There appears to be some truth to Kanye West’s claim that he has met “all the tech guys”. The Chicago hip-hop mogul this weekend declared he is $53m in debt and requested funding from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google cofounder Larry Page. 
 
 He then threw down this 70-character gauntlet: 
 
 KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) All you guys had meetings with me and no one lifted a finger to help…. 
 
 The Guardian wasn’t able to determine the true nature of West’s finances, but he does appear to have more than a few friends in Silicon Valley, based on public press accounts and interviews with several tech executives. 
 
 He frequently shows up at Apple’s southern California office, is friends with rap-obsessed venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, has reportedly dined with an Instagram founder, and has some sort of social relationship with Dropbox chief executive Drew Houston. 
 
 
 
 The interactions go back at least half a decade. 
 
 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Kanye stopped by the SpaceX rocket factory today. pic.twitter.com/6z7gHBn6 
 
 There’s some context here. The entertainment industry and tech have long had a fascination with each other. For music titans such as West, Nas, MC Hammer and Justin Bieber, it’s become a way to grow serious businessperson bona fides. For technologists, it’s the ultimate revenge of the nerds. 
 
 Some of West’s early interactions with Silicon Valley were well-documented by Gawker’s tech industry gossip site Valleywag. In 2012 and 2013, the producer and rapper began pitching his latest vision, Donda, to investors. It was presented as a sort of hip man’s General Electric that would have its fingers in everything from fashion and publishing to “alternative energy sources” and “hovercrafts”. 
 
 KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) Here is my Donda chart that I wrote 4 years ago that everyone laughed at… pic.twitter.com/g1po6Z3H55 
 
 Perhaps trying to grease the levers of finance, West invited several tech thought leaders to his 2013 engagement party at San Francisco’s AT&T Park, home of the Giants. Horowitz, the cofounder of mega venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, was there, as was Dropbox’s Houston. 
 
 Another person present: Mahbod Moghadam, the controversial cofounder of Rap Genius, the Andreessen Horowitz-backed company that helps people understand rap lyrics. 
 
 
 
 “They’re tight. It’s cute,” Moghadam, who now works at Everipedia, said of Horowitz and West. 
 
 Moghadam left Rap Genius in 2014 after comments he made about a mass shooting at the University of California Santa Barbara. “In their defense, I did do a lot of stupid things,” he said. 
 
 Dropbox and Andreessen Horowitz didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. 
 
 It couldn’t be learned what relationship, if any, West maintains with executives at some of the biggest Silicon Valley companies, such as Facebook, Twitter, Uber and Alphabet (the artists formerly known as Google), although he has dined with Kevin Systrom, the cofounder of Facebook-owned Instagram. 
 
 But he does appear to have a working relationship with Apple, a less-than-surprising development given the iPhone maker’s work with streaming music these days – even if he did declare his new album The Life of Pablo would “never never never” be on Apple’s iTunes Store and would be exclusive to the streaming service Tidal. 
 
 At Apple’s southern California headquarters, where former record executive Jimmy Iovine helps run Apple music, West is sometimes found hanging out in Iovine’s office, a person familiar with the meetings said. 
 
 In his Twitter posts on 14 February, West asked Zuckerberg for $1bn to help handle his debts and bring Donda, his startup idea, to fruition. 
 
 As Aaron Levie, the chief executive of Box, noted on Twitter, that’s a lot of money these days, even in Silicon Valley. ||||| Enlarge Image GoFundMe 
 
 Don't worry Yeezy, help is on the way. 
 
 A Kanye West fan in Minnesota has created a GoFundMe page for the rapper, fashion designer and Kim Kardashian's crazier half, a day after the Grammy winner tweeted he was $53 million in debt. West's financial woes are so bad, he publicly begged two tech billionaires for cash. 
 
 "Kanye West, prolific entertainer/fashion icon/celebrity/member of the Kardashian family needs our help!" Jeremy Piatt wrote on his Help Get Kanye Out of Debt page. "Sure, he is personally rich and can buy furs and houses for his family, but without our help, the true genius of Kanye West can't be realized." 
 
 The Internet's quickly showed its generosity and support. By Tuesday afternoon -- some 48 hours after West's desperate plea -- a total of $50 had been pledged to the multi-platinum hip-hop star. (That's 0.000094 percent of Kanye's total debt.) 
 
 Piatt, a graphic designer, is no stranger to Internet fame. The 36-year-old, who made headlines last year for giving NFL helmets a bold makeover, said he was motivated by the desire to help a fellow artist. 
 
 "The arts must be funded, and without funding great ideas and great masterpieces never get made," Piatt said. "This is a great way for people, not giant corporations, to support great artists and visionaries." 
 
 A West representative didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. 
 
 Of course, Piatt wasn't alone in trying to organize support for Kanye. A separate GoFundMe campaign, called HELP PAY KANYE'S DEBT!, was organized by Robert Kulik in Washington, D.C. though it appears to have been canceled. 
 
 "A buck, five-spot, 10-banger, deuce-nil, Franklin... Just give what you can as soon as you can," the campaign read. "We need to relieve his stress, so the "greatest artist of all time" can do what he does best - making the world a better place!" 
 
 Kulik's campaign raised $0. He didn't respond to an email seeking comment. 
 
 West recently went on a bizarre Twitter rant in which he pleaded for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet CEO Larry Page to each invest $1 billion in his ideas. West tweeted Sunday that he feels rich people are always "too cool" to ask for help, including lending money. 
 
 Some in Silicon Valley took note. Box CEO Aaron Levie tweeted: Classic Series A pitch deck line. 
 
 Yeezy -- that's one of West's nicknames -- also just released his latest album, "The Life of Pablo," and debuted his latest clothing collection at Fashion Week in New York. 
 
 The album, which was released on the struggling music streaming app Tidal Sunday, was pulled down shortly after it appeared. The album has reportedly been illegally downloaded more than 500,000 times from other sites after many fans said they paid $20 to download the album off Tidal but didn't get it. 
 
 On one of the tracks, West boasts he's responsible for pop star Taylor Swift's fame. 
 
 On Monday, Swift artfully responded while accepting a Grammy for best album. 
 
 "To all the young women out there: there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or fame," she said. "But if you just focus on the work and you don't let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you're going, you'll look around and know it was you and the people who love you who put there and that will be the greatest feeling in the world." 
 
 I guess that's what they call a "mic drop." ||||| While Kanye West may be the most beloved artist of all time, at least by Kanye West himself, he's still human. And humans have bills to pay. 
 
 Recently, Yeezy tweeted that he's $53 million in debt. 
 
 I write this to you my brothers while still 53 million dollars in personal debt... Please pray we overcome... This is my true heart... — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 14, 2016 
 
 While it's unclear whether Kanye is truly in this enormous amount of debt, fans are banding together to help him in his time of so-called need. 
 
 Funnyman and funny fan Jeremy Piatt, created a GoFundMe page for the artist, which he's aptly titled "Get Kanye Out of Debt". 
 
 "I'm trying to help out the greatest living artist of our time while he's in need," Piatt told Mashable in an email. "I saw that Kanye is 53 Million Dollars in debt and I knew I had to do anything I could to help, because as all my friends would tell you, I'm just a very giving person." 
 
 Piatt is modeling his act of good will and support of the arts after the wealthy Italian Medici family, who were known to financially support artists at the time of their reign. 
 
 "Kanye is the greatest living artist on the planet, he's told us many many many many times," Piatt told Mashable. "The great artists need people to finance them, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo had the Medici family to fund their projects, so why not have the legions of Kanye fans fund his? This is what makes crowd sourcing great! Now we can personally make a difference in the world and help pay for mind blowing art." 
 
 Image: PHOTOLURE News Agency/Demotix/Corbis 
 
 While Kanye has yet to reach out to Piatt about obtaining the $35 that has been raised when we published this story, Piatt is hopeful he'll hear from the rapper. 
 
 "I am trying to reach out to Kanye or his people so the funds can be transferred to him," Piatt says. "I have been in contact with GoFundMe and we've agreed to keep the page up, but I am not able to withdraw any money. The only people who will be able to withdraw money will be Kanye or his team." 
 
 my dreams brought me into debt and I’m close to seeing the light of day… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 
 
 Here's hoping Piatt's mission to help the artist get out of debt makes its way toward Kanye himself. 
 
 
 
 Ultimately, according to Piatt: "The goal for the page is to raise awareness for supporting the arts, of course I hope that Kanye finds out about it because the money can not be transferred to him unless that happens." ||||| A seemingly playful Twitter rant from Kanye West on Sunday that vaguely suggested that he wanted $1 billion from Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg turned out to be the truth. 
 
 Hours after posting the original message proposing the billion-dollar investment, Kanye followed up with a new, more earnest plea. 
 
 "Mark Zuckerberg I know it’s your birthday but can you please call me by tomorrow," the multiple tweet message begins. "You love hip-hop, you love my art… I am your favorite artist but you watch me barely breathe and still play my album in your house." 
 
 Mark Zuckerberg I know it’s your bday but can you please call me by 2mrw… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 You love hip hop, you love my art… I am your favorite artist but you watch me barely breathe and still play my album in your house … — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 Aside from getting Zuckerberg's birthday wrong (most records show that it's May 14), the message soon takes a turn for the desperate by attempting to employ the public's help. 
 
 "World, please tweet, FaceTime, Facebook, Instagram, whatever you gotta do to get Mark to support me," writes Kanye. "I don’t have enough resources to create what I really can… Mark, I am publicly asking you for help… one of the coolest things you could ever do is to help me in my time of need… and I will always respect you for that and the world will love you…" 
 
 World, please tweet, FaceTime, Facebook, instagram, whatever you gotta do to get Mark to support me… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 I don’t have enough resources to create what I really can… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 Mark, I am publicly asking you for help… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 one of the coolest things you could ever do is to help me in my time of need — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 and I will always respect you for that and the world will love you… — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 Professing love. Okay then. 
 
 But here's the thing about Kanye and Facebook: He actually knows Zuckerberg (sort of). Back in 2010, the artist performed at the offices of Facebook in California. So if you were thinking Kanye was simply tossing out a big ask of someone he's never met, you would be wrong. This is very real, and possibly very personal. 
 
 But it doesn't end there. Kanye then adds Google co-founder Larry Page to the mix in a series of tweets directed at Silicon Valley in general. 
 
 "Hey Larry Page I’m down for your help too," writes Kanye. "All you dudes in San Fran play rap music in your homes but never help the real artists… you’d rather open up one school in Africa like you really helped the country… if you want to help… help me… I promise I’m going to make the world dope…. all I do is make shit dope #facts… All you guys had meetings with me and no one lifted a finger to help." 
 
 hey Larry Page I’m down for your help too … — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016 
 
 What began as a swaggering, random suggestion has now turned into what sounds like a very real, urgent appeal. We're not used to seeing the usually cocky rap artist resort to such a low bar as to play the cultural guilt card to solicit help. 
 
 But if this isn't all some elaborate performance art on Kanye's part, then it may be time to take the artist's debt talk seriously. The House of West may indeed be in peril. 
 
 For what it's worth, while all this was going on, his wife, Kim Kardashian, was still on her currency-generating grind on Twitter. 
 
 Who updated their Kimojis to get the Valentine's Day Kimojis??? — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) February 15, 2016 
 
 That's how you do it, Kanye. ||||| Kanye West, prolific entertainer/fashion icon/celebrity/member of the Kardashian family needs our help! 
 
 
 
 Recently, Kanye let us in on his personal struggle. He is 53 million dollars in debt and it doesn't look like he's going to get Mark Zuckerberg's help that he desperately needs. We must open our hearts and wallets for Kanye today. Sure he is personally rich and can buy furs and houses for his family, but without our help, the true genius of Kanye West can't be realized. 
 
 
 
 As Kanye West has told us time and time again he is the "greatest living artist and greatest artist of all time". Great artists need to be supported financially to achieve their full potential. 
 
 
 
 To quote Mr. West, "I am Warhol. I am the number one most impactful artist of our generation. I am Shakespeare in the flesh. Walt Disney. Nike. Google. Now who's gonna be the Medici family and stand up and let me create more!" 
 
 
 
 WE MUST BE THE MEDICI FAMILY TO KANYE. 
 
 
 
 GoFundMe, let us unite! 
 
 Help spread the word! Share Tweet 300k shares on Facebook shares on Facebook ||||| Kris Jenner admits that Kanye West might go a little too far sometimes when he tweets. 
 
 
 
 The 60-year-old momager appeared on Monday's The Ellen DeGeneres Show and joked a bit about her son-in-law's recent rants. "There have been days where there should be a no tweeting law," Kris quipped before adding, "and I feel like I will ground him." 
 
 
 
 WATCH: Ryan Reynolds Spoofs Kanye West's Saturday Night Live Rant in Hilarious NSFW Audio Clip 
 
 
 
 Ellen had a suggestion that might help the 38-year-old rapper cut back on his tweets. "He should have a board," the host advised. "He should have a board of directors and then people should say, 'No, do not tweet that. That's a bad idea.' And he should listen to them." 
 
 "That's a good idea," Kris responded. 
 
 Both Ellen and Kris agreed that they liked Kanye and thought he was "great," but the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star thinks he doesn't always express himself in a way that people understand. 
 
 
 
 WATCH: Kanye West Can't Stop Praising Will Ferrell and Zoolander 2 in Latest Tweeting Spree 
 
 
 
 Kris gave the example of a recent rant when he said he was millions in debt. "When he was like, 'Oh, I am $53 million in debt,' what he was trying to say was that what he's done to spend on his clothing line over the last 15 or 20 years or whatever it's been." 
 
 Further defending Kanye, the reality star added, "But it comes out not exactly the right way and people get it misconstrued through the media and then its complicated." 
 
 
 
 WATCH: Kanye West Rants About Taylor Swift in Club Appearance -- ‘She Had Two Seconds to Be Cool and She F**ked It Up’ 
 
 
 
 Ellen responded, "I think when you see somebody who's very, very wealthy like Kanye asking for a GoFundMe page, I think a lot of people here would like to have a GoFundMe page to pay for their stuff." 
 
 Kris also spoke to ET about Kanye ahead of his widely publicized Yeezus Season 3 fashion show at Madison Square Garden in New York City earlier this month. "He's so talented, and he's got such a great vision," she gushed. "He's such an amazing force of creation when he's in the studio, and he's doing -- not the music studio, which is also another whole side of him that's so amazing with his new album, and everything else going on -- but how he creates clothing." 
 
 She added, "That whole process is fascinating to me, because he's really got just a great perspective on fashion, and I am very inspired by that." 
 
 
 
 WATCH: Kim Kardashian Praises Kanye West for His Honesty -- 'He'll Stand Up Against the Whole World' 
 
 
 
 Related Gallery ||||| Kanye West must actually be $50 million in debt like he claimed, as today he’s getting called out for exposing his own illegal downloading activity in a tweet. 
 
 The best 4K & 5K displays for Mac 
 
 West was only trying to show off a YouTube video he was listening to, but eagle-eyed followers — including electronic music producer Deadmau5 — spotted a few tabs in the background of Safari that show West was browsing PirateBay download pages for torrents of a popular $200 plug-in called Serum (pictured below). 
 
 Serum is a synthesizer plug-in popular among electronic music and hip-hop producers available as standard VST or AU files to be used inside of music production apps like Apple’s own Logic Pro X, ProTools, and other similar audio production suites. It’s developed by XferRecords, a company co-founded by Deadmau5 and partners for side projects including the Serum plug-in. 
 
 Sure it’s possible Kanye could claim it wasn’t his computer and he was just using it, but it’s hard to imagine why a musician of Kanye’s caliber (and with his bank account) would be in any studio stealing copies of a $200 piece of software made by a small developer. 
 
 West hasn’t responded to the criticism of the apparent torrenting activity, which many are quick to point out follows reports that West was considering legal action related to a record number of illegal downloads of his latest album. That’s the same album he decided to make only available on streaming music service Tidal while recently cancelling planned releases for Apple Music and other competitive services. 
 
 Kanye responded with some jabs at Deadmau5 on Twitter, accusing him of not contributing to helping raise subscription numbers for Tidal, the Jay-Z owned streaming service Kanye has a stake in and that both artists helped to promote when it launched last year: 
 
 And if you want to help Kanye afford a copy of Serum, there’s a gofundme project set up here to contribute.
– Kanye West is, apparently, $53 million in debt, but he should be able to pay that off in no time thanks to a GoFundMe campaign started by 36-year-old Minnesotan Jeremy Piatt, CNET reports. "Recently, Kanye let us in on his personal struggle. He is 53 million dollars in debt and it doesn't look like he's going to get Mark Zuckerberg's help that he desperately needs," Piatt writes. "We must open our hearts and wallets for Kanye today. Sure he is personally rich and can buy furs and houses for his family, but without our help, the true genius of Kanye West can't be realized." So far, after just a single day of fundraising, $603 has been raised for Kanye (along with a lot of comments like, "How about you get a job?"). Piatt tells Mashable that he's spoken to GoFundMe, and only Kanye or his team will be able to access any money raised. As for Zuckerberg—West specifically asked him, as well as Larry Page, to donate money to the Kanye cause when he went on his Twitter rant, and then went on to imply that he knows other tech giants who should help him. "All you dudes in San Fran play rap music in your homes but never help the real artists…," he tweeted, followed by, "All you guys had meetings with me and no one lifted a finger to help…." The Guardian did a little investigation into how many "tech guys" Kanye actually knows, and found that he really does have something of an ongoing relationship with Facebook and Apple; has had meetings with investors in Silicon Valley and even had some of them at one of his parties; has had interactions with an Instagram co-founder, the Dropbox chief executive, a co-founder of Rap Genius, and Elon Musk; and is good friends with venture capitalist Ben Horowitz. (Here are some of the dumbest GoFundMe campaigns ever.)