Some of the richest celebrities in the world did not build their biggest fortunes from movies, music or sports, but from smart business moves outside of Hollywood. While their fame opened doors, it was their investments in tech, beauty, fashion, alcohol brands, restaurants and fitness franchises that turned them into multi-millionaires and even billionaires. In this Cinema Awards Archive spotlight, we look at 10 celebrities whose off-screen business empires ended up making them far more money than their original careers ever did.
1. Ashton Kutcher – Tech
Investor Extraordinaire
Ashton Kutcher was already a
successful actor, but his smartest career move was investing in tech start-ups.
In the early 2010s, he put money into companies like Uber, Airbnb, Spotify and
Skype—long before they became billion-dollar giants. His investments paid off
massively, and some estimates suggest his portfolio is worth over $250 million
today. Kutcher has said that he made more money from investing in tech
start-ups than from his entire acting career.
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2. Beyoncé Knowles – Hollywood
Star Turned Investor
In addition to her activewear
fashion brand, Ivy Park, Beyoncé's management company has at least $150,000
invested into Sidestep, an app that offers access to concerts and merchandise,
according to TechCrunch. The app raised a total of $1.7 million and had more
than $2 million in sales in 2017, ten times the year prior.
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3. Dr. Dre – The Headphone King
Dr. Dre was already a hip-hop
legend when he made one of the smartest business deals in music history. In
2008, he co-founded Beats by Dre, a premium headphone brand. What started as a
simple idea—creating high-quality headphones with a cool, stylish design—quickly
became a billion-dollar brand. Apple took notice and bought Beats by Dre in
2014 for $3 billion. He personally made over $700 million from the deal, making
him one of the richest musicians in the world. While he still produces music
and runs his label, his true wealth comes from his business acumen.
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4. George Clooney – Tequila
Billionaire
He is one of Hollywood’s biggest
movie stars, but his most profitable role has been co-founder of Casamigos
Tequila. He and his friends launched the brand in 2013 originally just for
their personal use. However, Casamigos became wildly popular, and in 2017,
Clooney sold the company to Diageo for $1 billion. That single business deal
made him far more money than any of his films ever did.
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5. Jay-Z – The Rapper Who Became
a Business Mogul
He isn’t just one of the greatest
rappers of all time—he’s also one of the smartest businessmen in the
entertainment industry. While his music career has been highly successful, the
bulk of his $2.5 billion fortune comes from his business investments. Jay-Z
made major money moves by investing in alcohol brands, tech companies and
sports. He co-founded Roc Nation, a powerhouse talent agency representing
athletes and artists. He also built Armand de Brignac champagne and D'Ussé
cognac into multi-million-dollar liquor brands. In 2021, he sold a majority
stake in Armand de Brignac to LVMH for $300 million. His strategy has been
clear—own the business instead of just promoting it, and it has paid off in a
big way.
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6. Jessica Alba – From Actress
to Skincare CEO
Jessica Alba became a household
name starring in movies like Fantastic Four and Sin City, but her biggest
success has nothing to do with Hollywood. In 2012, she founded The Honest
Company, a brand focused on eco-friendly and non-toxic baby products. The company
grew rapidly, expanding into skincare, home products and wellness. In 2021, The
Honest Company went public, raising over $400 million. At its peak, Alba’s
stake in the company was worth around $200 million—far more than she ever made
from acting. While she still appears in occasional projects, Alba is now more
focused on building her business empire than chasing Hollywood roles.
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7. Kylie Jenner – Makeup Empire
Bigger Than Reality TV
Kylie Jenner may have become famous
through Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but her real money comes from
cosmetics. In 2015, she launched Kylie Cosmetics with a line of lip kits that
sold out in minutes. Within a few years, Kylie Cosmetics was worth over $1.2
billion. In 2019, she sold 51% of the company to Coty Inc. for $600 million,
securing her status as one of the richest self-made women in America. Even
though she still appears on TV, her main focus is expanding her beauty empire.
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8. Mark Wahlberg – Hollywood
Star Turned Fitness & Fast Food Investor
Mark Wahlberg is a Hollywood
A-lister, but his biggest financial success comes from business ventures. He
co-founded Wahlburgers, a popular burger chain that has expanded to over 50
locations worldwide. The success of Wahlburgers even led to a reality TV series
about the business. Beyond burgers, Wahlberg has invested in F45 Training, a
global fitness franchise. When the company went public in 2021, it was valued
at over $1 billion. His investments in health, fitness and restaurants have
earned him hundreds of millions of dollars—far more than his acting paychecks.
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9. Rihanna – Billionaire Beauty
Mogul
Rihanna may have started as a
global music superstar, but her real fortune comes from Fenty Beauty, her
groundbreaking cosmetics brand. She launched the company in 2017 with the goal
of creating an inclusive makeup line that catered to all skin tones. The brand
was an instant hit, making $100 million in sales within its first 40 days.
Fenty Beauty, combined with her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty, turned Rihanna
into a billionaire. She currently has a net worth of around $1.4 billion, and
the majority of that comes from her business ventures—not her music career.
Though fans still hope for a new album, Rihanna has shown that she doesn’t need
to rush back to the studio to stay at the top.
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10. Shaquille O’Neal – More Than
Just a Basketball Legend
Shaquille O’Neal may be one of the
greatest NBA players of all time, but he’s also a business mogul. Shaq has
invested in dozens of businesses, including franchises like Papa John’s, Krispy
Kreme and Five Guys. He also has lucrative endorsement deals and smart
investments in real estate. Shaq’s estimated net worth is over $400 million,
and most of it didn’t come from basketball.
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These stories show that the richest
celebrities are often the ones who think like entrepreneurs, not just
performers. By owning brands, investing early in promising companies and
building long-term businesses, they’ve created wealth that goes far beyond box
office numbers, album sales or sports contracts.
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