Kanye West plans to expand business in Russia and meet Putin

Kanye West is planning to expand his business ventures in Russia. According to reports by Billboard, West is hoping to visit Moscow later this year to meet with Vladimir Putin.

His first ever Russia visit will also include a Sunday service performance as his first-ever show. He will also meet Russian tycoon Aras Agalarov and his son and business partner, Emin. The trip is being organized and planned by Ye's advisor and confidant, Ameer Sudan, and attorney Scott Balber.

Balber is the managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills’ New York office and is the law firm’s US head of investigations and financial services litigation.

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Kanye West wants to spend a lot of time in Russia

As per the statement made by Sudan, Kanye West plans to spend a lot of time in Russia. Sudan told Billboard,

"Russia is going to be 'a second home' for Ye. He will be spending a lot of time out there.”

Agalarov is an Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer. He is known as the 'Trump of Russia' because of their similar business practices. He is also the founder of Crocus Group, one of Russia’s leading developers. Agalarov manages his empire with the help of Emin, who also happens to be a widely known pop star.

Aras Agalarov and Emil Agalarov with Donald Trump (Image via Getty Images)

Ye and Emin are also in talks to collaborate musically to boost Emin's career in the US Emin has been active in the Russian music industry since 2005 and was trained by Muslim Magomayev, a beloved Russian artist often referred to as the Soviet Sinatra.

Ye has been continuously expanding his businesses. As per the report by Bloomberg, Ye's clothing brand Yeezy is worth between $3.2 billion to $4.7 billion in 2021. The brand’s deal with Adidas played a major role in the brand's expansion.

However, Russia is currently at the center of the conflict with the US. The Department of State currently lists Russia with a level 4 “do not travel” advisor, leading to travel restrictions later.

As expected, Ye's plans in Russia triggered a massive discussion online. The news received mixed reactions on Twitter.

As of now, there is no clear timeline about when West will move to Russia or how he plans to expand his business there. The Russian government is also yet to confirm Putin's meeting with West.