Kanye West Net Worth And Biography
Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, fashion designer, and entrepreneur. As of this writing, Kanye West’s net worth is $6.6 billion. He is one of the the three richest self-made black people in US history.
Kanye gained widespread fame upon the release of his 2004 album The College Dropout. Today he is one of the most successful and awarded musicians on the planet with 21 Grammy wins out of 69 nominations. In recent years he has pivoted away from music towards the business world. His Yeezy/Adidas partnership has earned West a sizable fortune.
Kanye West
| Net Worth: | $6.6 Billion |
| Date of Birth: | Jun 8, 1977 (44 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Profession: | Record producer, Songwriter, Singer, Actor, Film Producer, Rapper, Businessperson, Screenwriter, Fashion designer, Music Video Director |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
In recent years Kanye has earned at least $100 million per year from his various endeavors. The vast majority of his earnings have come from royalties and other earnings related to his Yeezy brand and Adidas partnership.
Yeezy separately owns his own Yeezy apparel line outright 100% but earns a royalty on the sales which are north of $1.5 billion per year. According to several private bank estimates Yeezy is a $4 – $5 billion brand. In March 2021, a UBS valuation estimated that Yeezy adds $3-4 billion to Kanye’s net worth bottom line. The same report estimates Kanye’s deal with The Gap adds another $1 billion to West’s net worth.
KEY FACTS
- Is the richest black person in US history
- Has sold 140 million albums/singles in his career
- Owns $100 million worth of real estate
- Music catalog is worth $110 million
- Owns 100% of Yeezy
- Earns $150-$200 million in Yeezy royalties every year
- Yeezy’s enterprise value adds $3-5 billion to Kanye’s net worth
- Has a partnership with The Gap that’s worth $1 billion
In assessing Kanye West’s net worth, we have 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
- 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
Kanye West Net Worth
| Kanye West Net Worth | $3.2 Billion |
|---|---|
| Born | July 8, 1977 |
| Place of Birth | United States of America |
| Occupation | Music, entrepreneurship |
| Martial Status | Married |
In 2000, West got his big break when he began to work as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, working with artists including Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. His work on Jay-Z’s 2001 album The Blueprint generated serious interest in West’s talents as a producer. His production credits from this time period include an impressive roll call of talent including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend, Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson.
Despite his success as a producer, West’s main dream was to be a rapper. In 2001, he managed to convince the head of Capitol Records to sign him to Roc-A-Fella Records after being denied a contract with Capitol Records.
After a serious car crash in October 2002, where he shattered his jaw, West was inspired and recorded the song Through the Wire with his jaw still wired shut. This song laid the foundations for his debut album The College Dropout, which was leaked months before its scheduled release date in August 2003. West used the time to remix, remaster, and edit it, postponing its release three times. The College Dropout was eventually released in February 2004 to widespread critical acclaim, earning him 10 Grammy Award nominations, and eventually certified triple platinum in the US.
As he began working on his second album, West invested two million dollars into the production, even hiring a live string orchestra. Late Registration was released in August 2005, selling over 2.3 million units in the United States by the end of the year. His subsequent albums include Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), collaboration album with Jay-Z Watch the Throne (2011), Yeezus (2013), The Life of Pablo (2016), Ye (2018), and Jesus is King (2019).
West released the album Yeezus in 2013. The album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart as well as on the US R&B and US Rap charts and in four other countries. His album The Life of Pablo was released in 2016 and reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on the US Rap and US R&B charts. West’s single “FourFiveSeconds” (with Rihanna and Paul McCartney) reached #1 on the US R&B chart. In 2017 he was nominated for six Grammy Awards. His next album, Ye was released in June 2018. Unfortunately, Ye was the first album in Kanye’s career to not go platinum.
In addition to his own albums and releases, West has continued working as a producer and featuring artist for other musicians, including 6ix9ine, XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, Chance the Rapper, Kid Cudi, and Teyana Taylor. Other music-related projects he has pursued include his weekly “Sunday Service” orchestration with the Sunday Service Choir, where they have performed every Sunday since January 2019. He also collaborated with contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft on two operas, Nebuchadnezzar and Mary.
Kanye West Net Worth 2019
Below is the calculation we used to determine Kanye West’s 2019 net worth of $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)
Summary
As of 2020, Kanye West’s net worth is $6.6 billion. He is arguably the most influential musical artist of the last several decades. He has also branched out to philanthropic efforts and a fashion empire through his Yeezy brand.
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