How Rich Is Dr. Dre and Kanye West Now That Both Musicians Are Facing a Crisis?
Both Dr. Dre and Kanye West are trending for facing simultaneous personal hardships. Dre is hospitalized with a brain aneurysm and West is seemingly headed for divorce from wife Kim Kardashian.
West and Dre have both amassed a significant fortune, which can certainly provide a financial liferaft during tough times, but which artist is richer? Stacked back to back from the 2019 Forbes list, West was behind Dre. Forbes listed West as having a net worth of $240 million in early 2019. Meanwhile, Forbes put Dre at $800 million.
However, Forbes updated its listing on West in 2020. The financial news source stated West was actually at $1.3 billion, which he pointed out was $300,000 more than (soon to be) former sister-in-law Kylie Jenner.
How did Dr. Dre make his money?
Dre is an icon in the world of rap and hip hop, rising to fame in the 1980s as part of the groundbreaking group N.W.A. He quickly moved on to producing, launching Death Row Records in 1992. Then he created Aftermath records in 1996.
Dre’s net worth rose to $800 million after he sold his “Beats by Dre” to Apple in 2014 for $3 billion, The Sun reports. While Dre’s labels were a significant source of wealth, he was also instrumental in launching the careers of heavy hitters like Eminem and 50 Cent.
The mogul is also a smart investor, owning properties valuing $80 million. This includes a sprawling Brentwood mansion he paid $40 million, plus a $12.5 beach home in Malibu.
Dre recently made headlines when he was hospitalized with a brain aneurysm. He shared he is recovering and thanked fans for well wishes. “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes,” he posted on Instagram on Jan.6, 2021. “I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!”
Kanye West has multiple brands and partnerships which fuels his net worth
West burst onto the hip hop scene in the mid-’90s, quickly gaining popularity and drawing attention through his music, but also his antics. And while he planted the seeds of his fortune through music, becoming a fashion entrepreneur is what jolted him to billionaire status. The streetwear brand, Yeezy was valued at $3 billion in 2019, Business Insider reports.
Yeezy’s marketing strategies proved to be genius as he creates a groundswell around product launches and partners the launch with a limited supply. Kim Kardashian has also helped her soon to be ex-husband with branding and marketing as she has appeared in Yeezy campaigns.
Finances may become entangled as several sources report that Kardashian and West are headed for an “imminent” divorce. West has reportedly been living apart from Kardashian and has taken up residence in Wyoming.
The couple’s main residence is in California where divorce assets are divided equally. Kardashian has a reported net worth of $900 million. The couple has a prenuptial agreement where Kardashian would be awarded $1 million for every year of marriage, according to Radar Online.
