The CEO of Adidas, Bjorn Gulden, has opened up about Kanye West, saying the rapper and producer is “not a foul individual”.
The sportswear model lower ties with West following a sequence of remarks from the rapper final yr that had been considered as anti-Semitic, having labored collectively for years on the Yeezy model.
Talking on the In Good Firm podcast, Gulden mirrored on the partnership with West saying: “While you work with third events that may occur. It’s a part of the sport. That may occur with an athlete, with an entertainer. It’s a part of the enterprise.”
He went on: “I believe Kanye West is among the most artistic individuals on this planet, each in music and what I might name avenue tradition. He’s extraordinarily artistic.”
Addressing the feedback immediately, he added: “I don’t suppose he meant what he mentioned and I don’t suppose he’s a foul individual, it simply got here throughout that method.”
You possibly can see his full interview right here:
Following West’s departure from Adidas, it was later revealed that the sportswear firm would promote leftover Yeezys and donate a portion of the income to charity.
Final month, they introduced the massive sale of the primary batch of merchandise, with cash from the gross sales going in direction of organisations and charities supporting these most affected by the rapper’s feedback.
Amongst these receiving funds from the sale are The Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, based by George Floyd’s brother Philonise.
Talking of the sale, Gulden mentioned: “That is significantly better than destroying and writing off the stock and permits us to make substantial donations.”
Earlier this yr, Gulden admitted that the sportswear firm’s severed partnership with West and his Yeezy model was “hurting” the enterprise.
Gulden shared that gross sales had been significantly affected in North America, which had seen a 20 per cent loss. The Yeezy loss additionally lower gross sales by €400m (£350 million) within the first quarter of 2023.
Elsewhere, earlier this yr it was reported that West had opened a brand new Yeezy workplace in Los Angeles subsequent door to a constructing owned by Adidas.