Another producer turned solo artist, Kanye West made his fortune via a wide variety of projects. While his current net worth is up for debate, most sources cite $145 million but I have found both larger and smaller numbers. He seemed to be in hot water earlier this year, asking Mark Zuckerberg, or Facebook fame, for a loan to pay off his debts. On Twitter of all places. Kanye is well known for his brash personality, and inflated opinion of himself. But whether you think he is a hack or a modern genius is meaningless, he is still a ludicrously successful artist.
Kanye West Net Worth 2018 – $145 Million
How Did Kanye West Make His Money & Wealth?
Kanye West was born on June 8th 1977 in Atlanta Georgia. His parent divorced when he was young and the family moved to Chicago. His father was a photo journalist and his mother was a university professor. He spent some time in China, accompanying his mother during an education exchange program. He wrote poetry from age five and was buying recording time at a local studio at age thirteen. He received a scholarship for the American Academy of Art, though soon transferred to the University of Chicago, where his mother was a professor of English.
He soon dropped out of college to pursue a career in music, he had been producing tracks for local groups since he was a teenager, but now wanted to do it full time. He worked behind the scenes for Deric Angelettie before moving into the fore himself. He soon moved to New York to produce for the Jay Z. Wests contributions to Jay Z’s 2001 album Blueprint were cited as a primary reason for the revitalization of the fading star career, and it could be argued that without Kanye, Jay Z would not be the rap mogul he is today.
While producing is a lucrative business it is the artists that see the most profit from it. Kanye soon made the transition into the rap arena with his debut album The College Dropout. The record sold extremely well, and instantly cemented Kanye West as a rap power house. The record won a Grammy, a feat that his two follow up releases would match. West’s business empire includes his own label, several lines of clothing and the media streaming service Tidal. So dedicated was he to the Tidal service that he made his most recent record exclusive to the format. How astute a move this ends up being is up for debate, so far the album has been pirated an estimated half a million times.
Kanye West Personal Life & FAQ
Is Kanye West Married?
West was engaged to on again off again girlfriend Alexis Phifer for eighteen months back in 2007, though they broke up in 2008. He was romantically linked to model Amber Rose until 2010. He is currently married to long time friend Kim Kardashian.
Does Kanye West have kids?
West has two children, North West, born on June 15th 2013, and Saint West, born on December 5th 2015. Early last year Kanye and Kim traveled to Jerusalem to have North Baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Where did Kanye West go to College?
West attended Chicago’s American Academy of Arts for a few months in 1997 before transferring to Chicago State University, where his mother worked. He dropped out to focus on his music career.
Where Does Kanye West Live? Picture of Kanye West’s House
How much did Kanye West Earn Last Year?
It is estimated that Kanye West earned $22 million last year, though with $53 million sunk into various new ventures, which must be failing, I am unsure how much he is worth now.
Kanye West’s Charity Work and Philanthropy
Kanye founded the Kanye West Foundation with his mother in 2003. It seeks to lower the number of high school drop outs in Chicago and raise literacy rates. The foundation was renamed the Dr Donda West Foundation in 2008 before being dissolved in 2011.
Major Life Changing Events
In 2007 Kanye lost his mother in an unexpected complication from cosmetic surgery. It affected him greatly.
