10 Celebrities That Moonlight as Business Owners
Is it just me, or does it seem like every celebrity is running some kind of side gig these days?
While your favorite actors, musicians, reality stars, and famous-for-being-famous socialites are already raking in the dough for their full-time jobs, more and more household names are financing their lavish lifestyles through a variety of side businesses. Some even become so entrenched in their moonlight business ventures, we forget what made them famous in the first place!
Let’s face it—this list could easily have been over a hundred names long. But we’re assuming you haven’t got that kind of time.
So we’ve combed through the masses to choose for you the 10 most iconic, surprising, or just plain fascinating celebrity entrepreneurs.
1. The Original Entrepreneur
We can’t lead off a list like this one without paying tribute to the pioneer of the celebrity business venture: Mr. Paul Newman. He first stole your grandparents’ heart in such big screen classics as The Long, Hot Summer and Cool Hand Luke. But these days, you’re most likely to catch Newman’s face in the grocery store aisle on a bottle of Newman’s Own—the salad dressing and food product company he founded in 1982.
The best part? To this day, every cent of the company’s after-tax profits—over $400 million to date—is donated to various charities through the Newman’s Own Foundation. Now that’s a legacy worth celebrating.
2. The Household Heroine
When she’s not saving the world on the big screen as one of the Fantastic Four, Jessica Alba devotes herself to “helping moms and giving all children a better, safer start” as founder of The Honest Company, a line of eco-friendly baby and family products distributed through both international retail and an online subscription service.
Alba co-founded the company in 2012 after her second daughter, Haven, was born. And the company has skyrocketed in success since. Just last year, the Honest Company raised $70 million in its third round of venture capital funding, bringing the company’s total venture capital investments to a whopping $122 million.
3. The Bistro Babe
Celebrities owning restaurants is certainly not a new phenomenon. But we’re highlighting this particular actress-turned-restaurateur for her cool avoidance of using her name to attract a crowd.
Indeed, Sandra Bullock keeps her ownership of downtown Austin, Tex., foodie favorite Bess Bistro so quiet, you won’t even find her name on the website. But Austin locals tell us the spot’s upscale comfort food and cozy vibe earns a loyal following all on its own.
More recently, Bullock expanded her miniature foodie empire with a bakery and delicatessen across the street, Walton’s Fancy and Staple.
4. The Full-Time Funnyman
It’s hard to imagine Ron Burgundy as a successful business owner. But that hasn’t stopped actor Will Ferrell from turning his comic genius into a small empire of online absurdity.
The success of Ferrell’s Funny or Die hasn’t gone unnoticed in Silicon Valley. Last year, the company reported receiving unsolicited interest for purchase of the company. At the time, Bloomberg estimated a potential purchase price of up to $300 million.
5. The Fangirl Financier
She’s an actress, a producer, a mother, and a philanthropist. But first and foremost, Alyssa Milano is a sports fan.
But she also considers herself a fashionista. And those last two haven’t always gone hand in hand. That’s why, in 2006, Milano launched Touch, a line of fashion-forward apparel for the female sports fan.
Almost ten years later, Milano’s company holds licenses with the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB, and is distributed both in nationwide retailers and online through sports apparel giant Fanatics.com.
6. The Ocean Enterpriser
This one takes our top prize for most random celebrity business venture. In 1995, actor Kevin Costner purchased Ocean Therapy Solutions, a company that specializes in developing centrifugal oil-water separators, from the United States government for $25 million.
Thirty-two of the company’s machines were famously employed by BP in 2010 for cleanup of the Gulf Coast Oil spill. Despite enduring a bitter legal battle with fellow actor and investor Stephen Baldwin, it’s estimated that Costner himself profited over $15 million from the BP contract alone.
7. The Romantic Rancher
Sometimes financial savvy isn’t the only impetus for a celebrity business venture. An example of this is Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch. The actor purchased the Mission Ranch property in 1982, narrowly saving his hometown of Carmel, California’s 150-year-old dairy farm, from being replaced by condominiums.
Eastwood and his team worked painstakingly through the 1980s to restore the property to its former glory. These days, the sprawling 22-acre destination offers a restaurant, a four-star hotel, a tennis club, and a stunning venue for weddings and events.
8. The Twin-terprisers
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who won America’s hearts in their shared role as Full House’s Michelle Tanner, have grown up into certified fashion industry tycoons.
Among their ventures are couture line The Row, contemporary casual line Elizabeth & James, a women’s line for J.C. Penney called Olsenboye—and most recently, StyleMint, an online subscription service for casual wear.
Altogether, the twins’ fashion and entertainment careers have earned them a combined net worth of around $300 million. Not bad for the youngest moguls on our list.
9. The Small Town Shopkeep
Some celebs start their side-businesses for the cold hard cash. Others want to put their passions to work. But when Steve Carell took ownership of Massachusetts’ Marshfield Hills General Store in 2009, his main goal was to preserve the history he remembered from family vacations growing up.
“This is much more of an emotional investment than a business one,” Carell told the Boston Globe. “Places like the Marshfield Hills General Store represent a gathering place, and give people a sense of community. These spots are growing more and more scarce. I hope to keep this particular one alive and well.”
10. The Ultimate Opportunists
Of course, any list of celeb-preneurs just couldn’t be complete without including the unofficial royal family of the celebrity capitalist set: the Kardashian/Jenner clan.
Launched from relative obscurity by a leaked sex tape in 2007, Kim Kardashian and her family turned what could have been one of life’s worst moments into a decade-long rise to fame and fortune, including six reality shows, at least 30 different business ventures (no one but Kris really knows how many), and a combined estimated net worth of $191.75 million.
We wish our most embarrassing moment was worth that much Dom Perignon!
Who Did We Miss?
With so many celebrities ruling the ranks as entrepreneurs, we’re sure to have left out a few fan favorites. What celeb business owner’s product do you love? Share with us in the comments below!
