When we think of celebrities, we think of glamour, beauty, fame, talent…but rarely do we think of a shrewd businessperson. However, there are many seriously impressive individuals who have successfully transitioned from entertainment to entrepreneurship and launched incredibly successful ventures. It’s more than just slapping their name on another person’s great idea or making smart investments unknowingly through their financial advisors. These superstars have leveraged their fame and fortune as a business platform and made a huge impact on the American business landscape as a result. Making investments is a great way for people to make more money for themselves, whilst also helping other people out too. However, you don’t need to be a celebrity to make investments. People can always use an Investment App to find similar opportunities. Hopefully, that will help more people earn more money. A few examples of celebrity investments include:
- Jessica Alba: according to Inc., an allergic reaction to a laundry detergent gave Alba the idea for The Honest Company. Launched in 2011, her startup sells more than 100 nontoxic products, like diapers, shampoo, and household cleaners, online and in retail locations including Whole Foods and Target. Despite lawsuits claiming the company misled customers about ingredients in some products, as well as another suit charging its sunscreen was ineffective, the company says it grew revenue to $300 million last year and now has a $1.7 billion valuation. By all accounts, Alba is an active co-founder. “I’m always trying to learn and grow–but I do have drive,” she told in June 2017. “I guess I’m sort of relentless.”
- Ashton Kutcher: clearly the dumb-guy persona Kutcher has regularly played on-screen is not an accurate portrayal. The “That ’70s Show” actor’s A-Grade Investments put money into Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, Shazam, and Soundcloud. In 2010, Kutcher cofounded the venture-capital firm, which invests in technology startups with entertainment manager Guy Oseary. In 2011, The New York Timesreported that the investments likely ranged from $50,000 to $200,000 and TechTimes reported that he had $100 million worth of investments in 2014.
- Kate Hudson: Hudson has been giving Lululemon a run for its money with the launch of her incredibly successful Fabletics athletic-wear line. According to Bloomberg, Fabletics is JustFab’s fastest-growing label, with sales tripling from $50 million to $150 million in its second year. With the online success, Fabletics has a plan over the next three to five years to open 75 to 100 brick-and-mortar stores, according to Forbes.
- Reese Witherspoon: it shouldn’t be any surprise that the woman behind Elle Woods, a true feminist icon, has transformed from a beloved actress into a boss businesswoman. According to Inc., the Oscar winner is a serial entrepreneur, starting three companies in recent years. In 2012, Witherspoon co-founded Pacific Standard, a production company that has developed hit movies including Gone Girl and Wild. Three years later, she launched clothing and lifestyle brand Draper James, which received a $10 million investment from Forerunner Ventures and made a deal in May to sell in Nordstrom stores. (The companies have not released sales figures.) Her newest venture is multimedia firm Hello Sunshine, which opened for business in 2016 and aims to bring female-centric literary properties to TV and film. Hello Sunshine currently is set to produce Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fineand Something in the Water, the first novels of two female authors.
