# Kanye West is $53 MM in debt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220 "2016-02-15T18:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/1 "2016-02-15T18:20:23Z")
So, apparently Kanye West is broke. [Really, really broke.](http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/02/15/kanye-west-says-hes-53-million-in-debt/?intcmp=hpbt4) To the tune of $53 million. And he wants Mark Zuckerberg to just give him a billion dollars because he’s such a damn genius :rolleyes: How the hell does a guy like him end up in a $53 million hole? Even if he was literally using $100 bills to wipe his ass, wouldn’t the worst that could happen would be he ends up worth noting? Did he lose a big lawsuit, or own a company that went bust, or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/2 "2016-02-15T18:26:51Z")
According to the link, it seems his clothing company is tanking, and he keeps sinking more and more of his millions into it. Guess he’s not the all-around wiz he thinks he is. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/3 "2016-02-15T18:48:38Z")
As always with Kanye West, I’m still waiting to get the joke. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/4 "2016-02-15T18:51:05Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > According to the link, it seems his clothing company is tanking, and he keeps sinking more and more of his millions into it. Guess he’s not the all-around wiz he thinks he is. Have you SEEN his clothing line??? :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: In spite of his sucking-up celebrity friends attending his zombie fashion shows, does he expect anyone to actually buy any of those abortions? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/5 "2016-02-15T19:01:46Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Have you SEEN his clothing line??? :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: > > In spite of his sucking-up celebrity friends attending his zombie fashion shows, does he expect anyone to actually buy any of those abortions? I have not seen his clothing line and googling doesn’t seem to bring up much beyond women in pantyhose with white bikini bottoms over or under them (hard to tell which) and a guy in work boots with cargo pants and a matching jacket. Oh, and a bunch of shirts that say YEEZUS. Can you show some examples of “those abortions”? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/6 "2016-02-15T19:30:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Can you show some examples of “those abortions”? Not even cameras want to take a picture of that crap. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/7 "2016-02-15T19:31:15Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Not even cameras want to take a picture of that crap. > 😃 Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/8 "2016-02-15T19:41:24Z")
He’s living large. Like Jacko. And like Jacko, there isn’t anyone in his entourage that he’ll listen to who can tell him “No.” Maybe his in-laws will start. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/9 "2016-02-15T19:47:09Z")
The article mentions that he tweeted Mark Zuckerberg essentially to beg for a billion-dollar investment, saying he (Kanye) is “the greatest living artist and the greatest artist of all time.” The guy is seriously deluded. Amusingly, though, various people replied to the tweet to point out that if you want to get Zuckerberg’s attention, it might make more sense to contact him via Facebook. Edited to add, it’s like if you’re going to a meeting at Dell, don’t walk in carrying a Macbook. Or if you’re meeting with Lee Jeans, you might want to change out of those Levi’s. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/10 "2016-02-15T19:57:28Z")
I have trouble believing he is personally on the hook for that much. I am sure his fashion business is failing, but I cannot imagine he is isn’t legally protected from the business debts. I know he said he was broke, but he also said he was rich on SNL a couple days ago. That said, his frequent collaborator publicly stated Kanye needed physiatric help, so maybe he really is dumb enough to take on that much debt. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/11 "2016-02-15T20:12:48Z")
I knew this story was coming when I saw the publicity photo for the release of his clothing line. It’s all baggy, oversized, looks like prison wear. And get this, it was all beige! As astounded as I was that any one would pay large for shoes with his name on, even I knew no one was stupid enough to buy that clothing! Mark doesn’t strike me as stupid enough to make an investment in this guy! ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/12 "2016-02-15T20:18:40Z")
Probably his company owns the debt. I guess Kanye’s gonna live off of Kim’s $$. The worst part of the story, IMHO, was the nonsense about how he “made” Taylor Swift. > [@](#): > > Kanye West and Taylor Swift are now at war over one of his new songs, in which he raps, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex, I made that bitch famous.” [Article](http://www.tmz.com/2016/02/12/kanye-west-taylor-swifts-song-bitch-sex/#ixzz40GniDoye) Kanye is flat out nuts. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/13 "2016-02-15T20:20:38Z")
I am surprised anyone is shocked by this. It is pretty routine in this country for people to get really rich doing things that don’t really involve money (acting/music/lottery/etc) and then going broke. Nicholas Cage blew through about 150 million. MC Hammer blew ~33 million. Curt Schilling blew 50 mil. Tyson, well, he blew 400 million. Slee ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/14 "2016-02-15T20:25:04Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > How the hell does a guy like him end up in a $53 million hole? Even if he was literally using $100 bills to wipe his ass, wouldn’t the worst that could happen would be he ends up worth noting? I don’t know why you would assume that. When you’re worth millions, you don’t have a $200,000 mortgage, you have a $20,000,000 mortgage. Nobody expects you to buy that yacht with cash. And now that you own a mansion and a yacht, you realize that it costs $1 million a year just to keep them from falling apart. This is also why lottery winners mostly wind up broke. The bottom line is that you can always spend more than you make, and you can always borrow more than you have. That financial wisdom applies to people on welfare just as well as millionaires. People who assume they could make ends meet if they just had a little more money will spend themselves into debt no matter how much money you give them. As far as Kanye’s fashion line goes: here’s a 9/20/15 article and some truly atrocious photos: [http://www.eurweb.com/2015/09/ice-t-blasts-kanye-wests-fashion-line-future-slave-gear/](http://www.eurweb.com/2015/09/ice-t-blasts-kanye-wests-fashion-line-future-slave-gear/) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/15 "2016-02-15T20:32:27Z")
Maybe his wife can give him a loan. But I have a feeling even SHE is too smart for that. Which says something about both of them. He’s married to one of the Kartrashians, right? Or he could sell a bunch of pics of his kids. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/16 "2016-02-15T20:33:27Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > I have trouble believing he is personally on the hook for that much. I am sure his fashion business is failing, but I cannot imagine he is isn’t legally protected from the business debts. I know he said he was broke, but he also said he was rich on SNL a couple days ago. That said, his frequent collaborator publicly stated Kanye needed physiatric help, so maybe he really is dumb enough to take on that much debt. I am sure Mark Zuckerberg’s check is in the mail. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/17 "2016-02-15T20:34:51Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > As far as Kanye’s fashion line goes: here’s a 9/20/15 article and some truly atrocious photos: [http://www.eurweb.com/2015/09/ice-t-blasts-kanye-wests-fashion-line-future-slave-gear/](http://www.eurweb.com/2015/09/ice-t-blasts-kanye-wests-fashion-line-future-slave-gear/) Wow; that’s some seriously fugly clothing there! Most of the sleeves are so long no one has any hands. The women look like, um… gimme a sec… um… they look like… shit, they just look terrible, like nothing anyone who wasn’t being paid to look like that would ever want to look. Is Kanye’s fashion vision that it’s a post-Skynet world and we’re all just scavenging clothing as best we can? Oh, and it’s all been dyed beige, olive green or black? Where’s the “holds nose” emoji? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/18 "2016-02-15T20:50:11Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > I am sure Mark Zuckerberg’s check is in the mail. Mr. Z is still recovering from all the money he gave out in that last Facebook “like and share” promotion. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/19 "2016-02-15T21:33:21Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Or he could sell a bunch of pics of his kids. Cue the TLC promos for their newest show, _North & Saint: Countdown to Therapy_. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220/20 "2016-02-15T21:43:46Z")
Wow, that means I’m worth $53,000,125 more than Kanye West? Somehow, he seems to be living a much more lavish lifestyle than I do though. I must be doing it wrong. That’s it! I’m going to go shopping for a helicopter this afternoon. Maybe I’ll be worth noting too. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kanye-west-is-53-mm-in-debt/746220.md?page=2)