By Aaron Miller-
Kanye West is now worth an eye-watering $6.6 billion net worth. The artist and fashion designer has seen a huge surge in his capital over the past 12 months, courtesy of his Yeezy brand.
Only 3 years ago, the controversial rapper announced he was $53m (£38m) in debt.
The tycoon became a certified billionaire last year with the help of his successful apparel and sneaker brand, Yeezy, and a new multi-year contract with clothing retailer Gap.
Yeezy is now worth between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion, making up more than half of the rapper’s net worth.
In June last year, Ye signed a deal with Gap to release his Yeezy Gap line in US stores this summer, a collaboration that is believed to be worth $970 million.
The document goes on to explain that Gap has estimated more than $150 million in sales during its first full year of the 10-year deal, with a projection of more than a billion in sales within eight years.
The well known rapper who teased the U.S public last year with the idea of being a presidential candidate, also has shares in Kim’s SKIMS underwear line, estimated at a reported $1.7 billion.
Kanye also has a music catalog worth an estimated $110million and cash and stock worth $122million, according to Bloomberg.
Kanye West: Biography.com
Kim filed for divorce from Kanye last month, drawing the curtains on almost seven years of marriage.
She is demanding joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s children, and an even split of his massive wealth.
Shaperwear Brand
One of the tycoon’s assets includes shapewear brand SKIMS, which belongs to Kanye’s estranged wife Kim Kardashian, who filed for divorce from their marriage last month.
West, who officially became a billionaire just a year ago, has since seen his wealth surge six-fold, making him the richest Black person in the United States, according to a list of the world’s Black billionaires curated by Visual Capitalist, using data from Forbes.
The previous year in 2019, West was unhappy after the financial magazine refused to acknowledge him as a billionaire because he had been unable to produce the paperwork needed to support the claims. He was subsequently left off the publication’s annual list of billionaires, which was published last April, before eventually earning the Forbes ranking when it was updated.
Prominence
The Atlanta born artist, first rose to prominence as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s.
The Afro American subsequently pursued a solo career as a rapper, West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to critical and commercial success, and founded the record label GOOD Music. He experimented with a variety of musical genres on subsequent acclaimed studio albums, including Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), and 808s & Heartbreak (2008).
West’s fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) and sixth album Yeezus (2013) were also rose to high acclaim . He went on to release The Life of Pablo in 201), Ye in 2018, and Jesus Is King in 2019.
West also engaged in collaborations Watch the Throne in 2011, and Kids See Ghosts in 2018 with Jay-Z and Kid Cudi, respectively for several mainstream artists.
West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to critical and commercial success, and founded the record label GOOD Music.
Mental Health Issues
The rap star has battled with mental health problems for a while, but his bank balance has grown healthier and healthier which each passing year.
Kim and Kanye are believed to $70 million-worth of assets, including two homes, $5 million in art, nearly $4 million in vehicles, $3.2 million in jewellery and $300,000 worth of livestock.