West did not respond to request for comment.

Calculations of West’s wealth have long been muddled by his own exaggerations, but Forbes eventually declared him a billionaire in 2020, following repeated requests from the musician and fashion designer. He’s now lost the long-sought title, but he’s clung onto a healthy US$400 million, per Forbes.

So how exactly does he make and spend his fortune?

He has an extremely popular music catalogue

West’s income from album sales isn’t known, but he’s sold an estimated 160 million records – making him one of the world’s bestselling recording artists.

He’s also still making money from streaming, even in the wake of his recent offensive comments. The 45-year-old’s music remains available across most major platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music – and that’s unlikely to change, per The Los Angeles Times.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told Reuters that, although he considers West’s anti-Semitic comments “just awful”, those messages don’t feature in West’s music, so don’t affect his future on Spotify. “It’s really just his music, and his music doesn’t violate our policy,” said Ek.

Although radio airplay is down, per Billboard, West’s streaming figures are still strong.

Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music did not respond to request for comment.

His expansive property portfolio

In 2020, West’s internal team told Forbes that he held US$81 million in “buildings and improvements” and US$21 million in land – mostly encompassing his various personal homes.

Stand-out properties include West’s two huge US$14 million ranches in Wyoming, which he picked up in 2019. About 160km apart, they include a restaurant and saloon, an event venue, numerous horse barns, multiple guest cabins and a state-of-the-art shooting range.

Other purchases have been pricier. In September 2021, per Dirt, West splurged US$57 million on a bunker-style mansion in Malibu in an off-market deal.

The concrete property, previously home to financier Richard Sachs, was designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando and, according to Architectural Digest, is characteristic of West’s minimalist style.

Tanks, supercars and sparkling jewels

West has picked up plenty of pricey assets over the years – including tanks, supercars and sparkling jewels. In 2020, his team told Forbes he held vehicles worth about US$3.8 million and livestock valued at almost US$300,000.

One of West’s most outlandish purchases was a US$500,000 superfast luxury tank, which he’s since sold. This was just one element of his wild array of off-roaders, which includes a fleet of amphibious all-terrain vehicles.

West also has an extensive collection of supercars, per GQ, including a Porsche 991 and a Lamborghini Urus. He also owns a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss – one of just 75 built – as well as his recently modified BAC Mono “Yemobile”, per Hypebeast.

Beyond vehicles, West also splashes the cash on fashion. Way back in 2011, West bought a diamond-encrusted timepiece from luxury watchmaker Tiret for US$180,000, per Time.

West still holds a five per cent stake in Kim Kardashian’s fashion brand Skims

Back in 2019, in an interview with The New York Times, Kardashian said Ye’s input was central to shaping the brand’s aesthetic – calling him the “ghost creative director”.

In October, however, Skims told The New York Times that Ye has “no active role” at the company, describing him as a “small minority shareholder”.

Skims did not respond to a request for comment.