
Shelagh Fogarty 1pm - 4pm
25 April 2020, 11:42
Hip hop icon and fashion designer Kanye West has officially become a billionaire, according to Forbes magazine.
The American business publication said the rapper, who has long coveted the status, now has a net worth valued at $1.3 billion (£1.05 billion).
Among his riches includes his stake in the Yeezy trainers line, which Forbes describes as "one of the great retail stories of the century," at $1.26 billion (£1.02 billion).
However, West was unhappy with the magazine's valuation, claiming he was actually worth far more.
He reportedly sent a text one of their employees, saying: "It's 3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count."
The rapper is also reported as having $17 million in cash, $35 million in stocks, $81 million in property and $21 million in land.
Along with his reality TV star wife Kim Kardashian, the pair are known to own several properties in Los Angeles and Wyoming.
The 42-year-old is also one of the most acclaimed and highest-selling musicians of the last two decades.
In total, his GOOD Music and the rights to his back catalogue is worth at least $90 million (£73 million), Forbes said.
However, the publication stressed there was a lack of independent verification for the figures.
It also added that the fashion designer has debt worth around $100 million (£81 million).
His worth puts him above his sister-in-law Kylie Jenner who has a $1 billion net worth - drawn mostly from her cosmetic business.