Ye, better known as Kanye West, is a style icon, fashion designer, father, and talented musician, a celebrity looked up to and admired by many since his initial fame. However, his recent antisemitic comments and attacks towards Jewish people have cost him brand partnerships, followers, fans, and his legacy. 

One of the biggest reasons for his fame is his relationship with reality and media star Kim Kardashian. The two got married in 2014 and had four beautiful children: North, Chicago, Saint, and Psalm. The powerful couple was inseparable and loved by all, but they divorced at the beginning of 2022. It was a brutal, almost two-year-long divorce, and it pushed Kanye off the deep end. Although ‘Kimye shippers’ were sad to see them part, Kim Kardashian’s fans supported her decision for the sake of her happiness and that of their children. Kanye, on the other hand, went into a spiral after his wife pulled the plug on their marriage. He unfollowed all of the Kardashian sisters in June of 2022 and posted threatening messages to Kim and her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

Since then, Kanye has used his social media as an outlet to express his feelings and emotions. He uploaded text messages and exchanges between him and Kardashian, and exposed the private lives of her and their children. Not only that, but he continued to make racially insensitive comments and caused people fear, distress, and anger. Kanye tweeted, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” Not only is this incredibly offensive, but also threatening to the Jewish community. Now, he will finally face the consequences of his actions. For a few weeks, Adidas has questioned its partnership with the rapper because of his inappropriate actions. Kanye West’s Yeezy brand accounts for between $1 and $2 billion in Adidas’s annual sales. As his behavior has progressed, the brand finally announced on October 25 that it would be officially ending its partnership with Kanye West. This partnership lasted almost a decade and annually generated nearly $100 million for him.

Following Adidas’s choice to cut ties, other brands, such as Balenciaga and Gap, have also ended their partnerships with West. Ye claims that he lost $2 billion in a single day after all of these companies decided to end their relationships with him. He captioned his Instagram post, “I LOST 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN ONE DAY AND I’M STILL ALIVE. THIS IS LOVE SPEECH. I STILL LOVE YOU. GOD STILL LOVES YOU.” Because of how much of West’s net worth consisted of his partnership with Adidas, he lost his billionaire status, with his net worth falling from $2 billion to $400 million. Kim Kardashian has not directly responded to Kanye’s actions, but posted an Instagram story expressing her disappointment: “Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.” 

So, what will the rapper’s future look like? The rest of his net worth is made up of his music, real estate, and stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s clothing line Skims. He even showed up to the Skechers corporate office in Los Angeles to spark a brand deal, and he was instantly turned away. Kanye has caused controversy not only for his antisemitic comments, but also for his insensitive posts, tweets, and decisions. Hopefully, West will learn from his actions and improve his behaviors in the future for the sake of his family, the minority groups he has spoken out against, and for himself.