Kanye West’s wealth increases to $6.6 billion thanks to deals with Gap, Adidas and his own Yeezy brand

The rapper, who is currently going through a divorce from Kim Kardashian, has seen his net worth skyrocket over the past few years

Rapper Kanye West's net worth has been estimated at $6.6 billion, thanks to his Yeezy brand and partnerships with Adidas and Gap. AFP 

His personal life might be on a downward trajectory, but as far as Kanye West's wealth goes, the only way is up for the Gold Digger singer.

Less than a year after Forbes declared the rapper a billionaire back in April 2020, West's personal net worth is estimated at $6.6 billion, made up of his lucrative brand partnerships, his Yeezy business, stocks, shares and assets, and his music back catalogue.

To see Kanye West's style evolution since 2004 click through the gallery below:

The record producer and designer, 43, who spent $12.5 million of his own money on his failed 2020 presidential campaign, last year signed a partnership deal with clothing behemoth, Gap, for a 10-year agreement to design and sell clothes under the Yeezy x Gap label. The label will include men's, women's and children's lines, and is set to hit stores this summer. Bloomberg says the new line is expected "to break $150 million in sales in its first full year in 2022".

The College Dropout star also joined forces with Adidas in 2013 in a deal that runs until 2026 and precludes him from doing a footwear line with Gap.

With full ownership and creative control of the Yeezy brand, which launched in 2015 with the adidas Yeezy trainer, the business is estimated by UBS Group AG to be worth between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion. Bloomberg reports that the Gap deal "could be worth as much as $970 million of that total".

West has also filed to trademark Yeezy make-up, and skin and hair care products.

The rapper boasts $122 million in cash and stock, and $110 million from his music catalogue. Plus, there's $1.7 billion in other assets, which includes various properties and investment in his estranged wife Kim Kardashian's super-successful Skims shapewear business.

West had previously joined forces with Nike in 2009 to launch the Air Yeezy trainers, with the limited-edition footwear going on to become collectible items. A pair of Nike Air Yeezy sneakers are currently on sale for Dh76,550 on Farfetch.com.

When Forbes estimated West's worth at $1.3 billion in April 2020, the rapper insisted he was worth almost triple that amount, reportedly texting the business magazine: "It's not a billion. It's $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count."