of the Malibu mansion via drone:
Additional real estate possessions encompass:
- An expanse of 320 acres on Stokes Canyon Road in Calabasas appraised at $16 million. This location hosted his Sunday Services and where he endeavored to erect a sequence of domed structures before being barred by the LA County Building Commission due to licensing problems.
- A ranch stretching over 6,700 acres known as Bighorn Mountain Ranch in Wyoming – $15 million
- A commercial site costing $2 million in Cody, Wyoming
- Kanye West also maintains ownership of his early home in Chicago and completed its restoration in 2023.
In late 2019, Kanye disbursed $14 million to acquire an extra ranch in Wyoming named Monster Lake Ranch. He liquidated this ranch in June 2024.
Private Affairs
West engaged in a sporadic relationship with designer Alexis Phifer from 2002 to 2008. He associated with model Amber Rose from 2008 to 2010. In April 2012, he commenced a relationship with reality star Kim Kardashian. They wed in May 2014. Together, the duo has four offspring. They officially separated in 2022. For a short period in 2022, Kanye was involved with actress/model Julia Fox.
In January 2023, it surfaced that Kanye and Australian architect Bianca Censori were informally united in matrimony through a private event in Beverly Hills.
In October 2021, Kanye obtained approval to change his official name to “Ye.”
Kanye West Financial Status in 2019
Outlined below is the computation employed to evaluate Kanye West’s 2019 financial worth of $600 million:
Assets:
- Property assets = $120 million
- Song collection plus G.O.O.D Music = $80 million
- Valuation of the Yeezy brand = $500 million
- Other possessions = $20 million
Total assets = $720 million
Liabilities and other assessments = $100 million
2019 Net Worth = $600 million (with an estimated $20 million discrepancy)
Stats are from 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035, 2036, 2037, 2038, 2039, 2040, 2041, 2042, 2043, 2044, 2045, 2046, 2047, 2048, 2049, 2050.