They Bet on Kanye West. It Ended in 18 Days and Cost $1.3 Billion

The Adidas Yeezy deal made Kanye West a billionaire — then left Adidas with $1.3 billion in shoes it couldn't sell. From the 2013 royalty deal that lured West from Nike to the $350 Yeezy Boosts reselling for over $1,000, it traces how Yeezy hit $1.7 billion in annual sales and $191 million in royalties. It follows the 18-day split in October 2022, the 1.2 billion euro warning, and the two-year sell-off that raised 1.4 billion euros and funded 260 million euros in donations. adidas yeezy, kanye west, yeezy boost, adidas x yeezy, nike air yeezy, sneaker industry, sportswear business, bjorn gulden, adidas yeezy deal explained, why did adidas drop kanye, what happened to yeezy shoes, how much did yeezy make adidas, why are yeezy shoes so expensive, adidas yeezy sales, kanye west billionaire, yeezy royalty deal, adidas vs nike, what did adidas do with yeezy stock