Celebrities are no longer earning money only from movies, music, sports and television. Many of the world’s biggest stars have built successful companies that generate hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and, in some cases, billions of dollars in value.
Celebrity-owned brands have become especially successful in fashion, beauty, skincare and lifestyle products. The combination of a recognizable name, a large social media following and strong business partnerships can help a new brand reach millions of customers quickly.
Here are some of the most valuable celebrity-backed brands and what they are worth.
SKIMS – Kim Kardashian
SKIMS is one of the most valuable celebrity-founded brands in the world. Kim Kardashian co-founded the company with Jens and Emma Grede in 2019, initially focusing on shapewear before expanding into underwear, clothing, loungewear and activewear.
In November 2025, SKIMS raised $225 million in new funding, giving the company a valuation of approximately $5 billion. The company also expected to exceed $1 billion in net sales during 2025.
SKIMS has become a major fashion business rather than simply a celebrity merchandise brand. Its growth has been supported by direct online sales, retail expansion, international growth and major partnerships.
Fenty Beauty – Rihanna
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is another major success story in the celebrity business world. The brand launched in 2017 and became famous for offering a wide range of foundation shades and emphasizing inclusivity.
Forbes previously estimated that Fenty Beauty represented the largest portion of Rihanna’s wealth, with Rihanna owning approximately 50% of the business at the time. The company was valued at around $2 billion in Forbes’ 2021 analysis.
Fenty Beauty demonstrated how a celebrity could use personal influence to create a global beauty company with substantial independent value.
Rare Beauty – Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez founded Rare Beauty in 2020, and the cosmetics company quickly became one of the most successful celebrity beauty brands.
Rare Beauty has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales, although its exact current valuation is private and estimates vary. Industry reports have placed its potential value above $2 billion.
The brand has built a strong identity around accessible beauty and mental health awareness. Its products have also benefited from strong social media engagement and popularity among younger consumers.
Kylie Cosmetics – Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner launched Kylie Cosmetics in 2015, turning her social media popularity into a major beauty business.
The brand became one of the fastest-growing celebrity cosmetics companies and attracted major corporate investment. In 2020, Coty purchased a 51% stake in Kylie Cosmetics for $600 million, implying a valuation of approximately $1.2 billion at the time.
Although the brand’s business has changed since its early peak, Kylie Cosmetics remains one of the most recognizable examples of celebrity-driven entrepreneurship.
Good American – Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian co-founded Good American in 2016 with Emma Grede. The fashion company initially focused heavily on inclusive denim and later expanded into clothing, swimwear, footwear and activewear.
Good American generated approximately $1 million in sales on its first day, according to reports, demonstrating the potential impact of Kardashian’s audience and the company’s positioning.
The exact current valuation of the privately held company has not been publicly disclosed, so it is more accurate to discuss its business success rather than assign an unsupported valuation.
Honest – Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba co-founded The Honest Company, a consumer-products business focused on personal care, household products and baby products.
Unlike many celebrity brands, Honest eventually became a publicly traded company. Its public listing gave investors a way to value the business through the stock market.
The company illustrates how celebrity entrepreneurship can extend beyond fashion and cosmetics into everyday consumer products.
Rhode – Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber founded Rhode as a skincare brand in 2022. The company rapidly attracted consumers through social media marketing and a relatively focused product range.
In 2025, Rhode was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty in a transaction valued at up to approximately $1 billion, including cash and stock components. The deal demonstrated how quickly a celebrity-founded beauty company can grow when it establishes strong consumer demand.
Rhode’s success also shows that celebrity brands do not necessarily need dozens of products. A small number of highly recognizable products can create significant commercial value.
Haus Labs – Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs is another celebrity-backed beauty brand that has developed a presence in the cosmetics market.
The brand originally launched in 2019 and later relaunched with a stronger focus on clean and performance-oriented makeup. Haus Labs has benefited from Gaga’s global entertainment profile while developing its own identity within the beauty industry.
Its exact current valuation is private, making precise estimates difficult.
Why Celebrity Brands Become So Valuable
Celebrity-owned brands can grow quickly because founders already have something that traditional startups often spend years building: an audience.
A celebrity can introduce a product to millions of followers within minutes. Social media can create awareness without requiring the same level of traditional advertising that a new company might need.
However, fame alone does not guarantee success. The strongest celebrity brands generally combine celebrity influence with strong products, professional management, effective distribution and long-term brand development.
The Business Model Behind Celebrity Brands
Most successful celebrity brands use several revenue strategies. These can include direct-to-consumer websites, retail stores, partnerships with major retailers, licensing agreements and international expansion.
Investment from large companies can also help a celebrity brand scale. Corporate investors can provide capital, manufacturing expertise, distribution networks and access to international markets.
This is one reason some celebrity brands eventually become much more valuable than the personal wealth of their founders might suggest.
Celebrity Influence Can Create Billions in Value
The biggest celebrity brands demonstrate that personal fame can become a powerful business asset.
SKIMS reached a $5 billion valuation after its 2025 funding round, while Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty and other celebrity-founded companies have also reached multibillion-dollar estimates or significant corporate valuations.
These companies are valuable because consumers are buying more than a celebrity name. Successful brands create products that customers continue purchasing even when the celebrity is not directly promoting them.
Conclusion
The rise of celebrity-owned brands has changed the way entertainers build wealth. Stars such as Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Jessica Alba have shown that a personal brand can become the foundation of a major company.
The most successful celebrity businesses are no longer simply promotional extensions of a famous person’s career. They operate as serious companies with products, employees, investors, retail partnerships and international customers.
As the creator economy continues to grow, celebrity entrepreneurship is likely to become an even bigger part of the global fashion, beauty and consumer-products industries.