Kanye West Loses Billionaire Status After Adidas Cuts Ties Over His Antisemitic Comments
Kanye West is no longer a billionaire, according to Forbes. The publication reported Oct. 25 that the rapper lost his spot on its list of billionaires after being dropped by Adidas for his string of antisemitic rhetoric.
The athletic company had stated earlier this month that its collaboration with Ye was “under review” after he claimed on a now-removed episode of the Drink Champs podcast that “the thing about it being Adidas is, like, I can literally say antisemitic s–t and they can’t drop me … I can antisemitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
According to the financial magazine, Ye’s multi-year partnership with Adidas was valued at $1.5 billion and without it, he’s reportedly worth just $400 million. However, the controversy-courting star will likely dispute Forbes‘ valuation of his net worth much like he’s done in the past. “It’s not a billion,” he texted the outlet when he was first named to the list back in 2020. “It’s $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.”
What remains of Kanye’s financial empire in the wake of losing his Adidas deal stems from “real estate, cash, his music catalog, and a 5% stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims,” per reporting by Forbes.
Other brands who’ve ceased working with Ye over his antisemitic diatribes include Balenciaga, production company MRC and Creative Artists Agency. Gap is also removing Yeezy products from shelves and production, and closed the rapper’s Yeezy Gap online store. Meanwhile, Kardashian and her sister Khloé Kardashian have both spoken out publicly in support of the Jewish community without naming Kanye or directly addressing his comments.
Glenn Rowley
Billboard
