Kanye West Net Worth

What is Kanye West's net worth?

Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, fashion designer, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $350 million. As you probably know, not that long ago, Kanye West was a multi-billionaire. Kanye's net worth peaked in March 2021 at $6.6 billion, thanks largely to an extremely lucrative and successful partnership with Adidas. When the partnership was alive, the Yeezy brand generated $2 billion per year in gross revenue and $250 million in profit for Adidas. At the peak of his partnership with Adidas, the Yeezy brand was estimated to be worth $4 – $5 billion on its own. He also had a partnership with the Gap that was worth $1 billion to his net worth.

Unfortunately (for Kanye), in 2022, he began making antisemitic remarks publicly on podcasts, YouTube shows, and in his own social media posts. In May 2025, he released an appalling song titled "Heil Hitler." In the years post-2022, he has become somewhat of a global pariah. He lost his billionaire status in late 2022. His Adidas partnership was terminated, as were partnerships with other brands like Balenciaga and the Gap. Much more details on the rise and fall of both Kanye's business empire and his net worth, throughout the article below.

Kanye West first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, crafting hits for artists like Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Ludacris. His signature style—soulful samples layered over hard-hitting beats—helped define a new era of hip-hop production.

In 2004, Kanye launched his solo career with the release of "The College Dropout," a critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut that challenged hip-hop conventions and showcased his skill as both a lyricist and storyteller. He followed it with a string of innovative albums, including "Late Registration," "Gradation," and "808s & Heartbreak," each pushing the boundaries of rap and pop music. His 2010 album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Beyond music, Kanye became a major player in the fashion world. His Yeezy brand, launched in collaboration with Adidas in 2015, became a global phenomenon and helped him amass a multibillion-dollar net worth at its peak. He also launched his own record label, G.O.O.D. Music, and helped elevate the careers of artists like Kid Cudi, Big Sean, and Pusha T.

Kanye West's 2019 Net Worth Evaluation

When assessing Kanye's net worth in 2019, here is the math we used to arrive at $600 million:

Assets:

• Real estate assets = $120 million
• Music catalog including G.O.O.D Music = $80 million
• Value of Yeezy brand = $500 million
• Other assets = $20 million

Total assets = $720 million

Liabilities and other considerations = $100 million

2019 Net Worth = $600 million (with a conservative $20 million error margin)

Kanye West's 2021 Net Worth Evaluation

When assessing Kanye West's net worth in mid-2021, we included 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
• Value of Yeezy brand = $5 billion
• Value of Gap partnership = $1 billion
• Cash, equities, and other assets = $400 million

Total assets = $6.7 billion

Liabilities and other considerations = $100 million

2021 Net Worth = $6.6 billion

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Early Life and Career Beginnings

Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. After his parents divorced when he was three, Kanye moved with his mother, Donda West, to Chicago, Illinois. Donda, an English professor, played a pivotal role in nurturing his creativity and academic ambition. While growing up in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, Kanye developed an early passion for the arts, particularly drawing and music. His musical ambitions solidified when he met producer and DJ No I.D., who became his mentor and introduced him to the fundamentals of sampling and beat-making.

West briefly attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago on a scholarship in 1997 before transferring to Chicago State University, where his mother taught. However, he soon dropped out at age 20 to fully commit to a music career—a decision that would later inspire the title of his debut album, "The College Dropout."

In the late 1990s, West began producing beats for local Chicago artists while developing his own musical identity. His first official production credit came in 1996 on the debut album "Down to Earth" by Chicago rapper Grave. Over the next few years, he built a reputation producing tracks for artists including Foxy Brown, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, and Harlem World. Though he found steady work as a behind-the-scenes hitmaker, West remained determined to break out as a rapper in his own right.

Rise to Fame and Music Career

Kanye West's big break came in the early 2000s when he joined Roc-A-Fella Records as an in-house producer. His innovative soul-sample-heavy sound was instrumental in shaping the sound of Jay-Z's 2001 album "The Blueprint," which is widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. His production credits rapidly expanded to include high-profile collaborations with Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, and Ludacris. Still, West's ultimate goal was to become a solo artist.

After initially being turned down by several labels, including Capitol Records, Roc-A-Fella reluctantly signed him in 2002. That same year, he was involved in a near-fatal car crash, which left his jaw shattered and wired shut. Remarkably, he recorded the breakout single "Through the Wire" just weeks later, using the accident as creative fuel. The song became the cornerstone of his debut album, "The College Dropout," released in February 2004. The album was a critical and commercial triumph, earning 10 Grammy nominations and ultimately going triple platinum.

West followed up with "Late Registration" in 2005, an ambitious and lushly produced sophomore effort featuring live orchestration and collaborations with Jon Brion and Jamie Foxx. It sold over 2.3 million copies in its first year. In 2007, he released "Graduation," which marked a shift toward electronic and stadium-ready sounds. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and famously outsold 50 Cent's "Curtis" in a highly publicized sales battle.

In 2008, West delivered a stark stylistic shift with "808s & Heartbreak," an Auto-Tune-heavy, emotionally raw album that heavily influenced a new generation of artists, including Drake, Kid Cudi, and Travis Scott. He rebounded in 2010 with "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," an ambitious, maximalist project considered by many critics to be his magnum opus.

West continued pushing boundaries with the 2011 collaborative album "Watch the Throne" (with Jay-Z), followed by the minimalist, industrial-leaning "Yeezus" in 2013. His 2016 album "The Life of Pablo" blurred the lines between gospel, rap, and streaming-era art experiment—West famously updated the album post-release via streaming platforms. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.

In 2018, he released the introspective and polarizing "Ye," his shortest solo album to date, followed by "Kids See Ghosts," a collaborative album with Kid Cudi that was widely acclaimed. His 2019 gospel album "Jesus Is King" debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

"Donda," released in 2021 after multiple listening events and delays, became one of the most-streamed albums in Apple Music history upon release and earned Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year. He followed it with "Donda 2" in 2022, which was controversially released exclusively via his Stem Player device, bypassing traditional streaming platforms.

In addition to his own albums, West has continued producing and collaborating with artists such as Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Nas, and Travis Scott. His weekly gospel-themed "Sunday Service" gatherings, launched in 2019, have become a spiritual and musical platform for experimental live performances.

Despite recent controversies affecting his broader public standing, Kanye West's musical career remains one of the most groundbreaking and influential in modern history, with over 20 Grammy Awards and a legacy of continually redefining the boundaries of hip-hop and pop music.

Yearly Earnings

Yeezy

Kanye West's foray into fashion began long before Yeezy became a household name. He has often described fashion as a core creative passion on par with music. In 2009, he made history as the first non-athlete to land a sneaker deal with Nike, launching the Air Yeezy I. The shoe's limited release and rapid sellout proved West's influence extended far beyond music. He later released the Air Yeezy II in 2012, further cementing his cultural impact in the sneaker world. Prior to Yeezy, West also collaborated on footwear with high-fashion brands including Louis Vuitton, Bape, and Giuseppe Zanotti. In 2011 and 2012, he presented full women's collections during Paris Fashion Week, though both lines received mixed critical reception.

A pivotal shift occurred in December 2013 when West severed ties with Nike over creative differences and signed a major partnership with Adidas. The collaboration officially debuted in February 2015 with the release of the Yeezy Boost 750 in "Light Brown," available exclusively via the Adidas mobile app in New York City. The shoes sold out in under 10 minutes. That same year, West debuted "Yeezy Season 1," a fashion line produced in collaboration with Adidas featuring minimalist, utilitarian clothing and footwear. Seasons 2 and 3 followed in rapid succession, with Season 3 premiering at a massive, sold-out Madison Square Garden event that doubled as a listening party for his album "The Life of Pablo."

By 2016, Adidas and West had inked a long-term partnership that included the expansion of Yeezy-branded footwear and apparel into a standalone category within Adidas. West retained 100% ownership of the Yeezy brand, while Adidas handled manufacturing, marketing, and distribution. According to estimates from Forbes and others, West received a royalty of roughly 10% on net revenues from Yeezy sales, with an even higher cut for products sold directly through his own e-commerce platform, YeezySupply.com.

At its peak, Yeezy generated over $2 billion in annual sales, making it one of the most successful sneaker and apparel ventures in history. In 2020, a UBS valuation pegged Yeezy's worth at as much as $3 billion, contributing to West's brief status as a billionaire.

However, the partnership began to unravel in 2022 after West made a series of antisemitic and offensive public remarks. In October of that year, Adidas terminated its relationship with West, stating his comments violated the company's values. The collapse of the deal caused a dramatic decline in West's net worth and removed his access to Adidas's manufacturing and retail infrastructure. At the time of the split, Adidas was sitting on over $1 billion worth of unsold Yeezy inventory, which it began offloading in limited releases throughout 2023 and 2024, donating portions of the proceeds to organizations combating hate speech.

Despite the fallout, West has continued to assert ownership of the Yeezy brand and has teased plans to revive or reimagine the line independently. In early 2025, West hinted at a possible new distribution model for Yeezy products without relying on major retail partners, though no formal relaunch has been announced.

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

G.O.O.D Music

In 2004, Kanye West founded G.O.O.D. Music, a record label and production company, in partnership with Sony BMG. The name stands for "Getting Out Our Dreams," a reflection of West's creative vision and entrepreneurial ambition. The label was conceived as a platform not only for Kanye's own work but also to spotlight and cultivate a new generation of genre-pushing artists.

The first major success under the G.O.O.D. Music umbrella came with the release of John Legend's debut album, "Get Lifted," in late 2004. The album was both a commercial and critical hit, earning multiple Grammy Awards and establishing Legend as one of the label's cornerstone acts. Common's 2005 album "Be," produced almost entirely by West, further cemented G.O.O.D. Music's reputation for fusing lyrical depth with soulful, experimental production.

Over the years, G.O.O.D. Music expanded its roster to include Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Q-Tip, Teyana Taylor, Kacy Hill, CyHi the Prynce, and Desiigner, among others. The label became known for its high-profile collaborations, innovative sound, and its ability to bridge the gap between mainstream rap and avant-garde artistry.

In 2012, the label released the compilation album "Cruel Summer," featuring Kanye alongside various G.O.O.D. Music artists and collaborators. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and produced hits like "Mercy" and "Clique." Plans for a follow-up compilation titled "Cruel Winter" were repeatedly teased but never officially materialized.

In 2015, Pusha T was appointed president of G.O.O.D. Music, a move that brought renewed structure and strategic focus to the label. Under his leadership, the label released critically acclaimed projects like Daytona (2018) and Teyana Taylor's "K.T.S.E." (2018), both part of a flurry of Wyoming-produced albums spearheaded by West.

However, internal tensions and industry shifts began to strain the label in the late 2010s. Several artists, including Kid Cudi, Desiigner, and Teyana Taylor, eventually distanced themselves from G.O.O.D. Music or parted ways entirely. In 2022, Big Sean publicly revealed that he had left the label after what he described as strained financial dealings and a lack of transparency.

The most significant blow came in 2022, when Kanye West's public controversies—particularly his antisemitic comments—led to the unraveling of many of his business partnerships and endorsements. In the wake of the backlash, artists affiliated with G.O.O.D. Music either distanced themselves from West or remained silent. Pusha T stepped down from his executive role and confirmed in a 2022 interview that he was no longer part of the label.

Today, G.O.O.D. Music exists primarily as a legacy imprint, with little active roster or release activity. While its future remains uncertain, the label played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of 21st-century hip-hop and launched or nurtured the careers of multiple influential artists. For over a decade, G.O.O.D. Music stood as a symbol of Kanye West's curatorial instincts and his ability to turn experimental ideas into mainstream successes.

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Real Estate

Kanye West has owned hundreds of millions of dollars worth of real estate in the United States (land, buildings, and homes) over the years. Below is a rundown of his most notable real estate purchases and sales.

During their marriage, Kim/Kanye's primary residence was an expansive estate in the LA suburb of Hidden Hills, California. This estate consists of multiple connected parcels, the first of which was acquired in 2014 in two separate transactions for $23 million. The first iteration of their property featured a newly built mansion on 4.5 acres. The couple proceeded to spend millions of dollars over several years customizing, re-arranging, and expanding the home. In 2019, they expanded their estate with two separate transactions for neighboring properties to create a conjoined 7.5-acre behemoth. A staggering $28.5 million has been spent on real estate transactions alone to create the Hidden Hills estate. Tens of millions more have been spent on renovations. The Hidden Hills estate's current assessed value is north of $60 million. In September 2021, Kim paid Kanye $23 million to officially transfer the property into her name. Roughly $3 million of that amount went to the home's interior contents.

In September 2021, Kanye paid $57.3 million for a beachfront home in Malibu. The home, which Tadao Ando designed, was built in 2013 for a Wall Street tycoon named Richard Sachs. Sachs spent seven years gathering permits and completing the construction. The finished home is 4,000 square feet and is made of 1,200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel, and 12 pylons driven 60 feet into the sand. Sachs put the home on the market in 2020 for $75 million. Kanye never moved into the home. He put it on the market in December 2023 for $53 million. According to the listing agent, buyers will need to be prepared to spend "several million dollars" to make the house livable after Kanye's construction projects, which were never completed. Kanye sold the home for $21 million in late 2024, suffering a $36 million loss. Here is a drone video tour of the Malibu mansion:

Other real estate assets have included:

• A 320-acre estate on Stokes Canyon Road in Calabasas worth $16 million. This is where his Sunday Services have been held and where he attempted to build a series of domed structures before being shut down by the LA County Building Commission for permit issues.
• A 6,700-acre ranch called Bighorn Mountain Ranch in Wyoming – $15 million
• A $2 million commercial property in Cody, Wyoming
• Kanye West also owns his childhood home in Chicago
• In late 2019, Kanye paid $14 million for an additional ranch in Wyoming called Monster Lake Ranch. He sold this ranch in June 2024.

Personal Life

Kanye West's personal life has long been a subject of intense media attention, often intersecting with his artistic output and public persona. From 2002 to 2008, he had an on-and-off relationship with fashion designer Alexis Phifer. The two were briefly engaged before calling it off in 2008. That same year, he began dating model Amber Rose, a high-profile and often tumultuous relationship that lasted until 2010 and later inspired public feuds between West, Rose, and her future partner Wiz Khalifa.

In April 2012, West began dating reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian. Their relationship quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity pairings of the decade. The couple married on May 24, 2014, in a lavish ceremony at the historic Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. Together, they have four children: North (born 2013), Saint (born 2015), Chicago (born 2018 via surrogate), and Psalm (born 2019 via surrogate).

Throughout their marriage, West and Kardashian frequently collaborated publicly and creatively, blending the worlds of fashion, music, and reality television. However, by early 2021, their relationship began to deteriorate amid reports of West's increasingly erratic behavior and political aspirations. Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021, and it was finalized in 2022. Despite the split, the two have reportedly continued to co-parent their children. Following the divorce, West was briefly linked to actress and model Julia Fox.

Later that year, in January 2023, reports emerged that West had married Australian-born architect and Yeezy employee Bianca Censori in a private, non-legally binding ceremony in Beverly Hills. While details of the relationship remain largely private, the two have been seen together publicly on numerous occasions since.

In October 2021, Kanye legally changed his name to "Ye," a moniker he had used for years and often referenced in his music. The name change was approved by a Los Angeles judge and reflects his broader desire to simplify his public identity.

In October 2021, Kanye had his request granted to change his legal name to "Ye."

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