In possibly record child support payments in American history, fashion trendsetter rapper Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, is shelling out a whopping $200,000 a month in child support to his former wife Kim Kardashian. It was under their November 2022 settlement deal, close to two years after Kim first sought divorce in early 2021.
This blockbuster sum is only one aspect of an elaborate deal that also captures not just the enormity of both stars’ fortunes but also the luxurious lifestyle their four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, have been accustomed to.
In February 2021, Kardashian divorced West after almost seven years of marriage. Once hailed as one of the industry’s most potent couples, Kardashian and West spent 2021 and 2022 hammering out the specifics of their breakup amidst increasingly public fights over parenting and social media use.
They finally reached a settlement in November 2022, after almost two years of talks, which outlined financial terms, parenting responsibilities, and custody arrangements.
Under the terms of the agreement:
Child support: West pays $200,000 every month to support their four children, totaling $2.4 million yearly.
Joint legal custody: They have joint legal custody, but the children spend around 80% of their time living with Kim.
Additional expenditures: Ye also covers 50% of children’s medical, educational, and private security expenditures.
Spousal Support: Kim and Kanye will neither receive nor pay spousal support.
In spite of their joint legal custody, insiders close to the family describe Kim playing a leading role in day-to-day parenting, from dropping off their children at school to controlling their children’s presence in the spotlight.
Kardashian-West children enjoy a life that most people can only imagine: going to private school, traveling all over the world, and enjoying security after security details. Their life is a reflection of their parents’ fame and fortune. Kim Kardashian, a reality TV star turned businesswoman, is estimated to have a net worth of $1.7 billion, and their latest net worth estimate for Ye sits at a whopping $400 million.
In California, where the family lives, child support is determined to preserve the standard of living that children are accustomed to—even if both parents are rich. That means monthly amounts such as Ye’s, though stunning to the public, are intended to take account of the special financial status and circumstances of this celebrity household.
Kanye’s monthly obligation dwarfs other celebrity child support deals:
Alex Rodriguez: Allegedly pays $115,000/month in support since his break-up with former wife Cynthia Scurtis.
Sean “Diddy” Combs: Shells out around $55,000/month for
Charlie Sheen: Was commanded to pay Denise Richards, an actress, $55,000/month.
Kelly Clarkson: Shells out $45,000/month in child support for her two children.
Terrell Owens: Pays over$44,000 a month for four children.
Their reported payment is almost twice that of the highest payment in these celebrity settlements, putting it in a class by itself.
The agreement caused a broad outcry online. Some say that forcing a billionaire ex-wife to be paid so much by Ye is unreasonable. Others say that no matter how wealthy Kim is, both parents need to split costs of raising the children—particularly when some of those costs involve private planes, high-level tutors, and multiple bodyguards.
Its supporters argue that it’s not all about money—it’s about responsibility. Even if Kim doesn’t require money, the law views child support as an expression of each party’s role in sustaining the children’s lifestyles after divorce.
