Kanye West A Footnote On Forbes’ ‘Richest Celebrities’ List

Credit: Jorge Salvador

Following Yes’s removal from the billionaires list in October 2022 following a spate of anti-Semitic remarks, Forbes highlights the rapper’s once-in-the-spot wealth but notes that he is no longer at the top of the billionaires list alongside Kylie Jenner.

Forbes valued the Adidas/Yeezy deal at $1.5 billion at the time. Without that deal, Ye’s net worth dropped to $400 million. But even that estimate may not be accurate now that several Kanye West companies have collapsed like pies after Yes’s anti-Semitic revelry.

The rest of Yes’s network comes from its real estate, cash reserves, music catalog and a 5% stake in Kim Kardashian’s clothing line called Skims. The rapper first made the Forbes Rich list in 2020, to which the rapper responded by claiming the report was inaccurate. “It’s not a billion. It’s 3.3 billion because nobody at Forbes can count,” he said at the time.

Now, in 2023, the rapper is down to a blurb from the past and that harsh one-liner that must have hurt someone as superficial as Ye: “Without Adidas and others, Ye fell out of the three comma club.” Ouch.

Rihanna graces the list thanks to her cosmetics company Fenty Beauty and lingerie brand Savage X Fenty. The Fenty Beauty brand is a joint venture with luxury goods giant LVMH, which says the Fenty brand’s revenue has doubled in 2022. Rihanna’s 30% stake in Savage x Fenty was valued at $3 billion when the fashion house considered an IPO.

While Ye may have fallen away, musician Jimmy Buffet made his debut on the richest celebrity list this year. The Margaritaville mogul has built a fortune through his decades of touring and music royalties. A significant portion of its valuation comes from its global licensing company, Margaritaville Holdings, which stamps the Buffet brand on beachfront restaurants, resorts, casinos, and hundreds of other branded products.

Considering Kanye West practically challenged Adidas to take his partnership away from him on an episode of the Drink Champs podcast – be careful what you wish for.