Kanye West Now Owes $1m In Unpaid Tax As His Attorney Quits & Lawsuits Mount

Kanye West is grappling with an escalating tax burden and financial disarray, adding to his already substantial unpaid taxes. His various enterprises, including Yeezy, now owe a total of $1,064,221 in unpaid taxes and property taxes.

As of January, Kanye’s tax debts exceeded $1 million, a figure that has only continued to grow. Recently, two additional tax bills related to his $14 million Monster Lake Ranch in Cody, Wyoming, have been added to the tally.

Despite selling the ranch after three years on the market, his firm Psalm Cody Ranch LLC owes $2,780.33 and $2,966.66 in property taxes, both due in May.

Yeezy Apparel is also struggling with four outstanding tax liens totaling $934,033. Additionally, Donda Services has a tax lien of $10,924, and Yeezy Construction owes $12,425. Two of Kanye’s Los Angeles properties have liens totaling $101,093.

All We Know About Kanye’s Financial Decline

These financial woes raise questions about the state of Kanye’s fortune, especially since his net worth reportedly plummeted to $400 million two years ago.

Forbes attributed this drop to a combination of real estate, cash, his music catalog, and a 5% stake in his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company, Skims.

Despite these challenges, Yeezy reportedly generated $70 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2024, with $19 million earned on the first day of February following a Yeezy Super Bowl advertisement.

However, the Yeezy site is now winding down operations, halting further orders, and fulfilling just under 6,000 orders at a slow pace. This temporary closure is expected to cost Kanye millions.

Kanye West’s Team In Disarray

Kanye’s team appears to be in disarray, with a shift from full-time contracts to freelance hiring. Many of these freelancers have been sourced from Adidas and the London-based fashion apparel firm Mowalola.

Mowalola Ogunlesi, formerly Yeezy Gap’s Design Director, continues to work with Kanye on some of his wife’s controversial designs.

Since April 2022, at least six Mowalola team members have been working freelance for Kanye while maintaining their positions at Mowalola.

Additionally, some staff members have been contracted by Adidas, which severed ties with Kanye following his anti-Semitic remarks, a move he claimed cost him $2 billion in a single day. This has resulted in a portion of his team being based remotely in London.

Kanye has also turned to fashion students, interns, and individuals with little experience, advertising on Craigslist and social media. His wife, Bianca, who was studying for her Master’s Degree in architecture at Melbourne University, was appointed Head of Architecture at Yeezy in November 2020 despite having only internship experience.

Kanye’s Ongoing Legal Battles

Kanye’s chaotic lifestyle is further compounded by numerous lawsuits for unpaid wages and alleged harassment of employees.

Last year, The U.S. Sun reported that Kanye “doesn’t give a crap” about the lawsuits, a sentiment that appears unchanged. His lawyer, Brian Brumfield, recently resigned from two cases, citing Kanye’s refusal to communicate or pay legal fees.

A legal insider familiar with Kanye’s dealings believes the issue is more about control than money.

“Dealing with him in a lawsuit is impossible,” the insider said. “There’s no compromise or reasonable behavior from him or his attorneys, who get barely any direction from him, so just keep the suit rolling – and keep billing him. It’s about retaining unpredictable control and making the other side sweat, showing that the lawsuit means absolutely nothing to Kanye. It makes any legal action protracted and difficult.”

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