Kanye West Spent Over $12m on his Presidential Campaign

American rapper, Kanye West spent no less than $12 million on his presidential campaign.

According to a report from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), West’s 2020 campaign record shows that the 43-year-old billionaire musician and fashion designer spent $13.2 million, with more than $12 million coming from his own pocket.

The FEC report breaks down 278 expenses West had from July 2020 to December 31, 2020, with some of the largest as follows -$7.5 million for ballot services to get his name on the ballot in multiple states, $918,130 on campaign apparel on Election Day, and $210,544 for the two-page ad that ran in The New York Times.

The report shows further that the music star, also spent hundreds of thousands related to campaign video costs. Consulting and legal fees also totalled millions.

The rapper was a latecomer to the 2020 race, announcing his candidacy in July 2020. Initially focusing on abortion and faith, he later drew up a 10-point platform, calling for support for the environment and arts, an anti-interventionist foreign policy, and reforms to the legal system and policing.

He struggled to make it to the ballots of many states, including some that legally barred him from appearing.

However, across the 12 states whose ballots he appeared on, West won fewer than 60,000 votes. He found the most success in Tennessee, winning more than 10,000 votes, 0.3% of the state’s total.