Inside Rapper Kanye West's Abandoned Properties: From Decrepit $53M Malibu Home to $1.5M Church

Kanye West has been in the business for a long time, and aside from building a controversial image, he has also built a real estate portfolio that is worth millions—but in a crumbling state. The Praise God rapper has been globe-trotting with his architect wife, Bianca Censori, and returned home in Los Angeles to rotting properties. 

However, despite being the owner of a million-dollar property, West unfortunately has no 'livable' space. The 46-year-old musician and fashion designer has homes in such poor condition due to being unkempt and littered with trash, per The Sun. He had also been 'canceled' over his anti-Semitic remarks and is returning with his new album Vultures. 

So far, Ye has invested in many properties he planned around his business empire but left them halfway through, impaired and unattended. His portfolio includes a $53 million beachside home with no doors or windows. He finally put the house on the market after leaving it undone. 

The rapper also spent time with his four children for Christmas at a Lakers game. But because he practically has no place to live after returning from his world tour with Censori, he's been residing in rented apartments and hotels. So, let's look at what's going on with his real estate portfolio presently. 

Ye invested over $57 million in a sought-after house by the sea in Malibu in 2021, which was designed by celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando. He began changing the interiors, but eventually, his former project manager, Tony Saxon, filed a lawsuit against him over his wild demands, which were dangerous. In the ongoing lawsuit, Saxon sued West for multiple labor code violations, unpaid wages, and wrongful retaliatory termination. Due to the court case, Ye has decided to leave the home in its crumbling state and put it on the market for sale by hiring famous real estate agent Jason Oppenheim, asking for about $4 million less than he originally paid for the beach house. 

Also, back in March 2023, Ye bought a 7,416-square-foot commercial building on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, a multipurpose building for his fashion business. He transformed it into an all-grey facade, but since then, it has rarely been used and was seen with some graffiti while he was away in Saudi Arabia. 

Kanye also owns a $6.2 million property in the hills of Calabasas with 320 acres. He bought it in 2018 after his divorce from his ex, Kim Kardashian. However, he left a major part of the property broken with white ripped sheets wrapped around it. In his absence, weeds and grass grew through the cracks. 

There's also another property worth mentioning. Despite enough resistance from a group, Ye bought a $1.5 million plot from Cornerstone Christian Church in Northridge, Los Angeles, in March 2023. The rapper reportedly wanted to shift his controversial Christian school, Donda Academy, to the building from a warehouse nearby. However, recent photos showed it looking disheveled and overflowing with garbage. 

West struggled to find a buyer for this property and was forced to pull it off the market. He purchased the 3,888-acre plot two years earlier for around $11million. The ranch has been left mid-construction, leaving two huge mud-filled holes in the photographs. A source revealed the place is desolate except for a security guard left to patrol.