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☆ Kanye West is no longer a billionaire after being dumped by Adidas, but is still worth $400 million. Here's how he spent his money.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Major companies have severed ties with Ye in the wake of recent antisemitic comments. His net worth has been slashed, per Forbes, but he's still worth $400 million. Ye's assets include his music catalog, extensive real estate portfolio, and numerous vehicles. He's now lost the long-sought title, but is still worth a healthy $400 million, per Forbes, which ranks him the 2,543th richest person in the world. was dropped by Def Jam, per The New York Times, and he's no longer represented by Creative Artists Agency.

☆ Beyoncé's line with Adidas is reportedly struggling, driving home the challenge of filling the $2 billion hole left by Kanye West's Yeezy line
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Matthew Kish | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported sales for the singer's Ivy Park Adidas line fell 50%. Adidas' struggles to gain traction with Ivy Park come after the brand cut ties with Kanye West. Sales of the Ivy Park line with Adidas decreased more than 50% to roughly $40 million last year, well short of the company's $250 million forecast, according to the Journal. The Adidas line with Ivy Park launched in 2020. The contract between Beyoncé and Adidas expires after 2023, according to the Journal, which reported Adidas has discussed ending or revising the deal.

☆ Kanye West's ex-lawyers finally found him after months of trying to tell him they quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawyers who represented Ye — aka Kanye West — finally found him after months of trying. After months of searching, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig LLP, the firm that represented West for everything from contract disputes to employment lawsuits, tracked Ye down and told him they quit. He was found at a location "primarily used by persons and entities not affiliated with Ye or his businesses," according to lawyers for Greenberg Traurig. He stopped responding to texts from Greenberg Traurig, the lawyers wrote in a series of court filings, asking for repeated extensions for the deadline to track him down. While the service may mark the end for Greenberg Traurig, it's only the beginning for Ye, whose legal risks couldn't get much higher.

☆ Call us back, Ye! Kanye West changed his number and now lawyers say they can't get in touch with him.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawyers who repped Ye aka Kanye West still can't reach him, they said in court filings. The rapper, who goes by Ye, changed the phone number he used to communicate with his lawyers. In Friday's filing, the lawyers say that Ye changed his phone number. The lawyers at Greenberg Traurig aren't the only ones having trouble getting in touch with Ye. In the Friday filing, the lawyers at Greenberg Traurig said they have spoken to the lawyers for Thomas St. John about their shared predicament.

☆ Take a look at the dazzling artwork being shown on a huge 'digital canvas' in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Outernet London has 23,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling high-definition LED video screens. It displays "experiential advertising" as well as immersive contemporary digital art works. But perhaps the most eye-catching element of the project, which opened last November, is the 23,000 square feet of super high-definition LED screens at street level that it's calling the "world's largest digital canvas." The immense, immersive 360-degree screens display "experiential advertising" from companies including Burberry, Amazon, Netflix, BMW, EA Games, and Chanel – as well as contemporary digital art exhibitions. Take a look at Outernet and its immersive digital artworks.

☆ Where's Ye? The lawyers who dropped Kanye West after his antisemitic tirades can't locate him to say they've quit.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The lawyers can't find him to tell him they've quit, and West isn't responding to texts. Lawyers for Greenberg Traurig were able to serve West with documents telling him they no longer wanted to represent him. In that case, held in federal court in California, US District Judge George H. Wu allowed Greenberg Traurig to withdraw on December 2. In court documents first reported by The Sun and reviewed by Insider, lawyers for Thomas St. John said on December 19 that they couldn't serve West with the lawsuit. West's previous lawyers — presumably the ones at Greenberg Traurig — told the management firm they no longer represented West, and the firm couldn't locate any replacement firm.

☆ A freelancer is suing Kanye West's Yeezy brand, claiming she was only paid $15,000 of a $110,000 fee for a photoshoot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A freelance creative director is suing Kanye West's Yeezy brand, claiming she is owed $95,000. Katelyn Mooney says she agreed a $110,000 fee for work she carried out, but has only been paid $15,000. The complaint states Mooney had to take out a loan to cover her rent due to the late payment. The complaint states that Yeezy had not complained about Mooney's work or the final product, but had since only paid her $15,000 of the $110,000 fee she had agreed on with Yeezy employees via text messages. West's Yeezy brand has been plagued with controversy in recent months.

☆ Michael Cohen says Donald Trump 'doesn't care' that Ivanka's family is Jewish and he will not denounce Kanye West's antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Michael Cohen said that Donald Trump won't apologize for failing to condemn Kanye West. The former president "doesn't care" that his daughter's family is Jewish, Cohen said on MSNBC. Cohen was asked about a Rolling Stone article that said Jewish Republicans are "begging" Trump to denounce Ye. Cohen responded: "He doesn't care that Ivanka married Jared, doesn't care that Ivanka converted. Cohen said Trump would not apologize for failing to condemn Ye because he "can't even acknowledge fault."

☆ Kanye West's Yeezy Apparel fashion company owes $600,000 in unpaid tax to California with notices dating back two years, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The state of California has issued multiple tax notices to Yeezy Apparel, according to NBC News. Yeezy Apparel previously paid the LA district attorney a $950,000 settlement for false advertising. Over the last two years, the state has issued multiple tax liens – legal claims for unpaid debts – against Yeezy Apparel, NBC reported. Yeezy Apparel is a fashion design and merchandising business which started in 2017, according to public business records. But tax-law experts told NBC that the tax notices indicate big problems at Yeezy Apparel.

☆ Milo Yiannopoulos has been fired from Kanye West's political team: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Milo Yiannopoulos is no longer working for Ye's political team. "Ye and I have come to the mutual conclusion that I should step away from his political team," Yiannopoulos wrote: "I will continue to pray for Ye and all his endeavors." Yiannopoulos was one of a handful of right-wing figures who joined Ye during a dinner at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on November 22. Fuentes denied that the dinner was a plot against Trump in a Telegram post following the NBC report. Ye removed references to Yiannopoulos and Fuentes on his Twitter account on Thursday before he was permanently suspended later that day, Newsweek reported.

☆ Milo Yiannopoulos has been fired from Kanye West's 2024 presidential campaign team: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Milo Yiannopoulos is no longer working for Ye's 2024 presidential campaign. Ye told paparazzi that Yiannopoulos, who previously interned for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, would join his campaign team as a campaign manager on November 25 following the rapper's announcement that he intends to run for president in 2024. Yiannopoulos was one of a handful of right-wing figures who joined Ye during a dinner at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on November 22. Fuentes denied that the dinner was a plot against Trump in a Telegram post following the NBC report. Ye removed references to Yiannopoulos and Fuentes on his Twitter account on Thursday before he was permanently suspended later that day, Newsweek reported.

☆ Nick Fuentes, Kanye West's white supremacist associate, is filmed hurling a soda cup at customers inside an In-N-Out Burger
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nick Fuentes was filmed launching his drink at customers in an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles. According to witnesses, Fuentes retaliated after a couple confronted him in the fast food restaurant. Fuentes, a white nationalist, says he is working on Kanye West's 2024 presidential campaign. The post said Fuentes threw his drink when the couple was running away, but it hit "a bunch of randoms." Fuentes, a white nationalist organizer with a history of making virulently antisemitic and racist comments, says he is working on Ye's 2024 presidential campaign.

☆ In the wake of Kanye West's praise for Hitler, Biden calls on political leaders to condemn anti-Semitism: 'Silence is complicity'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden targeted antisemitism on Friday after Kanye West, known as Ye, praised Hitler. Hitler was a demonic figure," Biden tweeted from his presidential account and retweeted from his political account. "And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Ye's Twitter account was restricted for two weeks in October after he posted antisemitic remarks, but his account was restored after Musk took control of the platform. "I like Hitler," Ye said at one point, adding, "I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis."

☆ Trump pushes back against claims Mar-a-Lago security will be boosted after Nick Fuentes controversy: 'We're not going to have my guests strip searched'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump campaign officials are considering ramping up security at Mar-a-Lago, AP reported Wednesday. Security at Mar-a-Lago is under scrutiny after Ye was not vetted before his meeting with Trump. But Trump dismissed the report on Thursday, saying security at the resort is "strong." Despite being the only one on the guest list, Ye arrived at Mar-a-Lago with several guests including Fuentes and far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos. The dinner prompted stinging criticism from fellow Republicans, given some of Fuentes' previous comments, and also led to Trump campaign staff discussing introducing new security measures, the Associated Press reported.

☆ Musk says Twitter will suspend Kanye West's account
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 2 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said late on Thursday that Kanye West's account will be suspended as he again violated rule against incitement to violence. loadingReporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The exec behind Adidas' partnership with Kanye West just released a biodegradable sneaker expected to be a 'game changer' for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Unless shoe, which will retail for $139, was made in partnership with Natural Fiber Welding, which makes various materials from natural products, including plants and minerals. While other brands, including Allbirds and Camper, have worked with Natural Fiber Welding, Unless is the first to build a shoe from top to bottom with its materials. "What's unique about what Eric has done in the footwear industry is paid attention to every single component of the shoe," Natural Fiber Welding President Steve Zika told Insider. In April, Natural Fiber Welding announced an $85 million Series B investment round. Its investors include industry giants such as Ralph Lauren and Allbirds.

☆ Rapper Kanye West no longer plans to buy social media platform Parler
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] American rapper Kanye West's picture is seen on a smartphone in front of the logo of social media app Parler in this Illustration taken, October 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationDec 1 (Reuters) - The parent company of social media platform Parler and American rapper Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, have agreed to terminate the intent of the sale of Parler, according to a statement from Parlement Technologies on Thursday. "Parler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community." In September, Ye terminated his partnership with apparel retailer Gap Inc (GPS.N). Parler is one of several social media platforms, including Gettr, Gab and Truth Social, that have positioned themselves as free-speech alternatives to Twitter Inc prior to its new ownership under billionaire Elon Musk.

☆ Kanye West owes millions all over town for unpaid contract work and music samples, lawsuits allege
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He tried that earlier with his music and has been hit with copyright lawsuits related to sampling. And what followed was a thicket of lawsuits from people who alleged West failed to properly credit their songs when using samples for the album. Worse still, according to the lawsuit, West and his pals used "Life of the Party" to market the Stem Player. The company squandered months on the work, even relocating its headquarters to better closely work with West. In the end, the lawsuit alleged, West used a rip-off of MyChannel's e-commerce technology to sell his clothing at a concert.

☆ Cyberthieves stole $186,000 from a Republican member of Congress as fraud epidemic plagues political committees
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cyberthieves stole more than $186,000 from Rep. Diana Harshbarger's campaign committee, federal records show. But others haven't been so lucky as a theft epidemic strikes political committees. The 2020 presidential campaign of now-President Joe Biden is among various political committees to experience theft during the past several years. More recently, the American Hospital Association's political action committee and Kanye West's 2020 presidential campaign committee have fallen victim to financial fraudsters. Requiring campaign vendors to "meet or exceed the same security standards" as the campaign committee itself.

☆ Patagonia is suing Gap, claiming the retailer copied its fleece pullover and is hoping to trick shoppers into thinking it's a collab
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Patagonia filed a lawsuit against Gap, claiming that Gap copied the clothing brand's snap-front fleece pullover. The suit says that Gap's product could fool shoppers into thinking it's a Patagonia collaboration. The outdoors retailer says Gap's Arctic Fleece pullover for men and kids uses "look-a-like" design elements of Patagonia's Snap-T Fleece. A close-up of the front pocket of Gap's fleece, left, and the front pocket of Patagonia's fleece, right. Gap pulled Yeezy products from its stores in October, and the company said during its third-quarter earnings this month that it sustained a $53 million write-down related to Yeezy Gap merchandise.

☆ Adidas discussed buying the Yeezy name from Kanye West in 2018 to avoid staff being exposed to the rapper, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Execs suggested spinning off the Yeezy brand or even buying the trademark outright in 2018, per the report. Staff told the WSJ that Ye made anti-Semitic comments and watched pornography at work. Under the deal, Ye licensed the trademark to Adidas for a 15% share of the sales, per The Journal. Since Adidas ended its relationship with Ye, current and former workers have spoken out about how Ye interacted with staff there. This includes a bombshell report by Rolling Stone, in which former Yeezy and Adidas staff said that the sportswear company had ignored complaints of the rapper's alleged misconduct.

☆ Kanye West, newly reinstated to Twitter, calls out 'free speech absolutist' Elon Musk for not also reinstating Alex Jones
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter owner Elon Musk has reinstated several controversial accounts, including Kanye West's. But West called him out for not reinstating conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' account. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, said he has an "issue" with Musk for not reinstating InfoWars host Alex Jones, according to a 30-second video clip with watermarks that read "@Ali" and "BANNED.VIDEO." West continued: "Alex Jones is a Christian. But Musk has not budged on reinstating right-wing conspiracy theorist and Sandy Hook denier Alex Jones, even quoting Matthew 19:14, a bible verse, in a tweet referencing him.

☆ Farfetch is the latest online retailer to stop selling Yeezy products
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Online fashion retailer Farfetch is no longer selling Yeezy products. Last month the upmarket site still listed more than 200 Yeezy products on its site. The platform was still selling Yeezy items last month and had more than 200 Yeezy sneakers, boots, and slides on offer. Foot Locker stopped selling Yeezy shoes at its stores last month and said it would not support "any future Yeezy product drops." It was not clear if Farfetch had pulled Yeezy products from its site over West's antisemitic remarks and controversial behavior.

☆ Kanye West showed Yeezy staff an explicit video of Kim Kardashian and played his own sex tapes for them: Rolling Stone
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

West also showed Yeezy's creative team an explicit video of Kardashian, per Rolling Stone's sources. At this meeting, West screened an explicit video of Kardashian, according to Rolling Stone's interview with a person who says they saw the video. The staff member told Rolling Stone that West whipped out his phone and said: "My wife just sent me this." Rolling Stone also reported on other incidents where West played pornography — not involving Kardashian — in front of Yeezy collaborators. A Yeezy collaborator told Rolling Stone West showed him an explicit video of porn star Francesca Le engaged in a sexual act with another woman.

☆ Kanye West is still worth about $400 million despite being dropped by multiple brands. Here's how he spent his money.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Major companies have severed ties with Kanye West in the wake of recent antisemitic comments. West's net worth has been slashed, per Forbes, but he's still worth $400 million. He's now lost the long-sought title, but he's clung onto a healthy $400 million, per Forbes. West was dropped by big brands, including Balenciaga, Gap, Vogue, and — perhaps most crushingly — Adidas. was dropped by Def Jam, per The New York Times, and he's no longer represented by Creative Artists Agency.

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