HE HAS had a wildly successful music career and has now announced he is running for US president in 2020.
It seems Kanye West's string of high-profile business ventures have paid off, with Forbes crowning him a billionaire – with a net worth of just over £1m. But who is the American rapper, and how did he become one of the richest people on the planet?
What is Kanye's net worth?
The star is now worth $1.26bn – or just over £1m – according to the prestigious Forbes magazine.
His wealth includes $17 million in cash, $35 million in stocks, $81 million in "buildings and improvements" and $21 million in land.
Just a couple of years ago, he was estimated to be worth $250 million, with the majority of his earnings then coming from music, merchandise and touring.
In the new report, Kanye actually claims his wealth amounts to $3.3bn – but Forbes disagreed it was that high.
Meanwhile, his reality TV star wife Kim is holding up just fine with her own net worth, which currently stands at $900 million.
Does Kanye want to be US President?
The American rap star has posted a message on Twitter today suggesting he was entering the 2020 presidential race.
He wrote: "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future.
"I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION."
Tesla chief executive Musk responded to West's tweet, saying: "You have my full support!"
West's wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, also responded to her husband's message by retweeting it with an emoji depicting the American flag.
West first expressed his desire to get into the White House at the MTV Video Music Awards back in 2015.
He told the crowd: "As you probably could’ve guessed by this moment, I have decided, in 2020, to run for president."
Although admitting he did not know much about politics, he reckoned he was qualified because of his "view on humanity, on people and the truth".
On September 2, 2018 Kanye West claimed he was "seriously considering" running for president in 2024.
He also said being an entrepreneur has prepared him for the hot seat, adding: "You should not be president unless you've ran a multi-billion dollar business."
What is Kanye West's background?
Kanye was born in Atlanta on June 7, 1977 to Ray and Dondra West, who divorced when he was three-years-old.
He and his mother then moved to Chicago, where Kanye became involved in the hip hop scene from a young age.
The rapper started making music when he was 13 after he persuaded his mother to pay for him to use a recording studio.
When he was 15, he met hip-hop and R&B music producer No. I.D. who quickly became his mentor.
Kanye received a scholarship to Chicago's American Academy of Art but dropped out when he was 20 to pursue his music career.
How did he get his start in music?
Kanye started out in the music industry as a producer and got his first credits aged 19 when he produced some tracks for rapper Grav.
He then formed and became a member and producer of rap group the Go-Getters.
In the late Nineties, he produced records for artists such as Foxy Brown and Harlem World before landing a job at Roc-A-Fella Records in 2000, where he was credited with helping to revitalise Jay-Z’s career because of his contributions to his influential 2001 album The Blueprint.
When did Kanye land his big break?
Despite being a successful producer, Kanye’s dream was to become a rapper but he struggled to get a record deal until the then-head of Roc-A-Fella signed him to the label, which was initially reluctant to take him on as an artist.
Then, after a near-fatal crash in 2002 which left him with a shattered jaw, he was inspired to write Through The Wire which would become his debut single and laid the foundations for his debut album The College Dropout.
What are some of his biggest songs?
Kanye has had many chart hits but his most recognised ones are probably Gold Digger featuring Jamie Foxx, Stronger, Niggas in Paris and FourFiveSeconds with Rihanna and Paul McCartney.
His other hits include:
- Bound 2
- Jesus Walks
- Love Lockdown
- N***** In Paris
- Hey Mama
- Real Friends
- Homecoming
- Gorgeous
- Through the Wire
- New Slaves
- Runaway
- Touch The Sky
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