Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has come a long way from his modest childhood home in Chicago. With a stellar career as a successful musician, fashion designer and businessman, it's no surprise that he has some impressive real estate under his belt. Yet, recent controversy—ranging from anti-Semitic comments to claims of bullying and intimidation from his Yeezy team—threatens to destroy an empire he has fought so hard to achieve.

The rapper has always courted controversy but his growing extremism—including promoting clothing with the much-criticised slogan ‘White Lives Matter’—prompted Adidas and other companies to cut ties with him, with Ye claiming he lost $2 billion (£1.7bn) overnight. He was axed from Instagram and Twitter, although he has since been reinstated, and most recently confirmed he will be running in the 2024 Presidential Campaign. This year he has also been negotiating the final details of his divorce from Kim Kardashian, which took a nasty turn when Ye publicly called out Kim's then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson, sharing screengrabs of messages sent between them.

Despite a rocky year, in which the pair were declared legally single in March, Kanye and Kim Kardashian have finally agreed a settlement over the remaining issues of custody and child maintenance. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, Sky News reports that they will share joint custody of their four children. Ye will pay Kardashian $200,000 (£166,000) a month in child support and they will split the cost of their children's private security, private schooling, and future university fees. Neither will pay the other spousal support, and they will each pay their own debts.

Kanye is known to have been a big supporter of Trump in the past, seen here at the White House in 2018. He paid a recent visit to Mar-a-Lago—with white nationalist Nick Fuentes in tow— to ask the former president to be his running mate, which did not go down well. Kanye claimed Trump screamed at him, a claim the former president denied. Posting on his Truth Social account, Trump dismissed Ye as “a seriously troubled man, who just happens to be black,” and advised him not to run for office.

Ye may do well to focus on his business interests, which have taken a hit following recent scandals. The rapper has embraced the cutting of ties with the big corporations and plans to sell Balenciaga, Adidas, and Gap hoodies for $20 (£17) direct to his audience. Meanwhile, he is facing claims of bullying from employees, who accuse him of creating a “toxic and chaotic environment” at work, according to a Rolling Stone report. It's the latest twist in what has been a stratospheric rise to the top, but where did Kanye start out and how did we get here? Let's take a look back at Kanye's rags-to-riches story and the properties he owns...

Life seems to have taken an unexpected turn since he split from Kim Kardashian. With a settlement reached and both stars declared legally single, Ye purchased a Hidden Hills home across the street from his ex-wife in December 2021, and is said to be renovating, a new Brutalist-inspired home in Malibu, as well as reportedly snapping up a home in Antwerp Belgium. Plus he has taken his Wyoming ranch off the market after listing it in October 2021. He hasn't always had so many palatial properties to choose from however..

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, Georgia on 8 June 1977. When his parents, Donda and Ray, divorced when he was just three, the young star and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 10, Kanye moved to China (pictured) for a year with Donda, where she taught at Nanjing University as part of an exchange programme.

After returning to the US, Kanye and Donda moved back to Chicago and the pair lived in this modest timber home in the middle-class South Shore neighbourhood of the Windy City. Recently, the rapper recreated his childhood home inside Chicago's Soldier Field Stadium for the third and final listening event of his latest album, Donda. His mother, who was an English Professor at Chicago State University and also the star's manager, sadly passed away in November 2007.

Spread over 1,673 square feet, the latest listing pictures show that the once-loved home has been empty for some time and is in a state of disrepair. Inside, the family home features a living room, dining space, kitchen, four bedrooms and one bathroom.

Built in 1900, the home sits on a 7,000-square-foot plot and is awash with period features that are in dire need of renovation. From the vaulted ceilings to the hardwood floors and carved wooden doors, the forlorn structure could easily become a beautiful home again once the old house is restored to its former glory. 

After moving back to Chicago, Kanye become interested in the music scene and eventually managed to gain a mentor in DJ and producer No I.D. West graduated from Polaris High School and won a scholarship to study at the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1997, before transferring to Chicago State University to study English. However, he soon dropped out of college to pursue his music career. 

His childhood home was sold in 2003, but the property has been on and off the market several times over the years at varying price tags. Then in January 2019, Kanye bought the home back for $225,000 (£186k) under a limited liability company he set up under his mother's name, Donda Services. According to the New York Post, it's thought that he's now renovating the house.

After working with local artists in Chicago, Kanye upped sticks to New York in 2001 and got his big break working on the production of the hit track 'This Can't Be Life' by Jay-Z, as well as the star's later album Blueprint. Determined to pursue his own music career, Kanye signed with Roc-A-Fella Records, but shortly after, he shattered his jaw in a car crash. Not one to pass up on an opportunity, he decided to record a song about the experience – 'Through The Wire', which he rapped with his jaw still wired closed. West's first album was released in February 2004 and sold 2.6 million copies, finally making West a star in his own right. 

In 2003, just as West emerged as a solo rap artist and producer, collaborating with Jamie Foxx on the single 'Slow Jamz', his very first chart-topping single, he took his first steps on the property ladder and splashed out on this minimalist home in the Hollywood Hills for just shy of $1.8 million (£1.5m). The sleek home was just the start of Kanye's property journey but set the scene for the minimalist and sophisticated interior style that he has since become known for. 

Inside, the 4,200-square-foot home boasts hardwood floors, stunning high ceilings and sliding glass doors that bring in an abundance of light. Built in 2002, Kanye was the first owner of the lavish house, and with a spacious open floor plan and balcony space, it would have been the perfect space for him to pen his first album. 

The ideal spot for candlelit dinners, the dining room features picture windows that look out over the Los Angeles skyline. The pad would have been perfect for Kanye's bachelor lifestyle before he began dating former friend Kim Kardashian in 2011. 

Spread over three storeys, the home also offers luxury amenities such as a media room and a bar space, making it excellent for entertaining. Sitting behind private gates in the Nichols Canyon area of Los Angeles, the home was an obvious choice for the privacy-loving rapper. 

Elsewhere there are three bedrooms, including the master suite which boasts an ensuite bathroom complete with a bath that sits next to the picture window. After 15 years, Kanye sold the home for just shy of $3 million (£2.5m) in 2017. 

As his debut album hit airwaves in 2004, Kanye decided to purchase an apartment on the fourth floor of this apartment block in the trendy Soho area of New York. In 2004 he reportedly bought a 1,500-square-foot unit for just shy of $1.9 million (£1.6m), and in 2006 went on to buy the apartment next door for $1.25 million (£1.1m). 

The rapper then hired Italian architect Claudio Silvestrin to combine and transform the spaces to suit the minimalist aesthetic that West has become known for. Transformed into a stunning 2,400-square-foot home, the apartment and its décor were also said to have inspired West's Yeezy Season 2 clothing collection. 

Streamlined and neutral, the apartment boasts a window-lined living room and dining room in one corner, while the other is home to a small, compact kitchen with high-end appliances, pearwood cabinets and a stone centre island. The sophisticated space would've been the perfect base for Kanye to enjoy life in the Big Apple. 

With two bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms, the city pad squeezes lots of luxury finishes into its compact floor plan. The spacious master suite has a hallway lined with full-height wardrobes, a bathroom with heated flooring and a stone island that includes a bath and a sink. In 2011, having been friends since the late 2000s, Kanye started dating reality star Kim Kardashian and the two went on to spend plenty of time together in the Soho loft.

Kanye also had access to two private storage units, laundry facilities, a home automation system and custom lighting and audio technology. The star eventually sold on the apartment for a reported $3 million (£2.6m) in May 2018 in an off-market deal. 

In January 2013, not long after Kanye announced that Kim was pregnant with their first child during a New Year's Eve performance in Atlantic City, the couple purchased their first piece of real estate together. They chose to spend their money on this Bel Air mansion, which cost them $9 million (almost £8m). The celebrity couple renovated the property to match their minimalist style and then went on to sell it at a much higher price in 2017 for $17.8 million (£14m). 

Hidden away in the guard-gated community of Bel Air Crest, the home was the perfect retreat for Kim and Kanye to start their family. The spacious living room features a concrete fireplace and a wall of glass that looks out over the stunning Los Angeles skyline. 

The kitchen is just as minimal in its style with sleek stainless steel appliances and a long slim centre island. Perfect for their growing brood, elsewhere there are six bedrooms and eight bathrooms spread over 9,000 square feet of space. 

With a luxurious swimming pool, a sheltered patio and an outside dining table, the grounds easily compete with other billionaire backyards in the notoriously high-end area. It's definitely an alfresco spread worthy of a Kardashian dinner party! 

After marrying Kim in an extravagant ceremony in Italy in 2014, the newlyweds snapped up their Hidden Hills mansion. The pair splashed out $20 million (£17m) on the home, plus an additional $20 million (£17m) on extensive renovations to meet Kanye's minimal aesthetic. The renovations took a whopping three years, so Kim and Kanye set up home at Kris Jenner's mansion across the street until they could move in. 

While Kanye imposed a filming ban in the mansion during the production of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the pair gave us glimpses inside the home through their social media channels. Described as a 'futuristic monastery', Kanye spent time working with Belgian architect Axel Vervoordt on the new design. The living room, which features a plush cream carpet, minimalist fireplace and soft white sofas, was said to be one of Kim's favourite rooms. 

With not one, but two kitchens, there was plenty of space for mealtimes with their four children; North, Chicago, Pslam and Saint. Fitted out with a walk-in pantry complete with a frozen yoghurt machine, we're sure that the home is a big hit with the kids. Spotted on Kim's Instagram, this picture shows the family having breakfast - shortly after it was posted, the power couple announced that they would be going their separate ways. 

Whilst their divorce played out, Kim stayed in the mansion with the children and has since bought Kanye out for a reported $23 million (£19.5m), to make her the sole owner of the family home valued at around $60 million (£50m). 

After news of his divorce broke in February 2021, Kanye fled to his private Wyoming ranch to escape the spotlight. Following in the footsteps of a number of celebrities who own farms and ranches, he snapped up the rural retreat back in September 2019. Known as Monster Lake Ranch, the property was said to be a peaceful place for the rapper to unwind away from the bright lights of LA. 

Kanye listed the sprawling property for $11 million (£9m) with DBW Realty in October 2021, two years after purchasing it. He then removed it from the market in September 2022, due to insufficient offers (though some say in response to Kim's split from comedian Pete Davidson). Kanye had hoped that Kim would move to the 3,888-acre ranch full-time during their marriage, so maybe he held out hopes of getting back together. 

The ranch, which is also known as 'Yeezy Campus', is flanked by the dramatic Absaroka Range mountains and tranquil shorelines, making it the ultimate escape from the world's media. Before their split, it was reported that Kanye and Kim planned to build a brand new 52,000-square-foot home and two underground garages on the land. Sadly, a project that never happened. 

It's not hard to see why Kanye was enchanted by this blissful rural oasis in the remote northwest town of Cody. The ranch itself contains two large fully stocked freshwater lakes, ideal for trophy trout fishing. With plenty of development potential, the lot could make an ideal holiday destination for city dwellers longing for a slice of the good life, or perhaps the land could be farmed commercially once more.

The ranch was originally on the market for $14 million (£12m), and it is thought the superstar paid $8 million (nearly £7m) for the property. However, with several cabins and outbuildings, a restaurant with a commercial kitchen, a ranch-style venue, a maintenance shop and equestrian facilities, it wouldn't have come cheap. 

During the same trip in June, the Wests along with members of the extended Kardashian clan tested out the ranch's go-karting track, which seemed to prove a particular hit with the younger generation. However, in more recent months, Kanye sought solitude in the wilds of Wyoming, where he wrote his latest album, Donda, named after his late mother.

In July 2020, Kanye revealed models for his low-cost housing project on the ranch. Captured under construction, the unfinished structures feature curved floor plans and domed metalwork. Described as YZY shelters, they were the latest prototypes of his prefabricated affordable housing, although according to a recent report in TMZ, homeless shelter LA Mission say Ye is yet to follow through on his promises on the project.  

Not content with just one ranch, in November 2019, the billionaire bought a second ranch for $14.5 million (£12m) to extend his already huge property portfolio. Located near Greybull, Wyoming and located around an hour away from his first ranch, the new property is surrounded by stunning landscapes. Described as 'Kanye's therapy ranch' by the New York Post, it's where he spent time holed up writing the lyrics in the wake of his split from Kim. 

The ranch's main rustic residence is a house called The Lodge at Bald Ridge. With room for all the family, the cosy log cabin has five bedrooms and four bathrooms. There are also three smaller cabins at Bald Ridge.

Offering respite from the bright lights of Hollywood, the ranch has access to hiking, skiing, hunting and climbing, and with White Creek running through the rolling hills it's ideal for fishing. The expansive grounds are also perfect for keeping wild stock, of which Kanye is said to have plenty of on the ranch, including 14 Friesian horses, which are reportedly worth $20,000 (£16k) upwards. 

Both ranches were rumoured to be earmarked as sites for his technology, design and innovation epicentre, but it’s unclear if these plans will go ahead given recent turmoil and his ongoing divorce settlement. Kanye and Kim were announced officially single in March 2022, agreeing financial and custodial matters in November 2022. According to Rolling Stone, a two-day trial was set to begin on 14 December 2022, but the former couple reached decisions early.

As well as spending time at his Wyoming ranches, Kanye has been laying low at his charming Los Angeles ranch. The rapper has used the home as a base and HQ for his Sunday Service since buying it in 2018 for $2.2 million (£1.8m). 

For now, it's the perfect place for Kanye to be close to his children while they live with Kim in their Hidden Hills mansion. Inside, the home boasts four bedrooms and a cosy living room with a floor-to-ceiling stacked fireplace. More rustic than Kanye's usual taste, the décor also features hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and walls of windows that overlook the back garden. 

Here, the spacious kitchen features white cupboards and a marble island with a dramatic high domed roof. With the listing pictures showing the interior as it was when Kanye made his purchase back in 2018, we can only imagine that it has been renovated to match his minimalist style. 

Set on just over one acre of land, there are also two guesthouses on the property, with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms overall. The notoriously private rapper has made sure to keep trespassers and the world's press away by putting up a white tarpaulin perimeter around the home. 

The Calabasas house was also where Kanye first tried his hand at affordable housing. The designer built four low-cost domed homes in 2019, however, after failing to secure a building permit, they were torn down in September of that year after they were found to be violated building codes. West reportedly suggested that the structures were temporary, but having been built on concrete foundations, he was asked to secure a building permit or face demolition. 

Going back to his design roots, West was, according to The Brussels Times in September 2021, rumoured to have bought a place in the trendy Kanaal complex in Wijnegem, near Antwerp, a former malting distillery, which is now Belgium’s largest private art gallery and is owned by art dealer and interior designer Axel Vervoordt, who worked on several of West’s homes.

The same month, Kanye made headlines when he reportedly paid $57.3 million (£48m) in an off-market deal for this home in Malibu. West is said to have snapped up the home through his company, Shore Drive Holdings, which is registered to the same address as his clothing line. Part house, part sculpture, it was designed by Tadao Ando. Kanye has reportedly been obsessed with the award-winning architect since visiting Naoshima, also known as 'art island' in Japan, which was designed by Ando.

The home was originally on the market for $75 million (£62m) in 2020, but Kanye managed to shave almost $18 million (£15m) off the old asking price. However, the discounted sale is also the second-highest price paid for a Malibu home this year. Art dealer Richard Sachs snapped up the land way back in 2003 for just $1.9 million (£1.6m) and spent millions transforming it into a three-storey house.

Not as private as Kanye's other retreats, the 3,665-square-foot concrete bunker-style home sits on a busy street, just feet away from neighbouring homes. Inside, the lower floor features three ensuite bedrooms, while the middle level is home to the main living areas, which include the lounge, kitchen and a bathroom.

However, the best part of the modern property is the top floor, which is reserved entirely for the owner's suite. Perfect for Kanye's new bachelor lifestyle, it features a lavish bedroom and a rooftop terrace with breathtaking views out over the tranquil ocean. However, since moving in five months ago, the home has been seen surrounded by tarpaulin while the interior is being gutted. We can't wait to see what he does with the place! 

With its modernist lines and crisp, clean architecture, the home fits into Kanye's aesthetic perfectly, and best of all, it's near the Malibu mansion his ex-wife bought a year later. Kim paid $70.4 million for Cindy Crawford's former oceanfront estate in September 2022—so seeing the kids during the holidays just got a whole lot easier.

Kanye made a real estate purchase that raised eyebrows, reportedly snapping up this mid-century Hidden Hills estate right across the street from Kim Kardashian. Purchased for $4.5 million (£3.7m) in December 2021, just 19 days after it hit the market, it will certainly make co-parenting easier, but the move has reportedly caused mixed reactions, especially as the star paid $421,000 (£348k) over the asking price to secure the deal.

Stepping inside, the formal living room features a brick fireplace and picture window. A source close to the Kardashians reportedly revealed to HollywoodLife that: "While Kim is okay with Kanye's decision to buy a house across the street, her family is not really feeling this at all. They think that it is just a little bit weird." Dirt also reported that while donating Thanksgiving meals in LA in November 2021, West made a surprise announcement, saying he planned to 'get his family back together'. Allegedly, adding that if he couldn’t live 'in the house' with his family, he would buy 'the home right next door'.

The single-storey estate was built in 1955 and is a far cry from Kanye’s minimalist aesthetic, with a country-style kitchen that was last updated in 2005. According to the listing, it has remained in the same family since it was built, but we’re sure it won’t be long before the rapper drafts in his team to give it his own special ‘Ye’ touch. 

The wood-panelled family room features a traditional fireplace and sliding doors overlooking the one-acre estate. His ex-wife meanwhile, is getting rid of property in the area, including a Hidden Hills ranch the couple shared in happier times. The 1950s pad, which was bought for $1.6 million (£1.3m) in 2019 was listed for $5.3 million (£4.5m) in September 2022.

The new Hidden Hills house will offer a handy base for Ye to enjoy quality time with his four children however, although any hopes of a reconciliation with his ex-wife seem unlikely, despite the fact that her nine-month relationship with with comedian Pete Davidson ended in August 2022. Kim distanced herself from Ye following his racist rant and appeared keen to finalise their divorce. The settlement reached in November 2022 will hopefully be the start of a more harmonious, if separate, relationship between the two.

West meanwhile confirmed he is running in for President in 2024 in a video for X17Online, where he is seen taking right-wing political provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos—his new campaign manager— around his studio in Crenshaw. The star, who launched an ill-fated bid for the presidency in 2020, posted a video of his campaign logo to social media, alongside the caption Ye 24. One thing’s for sure: whether it’s property or politics, it looks like it’s going to be roller coaster ride. Stay tuned….  

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