22 famous faces with surprising side hustles
Famous faces with surprising side hustles

Many of today's most famous faces don't rely solely on music or movies to make their fortune. These savvy stars also rake in huge amounts of cash from successful side hustles.
From beauty brands to burger joints read on to discover the lucrative second projects that are helping to make these celebrities super-rich.
All dollar amounts in US dollars
Brad Pitt

In 2019, Brad Pitt launched a luxury line of shirts. However, the all-cashmere collection, which features gemstone buttons, comes with an A-lister price attached, retailing for as much as $3,000 (£2.3k) a pop.
Named God’s True Cashmere, the designer brand is a collaboration between Pitt and the jewellery designer and holistic healer Sat Hari. Hari claims the inspiration for the luxury line came when the actor visited her in a dream.
Millie Bobby Brown

She’s the star of one of the biggest TV shows in the world, but that isn’t enough for Stranger Things alum Millie Bobby Brown. The young actress launched her own beauty brand, Florence by Mills, in 2019, which she sweetly named after her beloved great-grandmother, Florence.
What began as a line of skincare products has grown into a worldwide beauty brand, featuring make-up, haircare, and fragrance lines. The star has recently added a fashion line to her ever-expanding portfolio.
Harry Styles

First music, then movies, and now Harry Styles is conquering a whole new industry – nail polish.
Styles, famed for his colourful manicures and gender-bending fashion moments, launched lifestyle brand Pleasing in 2021. Skincare and nail polish were among the first products to drop, but in recent times Styles has pleased his legion of fans by releasing a clothing and accessories line too.
Beyoncé

In 2016, Beyoncé collaborated with fashion retailer Topshop to launch her activewear line, Ivy Park. When she relaunched the company in 2019 with Adidas, her Instagram post revealing the news got a stunning 3.6 million likes within hours of being posted.
However, Beyoncé and Adidas recently ended their partnership. The split was reportedly due to creative differences, with a source explaining that Beyoncé was excited to "reclaim her brand, chart her own path, and maintain creative freedom."
Ryan Reynolds

In 2020, Ryan Reynolds cashed in big thanks to alcohol brand Aviation American Gin, which he had co-owned since 2018. The Deadpool star sold his stake to drinks giant Diageo in a deal that could be worth up to $600 million (£470m) in the coming years.
But this isn't the only surprising side hustle Reynolds has. He purchased a minority stake in telecoms firm Mint Mobile, which was snapped up by T-Mobile last year in a deal worth around $1.3 billion (£1bn). In 2020, along with Rob McElhenney, Reynolds purchased Welsh football club, Wrexham AFC.
Dwayne Johnson

Another Hollywood heavyweight making big money from booze is Dwayne Johnson, who founded the tequila company Teremana in March 2020. A huge hit, the brand sold more than 640,000 cases the following year.
In 2022, Teremana signed an undisclosed deal with German liquor giant Mast-Jägermeister to help the brand go global.
Jay-Z

The rapper and business mogul boasts several successful side hustles. His sprawling empire includes his Roc Nation entertainment company and a seriously savvy investment portfolio that includes stakes in everything from Uber to SpaceX.
Jay-Z also earns millions from his D'Ussé cognac and Armand de Brignac champagne brands, selling a 50% stake in the latter to LVMH in 2021. A bottle of Jay-Z's exclusive fizz will set you back around $1,200 (£929).
Selena Gomez

Music, movies, and now make-up – Selena Gomez can do it all. The star launched her vegan and cruelty-free cosmetic company, Rare Beauty, in 2020.
A huge success, the brand is now valued at $2 billion (£1.6bn). According to Business Insider, Gomez is considering selling her stake in the firm, a move that would catapult her to billionaire status. Today, she's worth a staggering $800 million (£620m), with most of her fortune derived from her make-up side hustle.
Serena Williams

Another sports star with a strong side hustle game is Serena Williams. The Grand Slam tennis champion is super savvy when it comes to investing and has lucrative stakes in everything from the Miami Dolphins sports team to NTF platform Bitski.
As for her own businesses, Williams founded sustainable fashion brand S by Serena in 2014 and launched her own bling line, Serena Williams Jewelry, in August 2021.
Jaden Smith

The Smith family is one of the most famous clans in modern showbiz. The multi-talented family can sing, rap, act, and dance and has also displayed a strong entrepreneurial spirit. When Jaden Smith was 10 years old, he saw a plastic bottle floating in the ocean while learning to surf. Saddened by the image, Jaden was inspired to make a change.
In 2012, with the help of his parents, Will and Jada Smith, he launched JUST Water. The sustainable water brand packages natural spring water in plant-based plastic cartons, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic bottles. The business is valued at $100 million (£78m).
Kate Hudson

When Almost Famous actress and Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson spotted a gap in the fitness market for affordable yet high-quality clothes, she pounced on the lucrative opportunity. She created the athleisure wear brand Fabletics in 2013 with entrepreneurs Don Ressler and Adam Goldenberg.
What started out as a small e-commerce brand now has over 95 stores worldwide. Hudson used her star power to grow the brand, before stepping back to take on an advisory role in 2022.
Justin Bieber

The Despacito hitmaker branched out into fashion in 2018, setting up Drew House with his manager Ryan Good. The clothes, including T-shirts and hoodies, have a distinct smiley-face logo.
Celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner, and Justin Bieber’s supermodel wife Hailey Baldwin are all often seen wearing the brand on their Instagram pages.
Post Malone

In an unlikely match, American rapper Post Malone launched rosé wine company Maison No.9 in 2020. Malone called the wine, which retails for between $26 and $162 (£20/£125) a bottle, an "affordable luxury".
The wine sold 50,000 bottles in just 48 hours during pre-sale, showcasing Posty's star power.
George Clooney

Ocean’s Eleven actor George Clooney founded the Tequila brand Casamigos with two friends in 2013. What started as a fun project for the star soon became a huge business.
The luxury alcohol company was sold to drinks giant Diageo for an eye-watering $1 billion (£780m) in 2017, the equivalent of $1.3 billion (£1bn) today. Clooney reportedly walked away with a staggering $233 million (£180m).
Mark Wahlberg

Along with his siblings Donnie and Paul, actor Mark Wahlberg owns a chain of family burger restaurants, punnily named Wahlburgers.
But that's not all. Over the years, Wahlberg has turned his hand to a series of business ventures, investing in everything from water brands to gyms and even a car dealership.
Robert De Niro

He's made a fortune from the silver screen, but the actor is also making millions in the kitchen. That’s right, Raging Bull star Robert De Niro co-founded the famed restaurant chain Nobu in 1994, which now has multiple locations across five continents.
And his business interests don’t stop there. The star also owns several Italian restaurants in New York, including Locanda Verde. In 2014 he co-created the vodka brand, VDKA 6100.
Jeremy Renner

When he’s not saving the world in the popular Avengers franchise, Jeremy Renner will likely be found indulging his other passion: house flipping. Along with friend Kristoffer Winters, the actor has bought and sold more than 20 homes in the past 15 years.
And the friends are making a tidy profit from this venture. In a 2016 interview with Bloomberg, Renner claimed that his most recent five flips earned him and his business partner around $6 million, the equivalent of $7.9 million (£6.1m) in 2024 money.
Chris Brown

The controversial R&B star has a back-up plan if his music career takes a nosedive – Burger King. That’s right, Chris Brown revealed in 2015 that he owned 14 Burger King franchises across America.
Brown raised some eyebrows when he told Billboard magazine that he got a taste for burgers while behind bars, stating: "You’re more appreciative of everything else that’s on the outside. A burger tastes 1,000 times better when you’re out."
Ozzy Osbourne

In a seriously unexpected move, Ozzy Osbourne launched his own cosmetics line in 2022. Featuring eye shadow palettes shaped like coffins and bats, the creepy collection is undoubtedly fitting for the legendary rocker.
In addition to macabre make-up, the collection features a skull-printed cosmetics bag and scented candles.
Drew Barrymore

Screen starlet Drew Barrymore launched her award-winning make-up line, Flower Beauty, in 2013 as she believed "women everywhere deserve the best quality makeup at an affordable price". A huge success, her Supernova Celestial Skin Elixir product once had a 4,000-person waiting list in the US.
Barrymore has since grown her beauty business globally and launched a fashion line and a signature wine range.
Dr. Dre

When he’s not producing hits or performing at the Super Bowl, you'll find Dr. Dre focusing on his side hustles.
In 2006, he founded headphone company Beats with music executive Jimmy Lovine before going on to sell the firm to Apple in 2014 for more than $3 billion, the equivalent of $4 billion (£3.1bn) in today's money.
Rihanna

The undisputed queen of the side hustle, Rihanna owes her staggering $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) fortune to more than just music.
In 2017, she partnered with LVMH to launch Fenty Beauty, a cosmetics line that generated over $550 million in revenues in 2020 alone, or $667 million (£521m) in 2024 money. In 2018, she expanded her business interests with Savage x Fenty, a lingerie line in which she holds a 28% stake. By February 2021, Savage x Fenty was valued at $1 billion (£780m).
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Updated by Danielle McAdam
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