Kanye West’s abandoned properties lying in ruin

Kanye West’s once-illustrious real estate portfolio has been reduced to a collection of neglected homes.

According to Realtor, the rapper, who goes by Ye, left a trail of destruction, having blown millions on lavish properties that now sit abandoned.

Images obtained by the outlet reveal the incredibly distressed state that several of his other properties have been left in.

From his decaying Calabasas, California, ranch to his torched church and his crumbling Yeezy headquarters, the pictures reveal the true extent of the neglect shown to Ye’s commercial and residential property purchases.

His Yeezy headquarters, which the Gold Digger hit maker purchased in 2023 as a place to host runway events for his beleaguered fashion brand, have been reduced to little more than a shell of the modern and glitzy Melrose Ave space it once was.

Today, the property is little more than a concrete shell, having been almost entirely demolished before work appears to have been abandoned altogether.

Temporary grey walls surround the structure, most of which have been covered in graffiti, while others have paint peeling off them.

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The musician purchased the building for $US6.7 million ($A10.3 million) through his firm Oxphaha LLC.

It has previously been depicted with piles of trash surrounding it, and workers were spotted ripping the roof off.

The same year he snapped up the headquarters, he also purchased a building from Cornerstone Church in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles for $US1.5 million ($A2.3 million), with plans to convert it into a new location for his Christian school, Donda Academy.

However, the building was instead left empty and eventually burned down, leaving in its trail a pile of debris and trash.

According to The Sun, the neighbours previously reported seeing the building boarded up, with old shopping carts and trash surrounding it.

At the time, one resident said: “I had no idea Kanye bought it but … it’s not a good look for the neighbourhood.”

A huge fire broke out October 14, 2024, and engulfed the building in flames for nearly 30 minutes, until firefighters were able to contain the blaze.

According to The Sun, the building caught on fire in a possible act of arson.

At the time, KCAL News reported that no injuries were reported, however, the building sustained significant damage from the flames.

That crumbling parcel of land is now surrounded by a fence covered in graffiti and a no trespassing sign.

Past the large fence, the land features piles of trash and dead grass.

In 2024, Ye was slapped with a lien for taxes of around $US19,525 ($A30,000), per The Sun.

When the rapper snapped up the building, over 12,000 community members signed a petition asking that he be stopped from purchasing the land.

“Ye, the rapper previously known as Kanye West, has been losing sponsors and contracts left and right over his harmful anti-Semitism — yet one California pastor says Ye’s recent hatred isn’t a deal-breaker for their Christian business partnership,” those who signed the petition wrote.

“On December 1, Ye clutched a Bible and shockingly said ‘I see good things about Hitler’ and ‘I like Hitler’ during an appearance on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show InfoWars. He has previously tweeted other threats and conspiracy theories about Jewish people.”

Although the plot of land is back on the market for $US1.5 million ($A2.3 million), his businesses, Yeezy Apparel and Yeezy Footwear, are still registered there.

Ye’s $US2.2 million ($A3.3 million) Calabasas ranch has also been left decaying for the last many years.

The rapper purchased the property in 2018 in hopes of transforming it into a space for his Sunday Service gatherings.

After snapping it up, he reportedly overhauled it into a bachelor pad, which came complete with two guesthouses, six bedrooms, and seven bathrooms.

West reportedly resided there with his former girlfriend, Irina Shayk.

West and his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, purchased the ranch together for $US20 million ($A30.8 million), and in 2021, reports emerged that Kardashian was trying to get her ex to hand over the ranch.

Now, there is little left of the ranch as the main home has partially caved in, the windows have cracked, and tiles are missing.

The home is completely falling apart as debris fragments are pictured crumbling down.

The property is also on the market for $US1.99 million ($A3.06 million) with Sotheby’s.

On Oct. 20, it was revealed that Ye sold off his second Wyoming ranch, back to the original owners for $US14 million ($A21 million), in the midst of reported money woes.

He returned Bighorn Mountain Ranch to the Flitner family, who first sold the Bound 2 hit maker the land in 2019.

His purchase of the property back in 2019 marked the second time he had purchased a Wyoming ranch; his first was snapped up in an apparent effort to curb homelessness.

That dwelling, known as Monster Lake Ranch, was listed in 2024 for $US12 million ($A18 million) and remains on the market.

According to Cowboy State Daily, the sale was notarised by Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, on September 17.

The rapper bought the ranch from Greg’s father and his wife, David and Paula Flitner.

And while the family is thankful they have the property back in their hands, they noted it is nothing like what it once was.

“Unlike Monster Ranch, he did not knock down any of the buildings. I think his original intent for the Mountain Ranch might have been somewhere that his family could go and be away from the rest of the world,” Pam Flitner told the outlet.

The ranch has been listed and delisted from the market for the past six years; and according to the Flitners, they have repeatedly tried to contact Ye’s team about the property but had been unsuccessful.

“A lot of people have said that he was a really, really good guy and that he was really on task a lot of the time,” Greg Flitner said.

“So, none of us can fault him at all for buying it and trying to get something accomplished for himself.”

Greg noted at the time, the sale was “one of those things” that needed to happen.

“We went ahead and got ahold of the realtor, and it was kind of a rush thing, because it sounded like the people who they were flying in to look at it, a lot of them were speculators,” Pam Flitner told the outlet.

“A big chunk of the ranch sold when the mountain sold. We had to do some real adjustments, and we just weren’t able, at the time, to buy it back, even if we would have wanted to.

“So, luckily, by the grace of God, you know, six years later we are in a different position.”

The ranch, which was founded in 1906, is covered by National Forest lands, and features lush greenery, cattle operations, wildlife, and several cabins and lodges.

It comes complete with a five-bedroom, four-bathroom cabin with a enough space for several people.

Ye reportedly picked up the ranch with the intention of holding his Sunday Services there.

It reportedly includes heated helicopter pads and walk-in saunas.

It has been known as his “therapy ranch,” because it is where he sought comfort during his divorce to Kim Kardashian, and where he crafted his album, Donda.

The news of the sale is causing many to assume that Ye may be in suffering from financial troubles as this is just the latest home of his to reach the market.

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission.

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