As He Runs For President As An Independent, Cornel West Says He’s Broke, Living ‘Paycheck To Paycheck’

Cornel West has made a career teaching at Ivy League schools, delivering speeches, writing books and even appearing in movies. During his 30-year career, West is estimated to have earned at least $15 million.

His career started in the 1990s with his book Race Matters, which sold 500,000 copies. The book helped cement his status as a preeminent black intellectual.

West would also travel worldwide to deliver speeches and make $500,000 annually. Meanwhile, he would also lecture students at elite schools such as Princeton, Harvard and Union Theological Seminary.

At Harvard alone, West made about $220,000 per year.

Despite his substantial earnings over the years, West’s net worth is now close to zero. Federal filings and property records have confirmed this.

In 2002, West opened up about his financial struggles and blamed most of it on his, at the time, soon-to-be ex-wife’s spending habits. During that time, he was married to his third wife, Elleni Gebre Amlak. West alleged that she would spend money on Chanel clothing, upscale dining and antique furniture.

West was also known for his spending habits. He lived in a Four Seasons condo in Boston that he could not afford. He also rented out an apartment from another professor at Harvard, for which he paid $5,000 monthly. He used that apartment as a living space when separated from Amlak. After getting back together, West began using it for his affairs.

West has also had to pay for child support and divorce settlements. He said he still pays for his eldest son’s college tuition, apartment, car and attorney fees. The court mandated that West pay $750 a week to support a daughter he had outside of his marriage.

In his third divorce alone, West paid his ex-wife $150,000, transferred $275,000 of retirement money to her and provided alimony of $12,500 monthly for 12 years.

He must also pay credit card debts, personal loans, student debt, and both Harvard and Princeton loans.

“I live paycheck to paycheck,” West told Forbes recently.

Despite his financial struggles, West has announced he is running for president in the 2024 election as an independent candidate after quitting the Green Party. He recently said he expects President Joe Biden to drop out of the race.