By Adeleye Kunle
An American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer, Kanye Omari West, popularly known as Kanye West or Ye, has lost his billionaire status after a German multinational corporation, Adidas cut ties with him.
An American business magazine, Forbes, announced this in a publication on Tuesday.
Forbes said Kanye no longer has a place on its billionairesâ list now that his lucrative deal with Adidas is over.
Adidas had terminated its deal with the superstar rapper and fashion designer over antisemitism.
In recent weeks, West has gone on several anti-semitic rants across his social media handles.
The rapper, who in a post deleted by Twitter, shared a screenshot of a text exchange between himself and Diddy, in which allegedly appeared to show West claiming that Combs was controlled by Jewish people. âJesus is Jewâ. Iâm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up Iâm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.â
His antisemitic comments, however, drew backlash from Jewish celebrities and politicians, as the American Jewish Committee (AJC), in a statement immediately called out Westâs language for perpetuating âantisemitic tropes like greed and control.â
The rhetorics, in no time, mounted public pressure on the companies with whom the rapper has business dealings.
Among the latest brands to sever ties with West is Adidas which was said to have conducted a âthorough reviewâ and would immediately stop production of its line of Yeezy products.
Kanyeâs multi-year Adidas deal was valued at $1.5 billion, without which heâs worth just $400 million, while the remains of his financial empire is his real estate, cash, music catalogue, and a five percent stake in Skims, his ex-wife Kim Kardashianâs shapewear firm
