Kanye West Continues Battle Against Adidas With Alleged $1 Billion Buyout
By Alexa Heah, 07 Sep 2022
Despite the success Kanye West and Adidas have had with YEEZY, it seems the dream collaboration has hit a snag in its journey, with the rapper ramping up his crusade against the sportswear giant in recent weeks.
Sparks first flew back in June, when West took to Instagram to call out his partner for allegedly “copying” the designs for the Adilette 22 Slides, which admittedly looked similar to drops YEEZY had put out in the past.
Now, in yet another social media frenzy, the media mogul claimed that the German brand has offered him a US$1 billion buyout, specifically mentioning Senior Vice President Daniel Cherry III in a series of posts.
“The fact [Adidas] felt they could color my shoes and name them without my approval is really wild. I really care about building something that changes the world and something I can leave to my kids,” West wrote in a now-deleted post.
“They tried to buy me out for 1 billion dollars [USD]. My royalties next year are 500 million dollars [USD] alone,” he further revealed.
Following the unexpected tirade, Ye said he was currently on the hunt for a shoe company that would give him “control” by making him “head of the board and the chief decision maker.”
“I need a shoe company like how Jamie Salter bought Reebok. Or I’ll take over some shoe factories. I’ve went to JP Morgan but of course they won’t give no deal flow cause Jin Ulrich is on the board of both Adidas and JP Morgan,” the designer wrote.
His final post was of a screenshot of the San Antonio Shoemakers’ Wikipedia page, with a single smiley in the caption.
Does this all mean the good ol’ days of Kanye West x Adidas are coming to an end? Sneakerheads are no doubt keeping a close eye on the matter.
[via Okayplayer and The Source, cover image via Starstock | Dreamstime.com]