Kanye West Is Currently The Highest-Paid Musician In The World, According To Forbes
Yesterday, we learned that Kanye West had recently spent a bunch of money in a very good, very unlikely way for Kanye (which is to say, it wasn’t some out-of-touch weird rich person property flex or a massive waste of plywood and nails). Kanye donated $2 million to the families and legal teams fighting for justice for the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. He also set up a college fund for George’s 6-year-old daughter Gianna. It’s a good thing Kanye opened up his beige Yeezy sweatpants pockets, but now we’re learning he probably didn’t break that much of a sweat while doing it. Because Forbes has just named Kanye West the highest-paid musician of 2020.
Forbes compiled a list of their 100 highest-earning celebrities of 2020, and Kanye topped all the other musicians. Kanye made a reported $170 million this year. Forbes claims most of his money is from his shoe deal with Adidas, as well as profits from his Yeezy clothing brand, which he owns outright. He also made a good chunk of his money this year from his invite-only Sunday Service pseudo-church services. But wait? How do you make money from something that Jesus Christ very clearly stated wasn’t a for-profit situation? Duh, you set up tables selling overpriced socks and charge $55 for microwave bacon. And here Jesus was giving bread and fish away for free, like a sucker. No wonder he’s not on the top of Forbes’ list!
Speaking of the top spot. Kanye’s rank as the highest-paid musician only got him to the #2 spot on Forbes’ list of the Highest-Paid Celebrities of 2020. The number-one celebrity with too much money was none other than Forbes’ current enemy, Kylie Jenner. Last month they called out Kylie Jenner for faking her tax returns in an attempt to steal the crown as the youngest billionaire in the world. Now they’re naming her the Highest-Paid Celebrity of 2020. Although the did keep it just a tiny bit shady by loudly and proudly publishing that she only made $590 million this year. I’m shocked that Forbes didn’t publish that number with an asterisk attached, with a footnote that reads: *At least we’ve been told she made $590 million.
You can see the whole 100-celebrity list here, but this is the top 10:
1. Kylie Jenner (being famous/cosmetics/possible tax fraud) – $590 million
2. Kanye West (music/fashion) – $170 million
3. Roger Federer (tennis) – $106.3 million
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer) – $105 million
5. Lionel Messi (soccer) – $104 million
6. Tyler Perry (film/television production) – $97 million
7. Neymar (soccer) – $95.5 million
8. Howard Stern (radio) – $90 million
9. LeBron James (basketball) – $88.2 million
10. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (acting) – $87.5 million
It’s important to note that not only is Kylie the only woman in the top ten, she’s only one of four women in the top 25 (the others being Ellen DeGeneres at #12, Ariana Grande at #17, and Taylor Swift at #25).
The Kanye of 2019 (and 2018…and 2017) probably would have celebrated this achievement by bragging about how much money he’s got on Twitter. Or using Twitter to fire off a series of tweets directed at Forbes for listing him as Kanye West and not Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West. But even Kanye knows that now is not the time for that. After Kanye set up his donations, he hit the streets in Chicago to protest police brutality. NBC Chicago says that Kanye joined Chicago Public School students yesterday to protest the murder of George Floyd, the same day his memorial service was held in Minneapolis.
Kanye West joins the #BlackLivesMatter protest in Chicago
He also reportedly donated $2M to the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd and set up a college fund for Floyd's daughter Gianna 🙏🏾 #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/zH1uhXbJDF
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) June 5, 2020
KANYE WEST PROTESTING IN THE STREETS OF CHICAGO pic.twitter.com/0UxWODt6NU
— Ⓜ️ (@WashedMel) June 5, 2020
No word on if Kanye is still going to vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming election. But maybe Kanye thinks differently now. Kanye and Kim Kardashian have reportedly not had much contact during the COVID-19 quarantine. So it could be that for the past couple of years, Kanye was confused and disoriented by all the toxic off-gassing fumes he was breathing in from Kim’s plastic body. And now that he’s breathing fresh air again, his brain isn’t warped by MAGA thoughts. That might be it.
Pic: Wenn.com