Alex Klein's tech inventions have passed through the hands of some of the most powerful people in government, music and business. Barack Obama, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella, former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg have all touted the 32-year-old Londoner's music-creation devices, personal computers and software. This year, his company, Kano, launched a sand-dollar-shaped digital music player that he hoped would become both a transformational new way to listen to music and a distribution platform.
One particular fan of Kano's Stem Player, however, has vexed Klein. Kanye West, the artist who now performs as Ye, released his latest album, "Donda 2," exclusively on the Stem Player in February. It first looked like a coup for Klein's company — a futuristic iPod/DJ booth/sculpture, packaged with an album from a music and fashion titan.
Eight months later, West descended into a tear of antisemitic, conspiratorial and far-right tirades that has evaporated his career. His record deal with longtime label Def Jam concluded; talent agency CAA dropped him and fashion partners including Adidas, the Gap and Balenciaga cut ties or let deals expire, potentially costing him billions.
