How Kanye West Became The Richest Rapper of All Time

Kanye West, who now goes by the name Ye, is a name that has been ringing around the entertainment industry for a long time. Living a life that many consider being the epitome of fame and fortune, the 44-year-old rapper, designer, and producer has reached the pinnacle of success that many people dream of. Earning numerous accolades such as having albums included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time to landing profitable deals with big brands such as Adidas — Kanye West has indeed made a name for himself in the industry and will continue to be the talk of the town in the coming future. 

With his numerous successes in several music projects and business ventures, Kanye West has amassed an astounding fortune — an estimated $6.6 billion according to reports from Celebrity Net Worth — which has earned him the title of “richest rapper in the world”. How exactly does the musician gain so much money? Let us list down some of West’s most lucrative ventures which have earned him his much-coveted billionaire status.

    Recently, Kanye West has been earning an estimated amount of $100 million a year, and most of this amount can be attributed to the many endorsement deals and business partnerships he continues to enjoy huge amounts of profit from such as his popular shoe product line Yeezy and his long-term partnership with sneaker giant Adidas. Royalties from his Yeezy line amount to an estimated $1.5 billion — on average, the Yeezy brand is valued at around $5 billion. 

On the music side, Kanye West earns a grand total of $80 million from his endeavors as a best-selling and Grammy-nominated musician. West continues to earn from his vast music catalog which also includes projects with his own record label G.O.O.D. Music. West first experienced his share of fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records  — making songs for artists such as Ludacris and Janet Jackson. 

However, West soon expanded his career to being a rapper himself, raising the music industry standard to a whole new level with the release of his first album The College Dropout which was met with much critical and public acclaim — earning him 10 Grammy nominations. West continues to expand his financial empire through other ventures such as a food corporation by the name of KW Foods LLC and real estate acquisition for which he is valued at around $160 million. 

By Neil Gregorio

Neil Gregorio is a graduating university student who writes as a hobby; when he is away from the keyboard, he spends his time watching Japanese animated shows and jamming out to his favorite rock music.

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