Celebrities making a fortune from their business interests
A-list moonlighters making millions
From cosmetics to clothes to ping pong, these celebrities are breaking the mold to find new ways of making the big bucks.
Beyoncé
After the success of her comeback album Lemonade in 2016 Beyoncé turned to water when she invested in WTRMLN WTR, a three-year old company serving up cold-pressed watermelon juice. Deemed to be a "superdrink" with nutritional benefits, Beyoncé claimed she invested in the brand because it's "the future of clean, natural hydration".
Beyoncé
But Beyoncé, worth a whopping $355 million (£269m), has more strings to her investment bow. She has her own clothing line in collaboration with TopShop called Ivy Park, as well as a stake in Sidestep, a concert merchandising app that lets fans buy merchandise in advance. That's not all: with her husband Jay-Z, Beyoncé is also invested in music streaming site Tidal.
Kate Hudson
In 2013, Kate Hudson co-founded Fabletics, an online subscription retailer that specializes in women's sportswear. The monthly service offers its members personalized sportswear based on their lifestyle and fashion preferences. And the actress is making some serious cash from it...
Kate Hudson
In just five years the company has surpassed $300m (£226.5m) in annual revenue, and is the fastest growing activewear brand in e-commerce history. What's more, the company has 24 retail outlets in the US alone, which is set to increase by 75 more, and sells in 10 countries with plans to expand to the Philippines this fall.
Mark and Donnie Wahlberg
When they’re not acting famous siblings Mark and Donnie can be found with their chef brother Paul Wahlberg (middle) working at the family burger chain Wahlburgers. What started as a simple eatery in Massachusetts has now grown to 22 locations across the US and Canada, and they are set to open their first London restaurant this year. The original store generates $5 million (£3.8m) sales annually.
Susan Sarandon
The award-winning actress has turned her hobby into a hot money-making business, opening a chain of ping pong clubs that is frequented by celebs. Rumours are the late Prince was a big fan. SPiN now has six locations across the US and Canada with more due to open their doors in the coming years. With retro décor and an extensive cocktail list, this is an adult’s playground.
Dan Aykroyd
Actor, screenwriter and Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd once relied on his acting skills for his fortune but these days he’s making a pretty penny from a side business in vodka. You’ve probably seen the famous glass skulls before – celebs can’t get enough of them – which are filled with premium vodka, filtered through semi-precious crystals known as Herkimer diamonds. What started as a 5,000-case project has now surpassed the one-million bottle mark. Sales have exceeded $55 million (£42m).
Drew Barrymore
The actress launched her very own make-up line, Flower, at Wal-Mart in 2013. And as of January 2018, the products can also be bought at 500 Ulta Beauty stores. The brand is booming, expanding to the UK, Australia, South American and China, with industry sources estimating Flower has sales of $50 million (£37.7m) annually.
George Clooney
The actor and pal Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford, started their own tequila line Casamigos in 2013. They sold it to global drinks giant Diageo for a hefty $1 billion (£790m) in 2017. Diageo reportedly initially paid $700 million (£553m) for Casamigos, followed by an additional $300 million (£237m) based on the performance of the brand over the next decade.
Maria Sharapova
She’s a whiz on the court, but she’s even better in the boardroom. During her hiatus from her tennis career, Sharapova kept busy with her other interest, confectionary company Sugarpova. The business, which she started in 2012 with a $500,000 investment, has triumphed, selling in 22 countries. Forbes reported the company is hoping to reach revenues of $20 million (£16m) by 2018. Game, set and match.
Jessica Simpson
She might not be the first celebrity to launch a clothing line but she’s certainly one of the most successful. The singer-turned-actress launched The Jessica Simpson Collection a decade ago, with lines selling in big department stores like Macy’s. Now it has 30 different product lines including swimwear, jewelry, luggage and even kid’s clothes. Although Simpson sold part of her ownership for an undisclosed sum in 2015, the brand earns more than $1 billion (£760m) in retail sales annually.
Tony Bennett
He’s known around the world as a legendary entertainer but the crooner makes a nice chunk of change for something entirely different than his vocals – painting. Working under his birth surname Benedetto, his paintings can go for $10,000 (£8k) a pop. He’s been commissioned by the United Nations twice, one of which was later purchased by Oprah, while three Benedetto originals are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.
Sofia Vergara
She’s one of the highest-paid women in television, earning $41.5 million (£31.3m) in 2017. But it’s not just her Modern Family paycheck that’s keeping Vergara’s coffers high. The actress co-founded talent management and marketing firm Latin World Entertainment 20 years ago to promote Hispanic talent in the entertainment world.
Sofia Vergara
And that's not all. The Colombia-born star also has her own perfume, and last year launched EYB, a subscription underwear service that hopes to not only empower the women who wear the clothing but those making them, as the company has chosen a manufacturer that is part of the “Women Go Beyond” program that has helped to boost working conditions in Sri Lankan garment factories.
Sean Combs
Music made Diddy famous but his business ventures are what made him rich. The music mogul, who is worth a whopping $820 million (£619m), made himself a cool $60 million (£46m) in 2015 alone and he didn’t release a single song in that time. Forbes' richest rapper in 2017 made the money thanks to his clothing line, Ciroc Vodka, water brand Aquahydrate, and TV network Revolt.
Gwen Stefani
As the lead singer of the hugely-successful band No Doubt, Stefani could have relied on her music fortune when the group broke up but the singer, known for her unique sense of style, instead turned to fashion. Her line L.A.M.B, which stands for Love.Angel.Music.Baby, launched in 2003 and made its runway debut the following year. It’s now thought to rake in annual revenues in excess of $100 million (£76m).
Oprah
The former talk show host became a household name during her daytime TV reign but it’s her entrepreneurial pursuits that netted her a $3.1 billion (£2.4bn) fortune. She launched her own cable network (OWN), owns and produces several hit TV shows, including Dr. Phil and The Rachael Ray Show, is co-founder of Oxygen Media and recently bought a 10% stake in diet empire Weight Watchers.
Robert De Niro
He's made a fortune from the silver screen but you’ll never guess where else the actor is making his millions… the kitchen. That’s right, the Raging Bull star co-founded celebrity hot spot Nobu in 1994, which now has more than 30 locations from Moscow to Malibu, and has recently branched into hotels. But he didn’t stop there, the star also owns several Italian eateries in New York and in 2014 co-created a vodka brand, VDKA 6100.
Tyra Banks
She walked the catwalk for Victoria’s Secret and made history on the cover of Sports Illustrated but one of Tyra Banks’s biggest accomplishments is her media brand. Banks started her own company Bankable Productions in 2003 and created the hugely-successful show America’s Next Top Model, which spawned 22 seasons and versions overseas in countries including Britain, Australia and Germany. But that’s not all she’s been up to: Banks launched Tyra Beauty in 2014, her personally-funded cosmetics line.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The celebrity twins have come a long way since Full House. While they might have started their career in front of the camera, the multi-millionaires are making their money away from the limelight. Their biggest earner is their company Dualstar Entertainment. Founded in 1993, when the twins were six, it sells around $1 billion (£760m) in merchandise through Wal-Mart. This nice chunk of change allowed them to get serious in the world of fashion, launching labels The Row and Elizabeth and James.
Jeremy Renner
When he’s not saving the world in the popular Avengers franchise or walking the red carpet, the actor is likely to be found with a hammer in hand as he fulfills his other passion: house flipping. Teaming up with friend Kristoffer Winters, in the past 15 years the duo has bought and sold more than 20 homes. And they’re making a tidy profit from it – an Art Deco mansion bought for $7 million (£5.3m) in 2007 was later sold for a cool $24 million (£18m) in 2013.
Reese Witherspoon
She banks mega bucks when she’s in front of the camera but Witherspoon is just as successful behind it too. The actress started her own production company, Pacific Standard, in 2012 and has produced a string of hit films like Gone Girl, which took $167 million (£127m) at the box office with only a $61 million (£47m) budget. In 2015, she launched online clothing store Draper and James which was so successful it opened its first store in Nashville in 2015. The brand now has four stores.
Chris Brown
The R&B star often finds himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons but thankfully should his singing career take a nosedive, he’s got a lucrative side gig to fall back on to – Burger King. That’s right… the entertainer revealed he owns not one but 14 Burger King restaurants around the US. While we don’t exactly how much Burger King accounts for Brown’s $50 million (£35.5m) fortune, the popular chain is sure to net the star a very tidy income.
Jessica Alba
While many know the actress for her rom com movie roles, Alba is making serious money away from the big screen – in the form of diapers. An allergic reaction to laundry detergent while washing her unborn baby’s clothes spurred Alba on to create online store The Honest Company, which produces organic baby, beauty and cleaning products. In 2016, sales reached $300 million (£227m). It was recently valued at $1.7 billion (£1.28bn).
Venus Williams
She’s proved she’s a winner on the tennis court but Williams also has a creative streak. When she’s not on the court Williams can be found at her interior design firm V Starr Interiors. Launched in 2002 with little fanfare her portfolio includes swanky multimillion-dollar homes of NFL and NBA players, the Intercontinental Miami’s presidential suite and an $18 million (£14m) revamp of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Washington. Williams is also the CEO of sports ware range EleVen.
Nicole Richie
Once known simply as Paris Hilton’s cheeky partner in crime on reality show The Simple Life, Richie has transformed herself into a respected designer. In 2009 she launched jewelry line House of Harlow 1960, and in 2014 a ready-to-wear clothing collection under the same moniker. And she’s not just slapping her name on the brand, Richie’s won countless design awards along the way. According to reports, the two lines have added around $3 million (£2.3m) to her $10 million (£8m) fortune.
Bethenny Frankel
She got her start on reality TV but she makes her money through cocktails! Frankel, who first appeared on The Real Housewives of New York City, was once a private chef who dreamt of releasing her own lines of low calorie drinks. And she did it. In 2011 Skinny Girl Cocktails was purchased by Beam Global. Forbes estimates the amount of the sale to be around the $100 million (£76m) mark. We’ll drink to that.
Madonna
Her last tour reportedly saw the entertainer tip the $1 billion (£760m) mark but when she’s not working the stage Madonna can be found working with her daughter on their clothing line Material Girl. The collection, launched in 2010, is available exclusively at Macy’s and has had a string of famous faces front the brand including daughter Lourdes and Kelly Osborne. While Madonna stays hush hush on the brand’s earnings one report revealed it made $10 million (£8m) in 2012.
Madonna
But that's not all for the original material girl. In 2017, Madonna has launched her own beauty range in the US in partnership with Barneys. The range, called MDNA SKIN, has been available in Japan since 2014, and features high-end products such as a $600 (£453) magnetic clay face mask and a $50 (£38) cleanser that can also be used as a mask. All items come in sleek, futuristic packaging.
Paul Newman
Fans of Newman in the 70s and 80s know him for his incredible films, but fans today are more likely to associate the late actor, racecar driver and director with his range of food and condiments. In the early 80s the star founded Newman’s Own, which initially just sold salad dressing. More than 20 years later, the company has grown to sell everything from popcorn to pizza. Newman made millions from it and donated all after-tax royalties to charity, totaling a massive $500 million (£378m).
Dr. Dre
With a fortune of around $770 million (£582m), the hip-hop star is inching closer and closer to billionaire status. And despite his string of hits, a large chunk of his fortune comes from side businesses, namely his Beats by Dre headphones, which he created when he was disappointed with Apple’s earbud. Dre later sold the company to Apple for $3.2 billion (£2.5bn) in 2014 – the largest one-off payday of any living musician in history.
Kylie Jenner
Jenner, who found fame on Keeping up with the Kardashians, is the youngest celebrity on the Forbes 2018 list at only 20 years old, with a net worth of $900 million (£679m). Branching out from her reality TV roots, the youngest Kardashian-Jenner has a bunch of businesses to her name, but her most lucrative has been her beauty line, Kylie Cosmetics, which she launched two years ago. If things continue she is set to become the youngest American self-made billionaire in history... watch this space.
Camila Cabello
And other celebrities are looking to follow in their lucrative footsteps. Cuban-American pop singer Camila Cabello has recently announced her foray into business...
Camila Cabello
The 21-year-old star has created a make up line in collaboration with L'Oréal. The summer-inspired Havana collection will be on sale sometime in the near future, and could be the beginning of a business empire...
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