21 Celebrities Who Built Profitable Business Empires (2024)

• Net Worth: $1 billion
• Brands:CÎROC, Sean John Revolt TV,DeLeón Tequila, Empower Global, & Capital Preparatory Harlem
• Collaborations:Making the Band x MTV, Hulu, & AQUAhydrate
• Music:No Way Out (1997), Forever (1999), The Saga Continues... (2001), Press Play (2006), Last Train to Paris (2010),& Dirty Money. Best Dance Album in the World (2010)

Whether you know him as Puffy, P-Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy, or just plain Sean Combs, the result is the same—the man is a mogul — at least, he was. After leaving rap behind in 2006, he became an entrepreneur fromchairman and CEO of Combs Enterprises to CÎROCpremium vodka and brandy line. He also partnered with Mark Wahlberg in the AQUAhydrate drink line, as well as several more entities. That is until he faced recent lawsuits alleging misconduct. He denies the accusations, but plenty of his brands severed ties.

• Net Worth:$2.8 Billion
• Brands:Harpo Productions, O, The Oprah Magazine, & OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, &Oprah's Book Club
• Collaborations/Endorsem*nts:Weight Watchers
• Books:What I Know for Sure (2014) & The Wisdom of Sundays (2020)

Another rags-to-riches fairy tale in Hollywood, Oprah Winfreybecame the first black person to control their own major studio when she opened Harpo Inc. and began producing her show by herself. While her talk show was still on the air, she won a total of 15 Daytime Emmy awards, co-founded the Oxygen channel, co-authored multiple books, released O, The Oprah Magazine, and her super influential book club. And when she was done with daytime television, she decided to launch her own channel called the Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN.

• Net Worth:$1 billion
• Brands:Taylor Swift Official Store
• Collaborations:Target Exclusives
• Endorsem*nts:Diet co*ke, Apple, Keds, AT&T, Stella McCartney, Elizabeth Arden, American Express, & Walmart
• Music:Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021), Red (Taylor's Version) (2021), Midnights (2022), Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (2023), 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023), The Tortured Poet's Department (2024)

Pop sensation Taylor Swift exploded in the music industry ever since being the opening act for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in the early 2000s. Now, she's re-recording her first six albumsto regain creative control and ownership of her music after Big Machine Records sold the rights to Scooter Braun. These re-recordings, titled "Taylor's Version," combined with years of successful album sales, tours, endorsem*nts, films, documentaries, and merchandise, have made her incredibly wealthy.

• Net Worth: $80 Million
• Brands: Fabletics, InBloom, &Cosmic Entertainment
• Books:Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body (2016),Pretty Fun: Creating and Celebrating a Lifetime of Traditions (2018), & Total Body Beautiful (2022)

As the daughter of a Hollywood veteran, Hudson began acting in 1996, but it wouldn’t be until 2001, when she appeared in the film Almost Famous, that she would become a household name. In 2013, Kate and two partners began an athleisure clothing company, Fabletics, which grew so popular thatthe company now has 22 retail stores throughout the United States. In addition, Kate co-founded Cosmic Entertainment along with her brother, Oliver, and parents.

• Net Worth:$400 Million
• Brands: Municipal Market Kitchen, Performance Inspired Nutrition, Whalburgers, & Invention Machine
• Endorsem*nts: Hallow Catholic Prayer and Meditation App & Calvin Klein

Some of Mark Wahlberg's most notable roles ohave been in the Transformers franchise and Daddy’s Home.He proved he could do it all when he began producing shows like Entourage for HBO and then Ballers, Shooter, and Boardwalk Empire. In addition, he co-owns a super-popular chain of burger joints with his brothers Donnie and Paul called Wahlburgers. And if that wasn’t enough, the three brothers had a successful reality show on television of the same name from 2014 to 2019.

• Net Worth: $800 Million
• Brands:Tyler Perry Studios, Eflix (AKA BET+), Tyler Perry Productions, Tyler Perry's House of Blues Atlanta
• Books:Don't Try This at Home(2006)

Would you believe that once upon a time, Tyler Perry was homeless, living out of his car? He built his empire from scratch! He also worked out a deal with ViacomCBS that gives him stock in BET+, a new streaming service. On top of all of that, he owns a 330-acre studio lot called Tyler Perry Studios. He also owns land in Atlanta, New York, Lost Angeles, and Wyoming, and two planes. Not too shabby for someone who started out writing in his car.

• Net Worth: $200 Million
• Brands:Goop.com (Magazine, Podcast, Wellness, Beauty, Fashion, & Home Goods)
• Books:The Goop Clean Beauty Book(2015) &It's All Easy: And Other Lies(2019)

Gwyneth Paltrow popped up on the screen in the popular thriller Se7en and then broke out when she played Viola in Shakespeare in Love, which won her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for best actress.But her successful film career does not account for her entire $200 million net worth. So, where does she get the extra cheddar? In 2008, Paltrow founded Goop, a wellness and lifestyle brand that started out as a weekly electronic newsletter that gave advice to the new age, such as eliminating white foods and nourishing the inner aspect. The brand quickly grew to a website that now sells wellness products.

• Net Worth: $125 Million
• Brands: Flower Films, Flower Beauty, Flower Home at Walmart, Flower Press,The Drew Barrymore Show
• Books:Wildflower(2015)

With more than 60 acting credits to her name, Drew Barrymore is a producer, director, and the owner of Flower Films, which produced many of her films between 1999 and 2019. Not only does she now have her own daytime talk show on NBC, but she also has her own cosmetics line, clothing brand, and signature wine.

• Net Worth: $40 Million
• Brands: LC Lauren Conrad,Paper Crown, Little Co., Lauren Conrad Beauty, The Little Market
• Books: L.A. Candy Trilogy (2009), The Fame Game Trilogy(2012), Lauren Conrad Style (2010), Lauren Conrad Beauty (2012), & Lauren Conrad Celebrate (2016)

Little did any of us expect that Lauren Conrad would amount to much after her run on MTV’s reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spinoff series, The Hills, but boy did she prove us wrong. In 2008, Conrad launched The Lauren Conrad Collection at LA Fashion Week. It didn’t fare well, so she teamed up with Kohl’s in 2009 to create the fashion line LC by Lauren Conrad and now her products are sold worldwide, fromclothing to furniture and household goods. She is also a published author, having written her first book in 2009.

• Net Worth: $70 Million
• Brands: Derrty Entertainment, P. Juice, & Apple Bottom Jeans
• Collaborations: Air Derrty (Nike)
• Endorsem*nts:Reebok, Ford, & Got Milk?
• Music:Country Grammar (2000), Nellyville (2002), Sweatsuit (2004), Suit (2004), Brass Knuckles (2008), 5.0 (2010), M.O. (2013), & Heartland (2021)

We haven’t heard a whole lot from Nelly in the way of music these days but hedidlaunch a wildly successful sneaker and sold a mind-boggling one million cans of energy drinks in its first two months.He has endorsem*nts with Reebok, Ford, Got Milk?, and previously had one with Nike. At one point, he had a successful clothing line for women called Apple Bottom Jeans and also owned the Charlotte Bobcats for a while before Michael Jordan bought the team.

• Net Worth: $25 Million
• Brands:TPH by Taraji & TPH Entertainment
• Philanthropy:Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation

Who would have thought that the name Taraji P. Henson would become a household name? Not only has she turned in stellar performances in blockbuster films,but also the critically acclaimed show, Empire, Lately, she’s been an entrepreneur, selling hair and body care with her beauty brand TPH by Taraji and pursuing philanthropy with theBoris Lawrence Henson Foundation, an organization that helps people afford mental health care.

• Net Worth:$200 Million
• Brands:Hello Sunshine, Draper James, &Hello Sunshine Book Club
• Endorsem*nts: Elizabeth Arden, DirectTV, & Avon
• Collaborations:Reese's Book Club x Penguin Random House

Reese Witherspoonbecame a household name whenCruel Intentions premiered in 1999. From there, she added at least another 60 acting credits, as well as an Oscar!She may play dumb as Elle Woods, but as Reese Witherspoon, she’s got a good head on her shoulders for business. She has a production company called Hello Sunshine and more than 35 production credits to her name, including Legally Blonde 2, Big Little Lies (the hit show on HBO), Little Fires Everywhere (the hit show on Hulu), The Morning Show (the hit show on Apple TV), and about 11 more projects announced or in preproduction.

• Net Worth:$14 million
• Collaborations:MSCH
• Endorsem*nts:Crocs, Uber Eats, Taco Bell, Logitech, ... (& the list goes on)
• Music:"Old Town Road" (2019), "Panini" (2019), "Rodeo" (2019), "Holiday" (2020),Montero(2021), "J Christ" (2024)

Lil Nas X is a rapper and internet personality who rose to fame with his hit single "Old Town Road," which was on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for 19 weeks. Then at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, he was the most nominated male artist. Most recently, Lil Nas X partnered with MSCH, a company that customizes shoes, to make "Satan Shoes"." These customized Nike's Air Max 97 sneakers feature a pentagram pendant and red accents. But the biggest gimmick is every pair's drop of "real" human blood. There were only 666 pairs available, of course, andcost $1,018.

• Net Worth: $180 Million
• Brands:Sofia Jeans, EBY.com, & Raze Media
• Collaborations:TOTY Beauty with Cantabria Labs & "Sofia Vergara" Walmart Fashion and Home
• Endorsem*nts: CoverGirl, Pepsi, Head & Shoulders, Rooms to Go, & Cafe Bustelo

Sofia Vergara is a Columbian-born actress, model, and spokeswoman probably best known for her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on, Modern Family. She has been called one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, at $500,000 per episode,$10 million per year for America’s Got Talent. Although she amassed most of her wealth through acting, modeling, and spokesperson contracts, she soon branched out with a clothing line exclusively for Kmart in 2011. She also co-founded EBY.com, an online undergarment subscription service for women.

• Net Worth:$390 Million
• Brands:The Honest Company
• Collaborations: The Honest Company x Nordstrom & Amazon
• Endorsem*nts:Revlon

Jessica Alba came to the world’s attention as an actress in 1999, playing opposite Devon Sawa in the cult classic film Idle Hands. Additionally, she is the co-founder of The Honest Company, which is a sells nontoxic household goods and beauty products. As of 2017, the company was valued at at least $756 million and Alba owns somewhere between 15-20% of the goods, according to Forbes.

• Net Worth:$400 Million
• Brands: Meaningful Beauty, Cindy Crawford Home Collection, & Cindy Crawford Style
• Endorsem*nts: Omega Watches, Revlon, Pepsi, & Clairol
• Books:Cindy Crawford's Basic Face

Cindy Crawford amassed much of her fortune in the "supermodel" days, appearing in magazines and hosting the fashion show House of Style from 1989 – 1995. In 1989, she also signed a four-year contract with Revlon, becoming their spokesperson for a multimillion-dollar deal. In 2005, she launched her beauty product line, Meaningful Beauty, as well as the Cindy Crawford Home Collection furniture line and Cindy Crawford Style home goods line for J.C. Penney. In addition, Cindy has another furniture line called Cindy Crawford HOME with Raymour & Flanigan, besides owning multiple real estate properties and releasing a book in 2016.

• Net Worth:$400 Million
• Brands:Francis Ford Coppola Winery (FFCW), Niebaum-Coppola Winery, Zoetrope Studios, Blancaneaux Lodge
• Collaborations:Delicato Family Wines
• Books:Life Lessons(2012) &Not if, But When: Turning My Biggest Disaster Into My Greatest Triumph(2019)

Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter perhaps best known for his work on the Godfather movie trilogy, Apocalypse Now, and The Outsiders. His fortune comes from a real estate venture he made in 2011 when he bought the Rubicon Estate Winery in Napa Valley, California. From there he started producing nine different brands of wine. He now also owns several wineries around the world, as well as cafes, a lifestyle magazine, and several family “hideaways” around the world that can be reserved.

• Net Worth:$200 Million
• Brands: The Jessica Simpson Collection (Former Co-Owner)& Jessica Simpson Beauty
• Endorsem*nts: Weight Watchers & Proactiv
• Music:Sweet Kisses (1999), Irresistible (2001), In This Skin (2003), ReJoyce: The Christmas Album (2004), A Public Affair (2006), & Do You Know (2008)

Between 1999 and 2010, Jessica released seven studio albums, with her first album selling 1.9 million copies in the US and produced three singles and went double platinum. She also became a spokesperson for beauty products such as Proactiv and Weight Watchers after she used the program to lose 60 pounds. And if that wasn’t enough, She also sold about 62.5% of the Jessica Simpson Collection in 2015 for $120 million, while she still owns 37.5%, which generates about $30 million per year for her.

• Net Worth:$500 Million
• Brands:Greenwich Hotel, Nobu Hospitality, Tribeca Film Center
• Endorsem*nts:American Express

Considering he’s been on the acting scene since 1965, won his first Oscar in 1974, and has since been nominated for a total of 133 awards—winning 64 of them—it’s no surprise that Robert DeNiro is a well-off actor. In 1994, DeNiro came together with world-renowned chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa and fellow film producer Meir Teper to co-found the swanky Japanese Peruvian restaurant and then started co-founding luxury hotels known as the Nobu Hospitality brand. He now co-owns 46 restaurants and 13 hotels worldwide and the Tribeca Grill in NYC.

• Net Worth:$550 Million
• Brands:Fenty Beauty, Savage x Fenty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Eau de Parfum
• Collaborations:Puma & Stance
• Endorsem*nts:Dior
• Music:Music of the Sun (2005), A Girl Like Me (2006), Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rated R (2009), Loud (2010), Talk That Talk (2011), Unapologetic (2012), & Anti (2016)

Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, burst onto the music scene in 2005 with her hit summer song "Pon de Replay," and the world was never the same again. Rihanna has gifted us with a total of eight studio super-hit albums and nine Grammys. Rihanna also happens to co-own a line of cosmetics you may have heard of before—Fenty Beauty. According to CNBC, the beauty line cleared a reported $72 million in sales in its first month in 2017 and about $570 million in sales by the end of 2018, which doesn't even account for her clothing brand Savage x Fenty!

• Net Worth:$700 Million
• Brands: Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Skin, KHY, Kylie Swim, Kendall + Kylie, Sprinter Vodka Soda
• Collaborations: Puma, Quay Australia, Bratz, Batman, ...(& the list goes on)
• Endorsem*nts: Puma, Adidas, Calvin Klein,Sugar Factory, GLOW, Alo... (& the list goes on)
• Mobile Games: Kylie Jenner Outfit Diary & Kendall & Kylie

Kylie Jenner grew up in the shadow of her sisters Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and Kendall on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The youngest of all the siblings, she was mainly overlooked until she turned 21, when Forbes listed her as the youngest self-made billionaire (this information was later debunked). Still, $680 million is nothing to sneer at, and it's thanks largely in part to her cosmetics line, Kylie Cosmetics, as well as her modeling.She’s doing okay, especially considering that the older and most popular member of the Kardashian clan, Kim, is worth about $1.7million.

• Net Worth:$1.3 Billion
• Brands:Roc Nation, Armand de Brignac Champagne, Tidal, &Monogram
• Books:Decoded(2010)
• Music: Reasonable Doubt (1996), In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997), Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998), Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000) (with Roc-A-Fella Records), The Blueprint (2001), The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002), The Black Album (2003), Kingdom Come (2006), American Gangster (2007), The Blueprint 3 (2009), Watch the Throne (2011) (with Kanye West), Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013), &4:44 (2017)

Jay-Z hit the scene in 1996 with his debut rap album and has since released a total of 14 studio albums—all of which have reached number 1 on the Billboard charts—five collaborative albums and five compilation albums. Though his music still contributes to much of his worth, his investments bring in even more revenue. He has his hands in several stocks such as Uber (rumored to be worth about $70 million), he has his own champagne and cognac brands, as well as owning music streaming service, Tidal, and a lucrative entertainment company called Roc Nation.

Author Darby Tanner Last Updated: April 19, 2024