Kanye West Sells Wyoming Ranch Back To Original Owners For $14M
Source: WWD / Getty
Kanye West is packing his bags and heading out of the American West. He’s pulling up stakes in Wyoming, where he’s owned a ranch for six years.
In 2019, West bought the 6,713-acre ranch, Bighorn Mountain Ranch. He owned it along with another 3,885 acre parcel, the Monster Lake Ranch. At the time, he planned to build a Yeezy campus and build shoes in nearby Cody, Wyoming. But after his then-wife, Kim Kardashian, filed for divorce in 2021, both ranches were put up for sale.
West’s current wife, Bianca Censori, signed off on the purchase in September, Cowboy State Daily reported. The land was repurchased by the original owners, the Flitner family, who settled in the area in the early 1900s. The family, which is now in its sixth generation in the region, plans to run the ranch and lease some of the land out for various purposes, including agricultural. They say they are grateful that West didn’t develop or tear down any buildings at the ranch, which they attempted to lease back while West owned it.
“A big chunk of the ranch sold when the mountain sold,” Pam Flitner told the outlet. “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 Flitner family says they were never able to reach West or his people when the property went back on sale, but were finally able to repurchase it for $14 million when informed of its availability earlier this year. They say they had no issues with West coming in and buying the properties, given his ambitious plans.
“A lot of people have said he was a really, really good guy,” Greg Flitner, Pam’s husband, said. “And that he was really on task a lot of the time. So, none of us can fault him at all for buying it and trying to get something accomplished for himself.”
The is still wondering why West abandoned his big dreams for both properties. But in 2022, he came under fire for antisemitic remarks that ultimately ended his deals with adidas, Gap and Balenciaga, and his divorce was finalized.
“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 said. “It wasn’t the best for our family, but I understand that. It is a very special place … to get to spend time with your family and be with your family, apart from the rest of the world.”
The Monster Lake parcel remains up for sale. West did alter the land by tearing down buildings and starting to provide the infastructure for the Yecosystem, which was intended to be a community to house the homeless built with affordable materials. He wanted to create the self-sustianing communities nationwide, but the project was abandoned.
The ranches fared better than West’s Malibu property. In 2021, he purchased a concrete beach house designed by the famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando for $57 million and then gutted it. It was sold for $21 million but as of August, it is back on sale.
Property isn’t the only thing West is quick to get rid of. See ex-husband Kim Kardashian speak on his other behavior, like times he’d give away their luxury cars below.
