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They may spit rhymes about their vast wealth but, according to Forbes, no rapper has yet broken the US$1 billion bracket. Yet, that may be about to change, as Kim Kardashian West alluded to TV host Jimmy Kimmel last week. “I would say my husband is one [a billionaire], so that makes me one, right?” she said. “Close, close by proximity.”
Yes, Kanye West is reportedly on track to become a billionaire, according to multiple reports, potentially beating peers such as Jay-Z and Diddy to the title. The multi-platinum selling artist has the titles of rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer included in his showbiz resume, however it is his fashion brand Yeezy, set up in 2013 in partnership with Adidas, that is potentially breaking records. According to The Blast, the footwear and apparel brand has received a valuation of US$1.5 billion, with Kayne as the main shareholder. The collaboration makes trainers and clothing, and is planning to branch out into basketball sneakers in 2019, with rumors that restaurants and architecture could also be on the horizon for the Yeezy brand.
In April this year, Kanye tweeted that he was the “single highest paid person in footwear” and went on the following month to give the biggest indication of his budding billionaire status, tweeting: “We have 160 positions to fill by the end of the year. Yeezy will hit a billion dollars this year. It is the 2nd fastest growing company in history. It is a unicorn on its way to becoming a decacorn.” This is a far cry from 2016, when the Gold Digger hit-maker claimed he was “US$53 million in personal debt,” and publicly implored Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to invest in “Kayne ideas”.
Whilst Forbes omitted Kayne from their top Forbes Five Hip Hop Wealthiest list 2018, the online publication Celebritynetworth recently detailed the 41-year old music mogul’s net worth at US$160 million. Either way, not bad for someone who started their career with an album titled “The College Dropout”.
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