Kanye West Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Kanye West’s net worth: What is it?

Kanye West, an American producer, rapper, fashion designer, and entrepreneur, has a net worth of $400 million. At one point, Kanye was a multi-billionaire, ranking among the three wealthiest self-made black individuals in US history. His rise to fame began with the release of his 2004 album The College Dropout. Currently, he stands as one of the most awarded and successful musicians globally, with 24 Grammy awards to his name from 75 nominations. In recent years, he has shifted his focus from music to business, generating at least $100 million annually from various ventures. Most of his income arises from royalties and profits linked to his Yeezy brand and his collaboration with Adidas. However, his candid opinions and controversies have led to the loss of several sponsors and partnerships in recent years.

Kanye fully owns the Yeezy apparel line, having earned a royalty from every dollar of Adidas revenue during their collaboration. The Yeezy brand produced $2 billion in annual revenue and $250 million in profit for Adidas. When their partnership was at its height, the Yeezy brand was valued between $4 and $5 billion independently.

A UBS valuation conducted in March 2021 suggested that Yeezy could contribute $3-4 billion to Kanye’s net worth. Additionally, it was reported that his previous deal with The Gap had added around $1 billion to West’s overall net worth.

In mid-2021, when evaluating Kanye West’s net worth, we considered these assets and liabilities:

Assets:

• Real estate assets amounting to $120 million
• Music catalog, including G.O.O.D Music, estimated at $80 million
• The Yeezy.com website valued at $100 million
• Valuation of the Yeezy brand at $5 billion
• Gap partnership valued at $1 billion
• Cash, equities, and additional assets totaling $400 million

Total assets = $6.7 billion

Liabilities and other considerations = $100 million

Net Worth = $6.6 billion

Career Beginnings and Early Life

Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. After his parents divorced when he was three years old, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois, with his mother. It was in Chicago that he began to explore music, thanks to producer/DJ No I.D., who became his mentor. Kanye received a scholarship

Initially planning to attend the American Academy of Art in 1997, West later transferred to Chicago State University to focus on English studies. Ultimately, he dropped out at the age of 20 to chase his music aspirations.

Once he left college, West started creating beats for local musicians as he developed his unique style. His first notable production credits were on Chicago rapper Grave’s debut album, Down to Earth, in 1996. During this early phase, he also produced tracks for artists such as Foxy Brown, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, and Harlem World.

Rise to Fame and Music Career

In 2000, West’s career took a significant turn when he became a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, collaborating with artists like Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. His contributions to Jay-Z’s 2001 album, The Blueprint, sparked considerable interest in West’s production capabilities. The roster of artists he worked with during this time includes heavyweights such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson.

While achieving success as a producer, West’s primary dream was to become a rapper. In 2001, he successfully persuaded the head of Capitol Records to allow him to sign with Roc-A-Fella Records, having previously been turned down for a contract with Capitol.

Inspired by a serious car accident in October 2002 that resulted in a shattered jaw, West recorded the song Through the Wire with his jaw still wired shut. This song helped lay the groundwork for his debut album, The College Dropout, which was leaked months before its planned release in August 2003. West took this opportunity to remix, remaster, and edit the album, causing it to be postponed three times. Ultimately, The College Dropout was released in February 2004, receiving widespread critical acclaim, earning him 10 Grammy Award nominations, and eventually achieving triple platinum certification in the US.

As he embarked on creating his second album, West invested two million dollars into production, even enlisting a live string orchestra. Late Registration debuted in August 2005 and sold over 2.3 million copies in the United States by year’s end. His subsequent albums include Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), the collaborative album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne (2011), Yeezus (2013), The Life of Pablo (2016), Ye (2018), the collaboration with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts (2018), Jesus is King (2019), and Donda (2021).

In 2013, West released the album Yeezus, which topped the Billboard 200 chart as well as the US R&B and US Rap charts, in addition to reaching the #1 spot in four other countries. His 2016 album, The Life of Pablo, also reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the US Rap and US R&B charts. The single “FourFiveSeconds” (featuring Rihanna and Paul McCartney) hit #1 on the US R&B chart. In 2017, he received six Grammy Award nominations. The following album, Ye, came out in June 2018 but marked the first time in Kanye’s career that an album did not achieve platinum status.

Besides his solo albums and projects, West has maintained his role as a producer and featured artist for various musicians, including 6ix9ine, XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, Chance the Rapper, Kid Cudi, and Teyana Taylor. He has also been involved in music-related initiatives such as his weekly “Sunday Service” orchestration with the Sunday Service Choir, a performance tradition that started in January 2019. Additionally, he worked alongside 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

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Yeezy

Fashion has long been a passion for West, who made history as the first non-athlete to partner with Nike for a shoe deal, launching the Air Yeezys sneaker in 2009. Footwear collaborations followed with prestigious brands such as Louis Vuitton, Bape, and Giuseppe Zanotti. Furthermore, he presented two clothing collections at Paris Fashion Week during 2011 and 2012.

In December 2013, the official announcement of a new shoe collaboration deal with Adidas was made by West. The Yeezy Boost 750 sneaker debuted on February 14, 2015, exclusively available through the Adidas mobile app for customers in New York City, selling out in just 10 minutes. By December 2017, a total of 19 colorways and six designs had been launched through the Adidas and Yeezy partnership. West also introduced Season 1 of his Yeezy clothing line with Adidas in 2015, followed by Season 2 later that year and Season 3 in February 2016.

After the early successes, Adidas secured a long-term contract with West in June 2016. He generally receives a 10% royalty on net revenues generated by Adidas. His royalty for merchandise sold directly through his website, YeezySupply.com, is significantly higher than that from Adidas.com. Overall, his average royalty rate is approximately 10%.

As of now, it is important to mention that Kanye wholly owns the Yeezy apparel line.

G.O.O.D Music

In 2004, Kanye launched the G.O.O.D Music record label and production company in partnership with Sony BMG. The acronym “G.O.O.D” stands for “getting out our dreams.” The label boasts talents such as West himself, John Legend, Common, Big Sean, Pusha T, Q-Tip, Kacy Hill, and Teyana Taylor.

Other Assets and Philanthropy

Kanye is also the owner of KW Foods LLC., which holds the rights to the Fatburger fast-food franchise in Chicago. In January 2012, he announced the founding of DONDA, a creative content company named in honor of his late mother, Donda West. Moreover, he co-owns the music streaming platform Tidal alongside other artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, and Nicki Minaj, most of whom share a 3% equity stake.

His philanthropic efforts are represented by the Kanye West Foundation, which aims to enhance educational opportunities for African American and Latino children, in addition to his contributions of time, talent, and funding to initiatives like Hurricane Katrina relief, World Water Day, and Live Earth, among others. Following the murder of George Floyd in June 2020, Kanye donated $2 million split among the Floyd family and other victims of police brutality, including Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

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