We often think of wealthy and successful people as lucky enough to be born that way. While this may be true in many cases, others have worked incredibly hard and made excellent investment choices to help them get to where they are today.
The entertainment industry can be quite accurately described as chaotic, and celebrities don’t always make the best choices with their newfound wealth. We’ve heard enough stories about how stars have managed their money poorly or spent irresponsibly, such as partying or buying massive yachts and houses that don’t have a good resale value. This is why celebrities have money managers who take careful steps to steer them towards making smarter investment choices.
While we know the hottest gossip in the entertainment world, it’s also a good idea to learn about celebrities who have taken their investment understanding to another level. Let’s look at the top 10 celebrities who have made a fortune with their savvy investments.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a famous Austrian-American actor who also served as a former governor of California. This once-broke actor has made notable investments early on in startups like Alphabet (aka Google) and Scopely Inc.
Additionally, he is well known for making intelligent choices in real estate investments. Thanks to having his hands in many enterprises simultaneously, Arnold Schwarzenegger has amassed a fortune of $450 million.
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba is a famous face in Hollywood, having made her mark in movies like Sin City and Fantastic Four. Alba has been very active in the business world and even founded her own household product company, Honest Co., in 2011. As a mother of two young daughters, Alba launched her company to sell organic products such as body lotions, laundry detergents, and baby wipes to ethically-minded consumers. Today, this company makes hundreds of millions in annual sales. She has also invested in startups like Managed by Q and Headspace. Alba’s estimated net worth is $200 million.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres is the queen of daytime TV – and one of the best-known house flippers in Hollywood. Along with her wife, Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres owns several rental properties. She has owned and sold 12 properties since becoming famous and made a great deal of money in the process. Did you know the comedienne flipped a $40 million mansion for a massive $15 million profit? And that’s just a side gig while she tackled being one of the busiest people on TV!
Beyonce
Beyonce is incredibly smart when it comes to playing the right investment cards. One of her strategies is to use her name to diversify her investment. For example, she told Uber that she wanted equity in the company instead of cash as compensation for performing at their 2015 corporate event in Vegas. Once the company went public, Beyonce’s fortune skyrocketed, and today, she has an estimated net worth of $400 million.
Justin Bieber
While Justin Bieber makes a lot of money from his hugely successful music career, clothing brands, and fragrance lines, he is also a successful investor. He has worked with a business manager to make critical investments in companies like Stamped, Spotify, and Liquid IV, and his investments have certainly paid off!
George Clooney
There is a reason we haven’t seen much of Clooney on the big screen – it’s because he has been very busy doubling his salary by founding a billion-dollar tequila company along with two friends. Founded in 2014, Casamigos has grown steadily, and today, the once-heartthrob enjoys earning substantial passive income. With so many celebrity-branded liquors that haven’t gained as much success, most of their famous founders probably envy the fortune George Clooney continues to make from his venture.
Ashton Kutcher
Known as one of the top Silicon Valley Investors, actor and film producer Ashton Kutcher has invested in many companies through his venture, A-Grade Investments. Within just six years of starting the company, Kutcher turned a $30 million fund into a whopping $250 million. Some of his top ventures include companies like Uber, Houzz, and Airbnb.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey has been immensely successful and is one of the most recognized faces on the talk show circuit. But she has also taken over the world regarding her investment successes. Throughout her career, Oprah has made some significant investments, but the best of it all was the money she put into WeightWatchers. The multi-talented woman invested $43 million in this weight loss company in 2015 at $7 per share. This allowed her to increase her fortune ninefold when stocks skyrocketed to $101 per share, leaving her with $427 million, racking up her net worth even further.
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest isn’t a name that pops up much on the entertainment front anymore, but it’s safe to say that the famous American Idol host is more than comfortable financially. He still earns an impressive annual salary but has grown his net worth through intelligent investments. Among many other celebrities, Seacrest was part of a 2015 combined $34 million investment in Headspace, a popular meditation app. It’s safe to say that this investment paid off most fruitfully.
Will Smith
Besides being one of the most prominent Hollywood actors, Will Smith is known for making savvy investments. He even launched his own venture capital fund called Dreamers VC. This venture invests in companies tackling social problems, such as med-tech companies like Nurx and Genome Medical. Smith has been very selective in his investments and called the shots by setting up his fund. His net worth today is estimated to be $350 million.
