Celebrity brands are big business. But who owns the most profitable brands? Hey Discount analysed 20 of the biggest celebrity brands right now. With famous faces covering all bases from beauty to electronics, and fashion brands, we wanted to explore the top revenue-generating celebrity owned brands in the world.
Celebrity Brands Generating the Biggest Revenues
1. Yeezy
Celebrity: Kanye West
Sector: Fashion
Founded: 2015
Years in business: 7
Estimated Revenue : $1.7 Billion
Yeezy is a fashion brand launched by Kanye West, with a focus on high-end trend-setting footwear. Kanye owns 100% of the company and has partnerships with Adidas, and the brand generates an astounding estimated $1.7 billion in revenue.
Where to buy Yeezy's: Adidas
2. Beats Electronics
Celebrity: Dr Dre
Sector: Entertainment
Founded: 2006
Years in business: 16
Estimated Revenue: $1.5 Billion
A close runner-up is Beats Electronics, first launched by Dr Dre and sold to Apple in 2014, which generates an estimated $1.5 billion in revenue. Dr Dre first founded the company back in 2006 and the brand has been active for 16 years.
Where to buy Beats: Onbuy, Stock Must Go, AO
3. The Jessica Simpson Collection
Celebrity: Jessica Simpson
Sector: Fashion
Founded: 2005
Years in business: 17
Estimated Revenue: $1 Billion
Hitting third place is Jessica Simpson’s clothing brand, which rakes in a massive $1 billion in revenue. Jessica Simpson first launched her clothing collection 17 years ago. After selling the company in 2015, Simpson reclaimed ownership in 2021.
4. Fenty Beauty
Celebrity: Rihanna
Sector: Beauty
Founded: 2017
Years in business: 5
Estimated Revenue: $650 Million
Fenty Beauty, the beauty and cosmetic brand launched by Rihanna generates an estimated revenue of $650 million, having been in business for a short five years. The value of Rihanna’s shares in Fenty Beauty are estimated to be worth a whopping $1.4 billion.
Where to buy Fenty Beauty: Boots, Harvey Nichols, Sephora
5. Fabletics
Celebrity: Kate Hudson
Sector: Fashion
Founded: 2013
Years in business: 9
Estimated Revenue: $500 Million
Fabletics is a gymwear company founded by Kate Hudson in 2013. After nine years in operation, Fabletics now generates an estimated revenue of $500 million, earning Hudson fifth place on this list.
Celebrities Making The Most From Their Brands
We all know celebrities take home massive paychecks every year from their projects, be it from their movies, royalties, or TV episodes, but which celebrities are taking home the most when it comes to income from their brands?
The following details the money these celebrities have made from their brands, be it from annual profit and salaries, sales of company shares, or value of their own shares in their companies.
1. Rihanna - $1.4 Billion Company Share Valuation
Rihanna owns 50% of her company Fenty Beauty, and the company has a staggering estimated valuation of $2.8 billion, meaning Rihanna’s shares are worth $1.4 billion. This makes Rihanna an official billionaire, with Forbes estimating her total net worth at $1.7 billion
2. Kim Kardashian - $500 Million Company Share Valuation plus $200 Million Profit from Selling Shares
Kim Kardashian has an estimated net worth just higher than Rihanna at an incredible $1.8 billion. Kim currently owns a 72% stake in KKW beauty which is worth around $500 million, and this is even after she sold 20% of her shares for $200 million back in 2020.
3. Kylie Jenner - $600 Million Profit from Selling Shares
Kylie Jenner made a gigantic profit of $600 million from selling 51% of her company to Coty Inc in 2019. Jenner was originally thought to be a billionaire, however, Forbes has famously revoked her billionaire status in recent years.
4. Dr Dre - $500 Million from Selling Company
Dr Dre sold his company, Beats Electronics, to Apple for an estimated £2.6 billion, which netted Dre himself a cool $500 million profit. Beat Electronics now generates a massive $1.5 billion in revenue for Apple, while Dr Dre sits on an estimated net worth of $820 million.
5. George Clooney - $233 Million from Selling Company
George Clooney completes our top five highest celebrity earners from business ventures, raking in an impressive $233 million in profit when he sold his co-owned company, Casamigos, to industry giant Diageo for $700 million. Casamigos sells Clooney's own brand of tequila.
The Most Influential Celebrity Brands on Instagram
By combining data across four relevant Instagram factors, a total brand influence score has been calculated for each of our celebrity brands’ Instagram pages. Factors include engagement rates, follower count, average likes, and average earnings.
1. KKW Beauty
Celebrity: Kim Kardashian
Brand Instagram @: kkwbeauty
Brand Instagram Followers: 5 Million
Estimated Brand Instagram Earnings: $15,569
Estimated Engagement Rate: 1.68%
Average Likes: 52,503
Brand Influence Score: 9.15
The most influential celebrity brand on Instagram is KKW Beauty, owned by Kim Kardashian. With five million followers, 52,503 average likes, and an estimated engagement rate of 1.68%, KKW Beauty earns a Brand Influence Score of 9.15, topping this list.
2. Kylie Cosmetics
Celebrity: Kylie Jenner
Brand Instagram @: kyliecosmetics
Brand Instagram Followers: 26 Million
Estimated Brand Instagram Earnings: $85,204
Estimated Engagement Rate: 0.22%
Average Likes: 37,691
Brand Influence Score: 8.30
In runner-up position is Kylie Cosmetics, with a brand influence score of 8.30. Despite having significantly more followers than KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics hits a much lower engagement rate of 0.22%, bringing down its overall influence score.
Where to buy Kylie Cosmetics: Flannels
3. Jeffree Star Cosmetics
Celebrity: Jeffree Star
Brand Instagram @: jeffreestarcosmetics
Brand Instagram Followers: 6 Million
Estimated Brand Instagram Earnings: $21,163
Estimated Engagement Rate: 0.41%
Average Likes: 17,256
Brand Influence Score: 8.12
Jeffree Star Cosmetics ranks third on this list, with a brand influence rating of 8.12. Jeffree Star Cosmetics benefits from a respectable six million followers who engage with the Instagram page with an estimated engagement rate of 0.41%.
4. Rare Beauty
Celebrity: Selena Gomez
Brand Instagram @: rarebeauty
Brand Instagram Followers: 3 Million
Estimated Brand Instagram Earnings: $10,365
Estimated Engagement Rate: 0.92%
Average Likes: 19,197
Brand Influence Score: 8.07
Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez’s beauty brand, earns a brand influencer score of 8.07 on this list. Rare Beauty posts to three million followers and hits 19,197 average likes on each of its posts.
Where to buy Rare Beauty: Space NK
5. Yeezy
Celebrity: Kanye West
Brand Instagram @: yeezymafia
Brand Instagram Followers: 3 Million
Estimated Brand Instagram Earnings: $11,336
Estimated Engagement Rate: 0.75%
Average Likes: 17,154
Brand Influence Score: 7.69
Completing the top five is Yeezymafia, with a brand influence score of 7.69. Kanye West’s Yeezy brand sees three million followers on Instagram who demonstrate an estimated engagement rate with the page of 0.75%.
Methodology
Estimated revenue and real-time net worth figures were taken from a variety of sources, including Forbes, Caknowledge, Wealthygorilla, Owler, Toofab, Celebritynetworth, and Bloomberg, among others. All Instagram hashtags and links were retrieved from Instagram, and follower count, average earnings per Instagram post, and estimated Instagram engagement rates were recorded from Influencermarketinghub. All data was collected on or before April 22nd, 2022.