Forbes names Rapper Kanye West as the richest black person in US history

US producer, rapper, and fashion mogul Kanye West is now worth a whopping $6.6 billion, to become the richest African American in the United States, according to Forbes Magazine.

He is now also the third richest celebrity in the world, behind only Steven Spielberg ($7 billion) and George Lucas ($10 billion).

He is also reportedly the richest Black person in American history.

He jumps from fourth place to first place, surpassing Oprah Winfrey’s $3.5 billion net worth, David Steward’s $3.9 billion net worth and Robert F. Smith’s $6.5 billion. Michael Jordan is now the fifth-richest Black person in the US, with a net worth of $2.2 billion.

Led by his popular Yeezy brand, which has partnered with Adidas and Gap Inc., the brand is now worth between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion by UBS Group AG.

West has also amassed $122 million in cash, stock and investments in estranged wife Kim Kardashian’s clothing line, SKIMS, as well as $110 million from his music catalogue.

Last year, West claimed that his net worth was more than $3 billion, which is more than billionaires such as Oprah Winfrey, but that report wasn’t accurate. Forbes reported that his net worth at the time was $1.3 billion, but to that, West said, “It’s not a billion. It’s $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.”

West has full control and ownership over the Yeezy brand and has signed a 10-year contract to sell clothing under the YZY/GAP umbrella. Citing the document obtained by their outlet, Bloomberg noted that the new Gap line is expected “to break $150 million in sales in its first full year in 2022.”