When the New York Times published its damning profile yesterday, much of the attention centered on adidas’ lack of diversity among its employees at its North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon. However, the report also included small details pertaining to Kanye West’s relationship with the brand, which seemed to slip under the radar.
While the piece paints a less-than-ideal picture of diversity at adidas — it alleges that race is a constant issue on the adidas campus and that fewer than 4.5 percent of the nearly 1,700 adidas employees identify as black — it also gave insight into the size of Kanye's collaboration with the Three Stripes, as well as ’Ye’s potential earnings as part of the partnership.
The piece reports that West earns 5 percent royalties on net sales of his shoes and apparel. With YEEZY sales expected to top $1.3 billion this year, Kanye could be walking away with a $65 million pay check at the end of 2019.
It’s unclear what other financial agreements are in place, as both sides have been able to keep most of the terms under wraps. Still, this information from an unnamed source in the New York Times provides a fresh look at the partnership and answers questions many have had about how much YEEZY’s adidas affiliation is netting Kanye West.
Head to the New York Times to read the full article here.
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