How Kanye West Became a Billionaire (2024)

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How did Kanye West get to be a billionaire? ›

It all started with his fashion deal with Adidas. The partnership was incredibly lucrative for Kanye and helped him amass a fortune over the years. However, his penchant for making controversial comments and stirring up controversy ultimately led to Adidas cutting ties with him.

West's skillful use of accelerated sample-based beats soon made him much in demand as a producer, but when he released his massively successful debut solo album, "The College Dropout" (2004), he also established himself as a popular, critically acclaimed solo artist whose subsequent albums continued to yield hit ...

Key Takeaways. Kanye West has a net worth of $400 million as of May 2023, according to Forbes. West's net worth dropped from $2 billion after Adidas and other companies cut ties with the rapper in 2022 after antisemetic comments and offensive behavior.

Swift's inclusion comes after Forbes declared the singer a billionaire in October 2023 and reported her net worth at $1.1 billion. In a rare feat, Swift is the first musician to reach the milestone solely from songwriting and performing.

Ye had an estimated net worth of $2 billion in 2022, but lost $1.5 billion when Adidas terminated their partnership. He didn't make it to the 2023 billionaires list, but he still has a large net worth – about $400 million, Forbes says – comprised of cash, real estate and the value of his music.

Thus, Jay-Z has retaken the top spot on the list with a personal record $1.5 billion, thanks to his diversified empire, with investments in everything from records to real estate and spirits to startups.

He has lived through the troubles of poverty and trying to make ends meet, which is why he now spends millions of dollars on charity and giving back to what he knows best. In 2005, he and his late mother started the Dr. Donda West Foundation, which made efforts to lower the drop-out rates for kids in school.

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett. Dame Dash is the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella records and the producer who discovered Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Kanye West's net worth of $410 million in 2024, despite its decline from a peak of $2.5 billion, signifies his enduring influence and success in the music, fashion, and business industries.

We all know how the story ended: Adidas broke up with Ye, but per contractual agreement, it owns Yeezy's designs. Adidas cleared out much of its remaining Yeezy inventory last year, but has recently announced it will sell its remaining inventory in 2024, beginning with a Yeezy 500 tactical boot.

Does Kanye still make money from Yeezys? ›

Despite the fall out with adidas, Ye still holds a hefty 15% royalty of the YEEZY products sold. That means that with the first release, Ye has made over a quarter of $100 million USD — $25,586,250 USD to be exact — from the first release. With just two releases left, Ye is expected to make quite a profit as well.

After Adidas' Yeezy split, company reports a $540 million loss.

For celebrities like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Tiger Woods, and Steven Spielberg, fame is bringing fortune. They're among 14 performers, athletes, and entertainment moguls―along with Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Michael Jordan― on the 2024 Forbes World's Billionaires List, which the media company released this week.

There are more billionaires on the planet now than ever before, according to Forbes' annual list. There are 2,781 billionaires around the world, breaking the record set in 2021. Together, they're worth $14.2 trillion, up $2 trillion from last year and also breaking a 2021 record.

He debuted on the billionaires list in 2020 with a net worth of $1 billion, thanks to the Adidas partnership. It was a triumphant moment for Ye, who started working with Adidas on Yeezy in 2013. Ye was worth an estimated $1.8 billion in 2021 and $2 billion in 2022.

From his musical roots, Jay Z's incandescent talent and iconic tracks have not only elevated him to the hip-hop pantheon but also filled his coffers. His studio albums, relentless touring, and merchandise tie-ins have all played their part in lining his pockets.

In 2016, West said he was $53 million in debt when he had asked Zuckerberg for $1 billion to help fund his creative ideas. Next came an ambitious tour, then a partnership with Nike in 2009 and an Air Yeezy II sneaker release in 2012.

Through his business ventures, Jay-Z became the first hip-hop billionaire in 2019. In 1999, he co-founded the clothing retailer Rocawear and later founded the 40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain, in 2003.