Adidas sells off Kanye West’s Yeezy stockpile, bringing in $1.52 billion in two years

Key Points

• The sportswear giant sold its remaining Yeezy inventory in Q4 2024, generating a total of $1.52 billion in revenue over two years.
• Despite controversy, Yeezy sneakers sold out quickly, with Adidas earning $706.4 million in 2024 after making $815.1 million in 2023.
• Kanye West accused Adidas of “design theft and oppression,” despite the company stating they had resolved their legal disputes without financial settlements.

German sportswear giant Adidas has officially wrapped up sales of its remaining Kanye West’s Yeezy inventory in the fourth quarter of its 2024 fiscal year, generating a total of around $1.52 billion in revenue from Yeezy sales across 2023 and 2024.

In its annual report, it said: “The sale of the remaining Yeezy inventory, which was successfully concluded during the fourth quarter, generated revenues of around €650 million ($706.4 million) in 2024, compared to around €750 million ($815.1 million) in 2023.” This brings the total revenue from the sale of Yeezy inventory over the two years to €1.4 billion ($1.52 billion).

From storied success to stockpile sell-off

Adidas first partnered with Kanye West—now known as Ye—in 2015 to launch the Yeezy brand, which became a massive success and helped propel the rapper’s net worth to $2 billion.

However, the collaboration came to an abrupt end in October 2022 after Adidas cut ties with West over his anti-Semitic remarks, a move that wiped $1.6 billion from his fortune. Rather than destroying the remaining Yeezy sneakers, Adidas opted to sell off the existing stock.

In May 2023, CEO Bjørn Gulden revealed that Adidas had a massive inventory of Yeezy sneakers worth over $1 billion and planned to gradually release them. A portion of the proceeds was earmarked for organizations impacted by West’s controversial statements.

Yeezy demand remains strong despite controversy

The first batch of Yeezys hit the market in June 2023 and sold out almost immediately, with demand far exceeding expectations. That initial drop cleared about 20 percent to 25 percent of the stock, prompting Adidas to roll out a second wave of sales.

By the end of 2023, Yeezy sales had generated €750 million ($815.1 million), followed by another €650 million ($706.4 million) in 2024—highlighting the brand’s continued appeal despite the controversy surrounding West.

Kanye West calls out Adidas again

Earlier this year, West reignited tensions with Adidas, accusing the company of “design theft and oppression” in a now-deleted Instagram post. He also claimed the company was manipulating Google search results to favor its site over his Yeezy merchandise store.

The outburst came shortly after Gulden announced that Adidas and West had reached an amicable resolution to their legal disputes, stating, “Whatever was is history,” and clarifying that no financial settlements were involved.