Kanye West has quietly concluded his legal battle with Adidas nearly two years after the brand severed ties with the rapper. On Tuesday, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden announced that the two parties reached an out-of-court agreement involving no financial exchanges.
“There aren’t any more open issues, and there is no… money going either way, and we both move on,” Gulden stated during a conference call with reporters. He emphasised that both sides recognised the futility of continued conflict and decided to withdraw all claims against each other.
Gulden declined to provide additional specifics about the agreement but confirmed, “No one owes anybody anything anymore. So whatever was is history.”
The partnership between Adidas and West, who is 47, was terminated in October 2022 after he made controversial statements, including wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt and engaging in an antisemitic tirade. In response, Adidas stated, “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” condemning West’s actions as “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous.”
Before the split, West’s Yeezy line was instrumental in generating nearly half of Adidas’ profits. Following the termination, the company faced the challenge of managing approximately $1.3 billion of unsold Yeezy inventory. Gulden had previously committed to donating all profits from the remaining Yeezy sales to organisations affected by West’s remarks.
West’s collaboration with Adidas significantly contributed to his net worth, valued at $1.5 billion. However, after the partnership ended, he lost his billionaire status. In the wake of their split, both parties filed multiple lawsuits against each other, with many issues addressed through private arbitration.
In February 2024, West claimed that Adidas was suing him for over $250 million, although that matter appears to have been resolved.
Reports suggest that tensions between West and Adidas had been simmering for years before the partnership ended. A New York Times article from October 2023 alleged that West displayed problematic behaviour during his initial meetings with the company in 2013, including drawing a swastika to express his disdain for design ideas.
His offensive conduct reportedly went unchecked for years, including comments praising Adolf Hitler and advising a Jewish Adidas manager to “kiss a picture of Hitler every day.” Ultimately, this pattern of misconduct led Adidas to invoke the morals clause in West’s contract.
