Rihanna has undeniably become one of the most influential and wealthiest celebrities in the world, with a remarkable journey from a musical icon to a self-made billionaire business mogul.
As of 2024, Rihanna’s net worth is an astounding $1.4 billion, according to Forbes . While she initially gained global fame as a singer with chart-topping hits like “Umbrella,” “Diamonds,” and “We Found Love,” it’s her business ventures, particularly in the beauty and fashion industries, that have significantly contributed to her vast fortune.
Fenty Beauty: The Birth of a Billion-Dollar Brand
Rihanna’s rise to billionaire status is largely attributed to her groundbreaking beauty brand, Fenty Beauty, which she launched in September 2017.
Rihanna (Credit: X)
Co-founded with the French luxury conglomerate LVMH, Fenty Beauty made a huge impact on the beauty industry with its inclusivity and broad shade range.
Prior to Fenty’s debut, many beauty brands offered limited shades for darker skin tones, but Rihanna’s vision for Fenty was different: she wanted a line that catered to all skin tones, from the lightest to the deepest shades.
The brand quickly became a massive success, with its first launch at Sephora. Fenty Beauty’s impact was immediate: it was reported that the brand generated $72 million in sales within its first month.
This success was driven by its innovative product offerings, such as foundations, highlighters, and concealers that catered to a wide variety of skin tones, a feature that had been long overlooked by many other cosmetics lines.
Rihanna’s inclusion-focused approach to beauty, along with her personal involvement in product development, made Fenty Beauty a favorite among consumers worldwide.
Over the years, the brand continued to expand its product range to include skincare and haircare. Fenty Beauty’s success has been monumental, with the brand’s profits steadily increasing.
By 2022, the makeup company had doubled its revenue, and Fenty Beauty’s widespread influence and loyal customer base helped solidify Rihanna as not just a pop star, but a global beauty mogul.
In addition to Sephora, Fenty Beauty products are now available at Ulta and even Target stores, making the brand more accessible to fans across the world.
As of now, Fenty Beauty is sold in 17 countries, including several African nations, marking Rihanna’s global reach.
Savage X Fenty: Redefining Lingerie and Inclusivity
But Rihanna didn’t stop at beauty. In 2018, she launched her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, which focuses on body positivity, inclusivity, and offering products for women of all sizes.
The brand quickly set itself apart from other lingerie lines by offering a wide range of sizes, from XS to 3X, and by featuring diverse models of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities in its advertising campaigns.
Rihanna (Credit: Pinterest)
Savage X Fenty’s commitment to inclusivity was showcased during its highly publicized fashion shows, with famous models and entertainers such as Bella Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Normani, Laverne Cox, and 21 Savage gracing the runway.
Savage X Fenty didn’t just redefine the lingerie industry; it also challenged the traditional standards of beauty and showcased Rihanna’s ability to think outside the box.
Rihanna has been praised for her role in changing the perception of what luxury lingerie should look like, promoting diversity in both sizing and representation.
Savage X Fenty continues to grow, and by 2022, the brand had already brought in an impressive $125 million in revenue.
From Music to Business Mogul
While Rihanna’s entrepreneurial ventures have been the primary driver of her billionaire status, she hasn’t entirely stepped away from her music career.
Her 2016 album Anti was met with critical acclaim, and while she has been on hiatus since then, Rihanna has kept fans engaged with her work in other areas.
Her 2022 release of “Lift Me Up,” featured in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, was not only a huge commercial success but also earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
Despite the long gap between her albums, Rihanna’s return to the stage in 2023 at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show showed that her star power remains undiminished.
Fans eagerly await her next musical project, and Rihanna herself has teased that new music is in the works, revealing in interviews that she is rediscovering her sound and taking her time to craft an album that feels true to her creative evolution.
Rihanna’s commitment to her music and other creative projects showcases her versatility and passion.
In interviews, she has explained that music is a “new discovery” for her and that she’s been “rediscovering things” after a long hiatus. She expressed that she was “prepared to go back into the studio,” signaling that her next album could be a major moment in her career.
Expanding Her Empire and Business Success
Rihanna’s influence extends beyond beauty and lingerie. As her business empire grows, so does her involvement in various investments and brand partnerships.
Fenty Beauty’s early success has allowed her to partner with other brands and contribute to the development of products in fashion, lifestyle, and even health. Her business acumen has shown that she is not just a singer but a savvy entrepreneur with an eye for market trends and an understanding of consumer demand.
Her status as a billionaire was officially recognized in 2021, when Forbes estimated her net worth to be around $1.7 billion, with Fenty Beauty being the cornerstone of her financial success.
However, it’s not just the revenue from Fenty and Savage X Fenty that contributes to her wealth. Rihanna’s music catalog, acting career, and investments have all played a role in her accumulation of wealth.
Despite her billion-dollar status, Rihanna has remained humble and focused on her mission to empower others, especially women and marginalized groups.
Through her business ventures, she continues to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs, proving that with hard work, creativity, and a vision, it’s possible to build an empire that transcends any single industry.
As of 2024, Rihanna’s future looks incredibly bright. She has shown that she is not just a talented singer and performer, but also a fierce entrepreneur and a savvy businesswoman.
The global success of Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty has reshaped industries, making Rihanna one of the most influential figures in fashion and beauty.
Fans eagerly await her next move in both music and business, but no matter what Rihanna chooses to pursue next, it’s clear that she will continue to be a trailblazer.
Her journey from a young girl in Barbados to a billionaire mogul is a testament to her resilience, vision, and determination to make her mark on the world in multiple ways.
Rihanna’s legacy, however, is not just in her wealth, but in her ability to inspire, empower, and create change in the industries she touches.
Kanye West, widely known for his multifaceted career in music, fashion, and business, achieved billionaire status in 2020, primarily due to his groundbreaking partnership with Adidas through his Yeezy brand.
His Yeezy brand revolutionized the fashion and sneaker industries, blending streetwear with luxury fashion and making West a significant force in global retail.
His influence as both a cultural icon and an entrepreneur positioned him among the wealthiest individuals in the world.
The Yeezy-Adidas deal alone accounted for a substantial portion of his wealth, contributing an estimated $1.5 billion to his overall net worth.
The Power of Yeezy and Its Impact
The collaboration between Adidas and West’s Yeezy brand was a remarkable success. West’s ability to fuse high fashion with street culture made Yeezy one of the most recognizable and sought-after brands in the world.
The line’s initial success was driven by the release of innovative footwear designs, including the highly popular Yeezy Boost sneakers.
As Yeezy products became a global phenomenon, their resale value skyrocketed, creating an entirely new market for exclusive and limited-edition sneakers.
Kanye West (Credit: YouTube)
Over time, Yeezy expanded beyond shoes to include a full range of clothing, from casual wear to high-end apparel, further solidifying its place in fashion history.
Financially, Yeezy generated approximately $2 billion annually for Adidas, constituting around 9% of the company’s yearly revenue.
This deal transformed West into a financial powerhouse, with his net worth rising significantly.
By 2020, Forbes estimated that West’s wealth had surpassed the $1 billion mark, making him one of the very few billionaires in the entertainment and fashion world.
His Yeezy partnership was by far his most lucrative business venture, making up the lion’s share of his financial portfolio.
In October 2022, Kanye West’s career and financial standing took a dramatic turn. West, who had been facing increasing public scrutiny due to his controversial behavior and statements, came under intense criticism for making antisemitic remarks on social media.
Adidas, in particular, faced pressure to sever ties with West, given the gravity of the situation and its commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
The brand made the decision to end its partnership with West, publicly stating that the company would no longer produce or sell Yeezy-branded products.
The termination of this lucrative partnership marked the end of a major revenue stream for West, and it was clear that his financial standing would be significantly impacted.
Adidas also announced that it would cease all payments to West and his associated companies, including his Yeezy business, effectively halting the operation of what had been one of the most profitable brand partnerships in history.
The Financial Impact: From Billionaire to $400 Million
The immediate consequence of Adidas’s decision to cut ties with West was the dramatic reduction in his net worth. Forbes, which had previously listed West as a billionaire, revised its estimate of his wealth, reporting that without the Adidas deal, his net worth had dropped to approximately $400 million.
This sharp decline was a direct result of losing the Yeezy brand, which had been responsible for most of West’s wealth.
While West retained some assets, including his real estate holdings, music catalog, and a stake in Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims, the absence of Yeezy revenue meant that his financial landscape was no longer comparable to his previous billionaire status.
Remaining Assets: Music, Real Estate, and Skims
Despite the loss of the Yeezy brand, Kanye West still possesses significant assets. One of the most valuable components of his portfolio is his music catalog. West’s work in music, particularly his album sales and royalties, continues to generate substantial income.
Kanye West (Credit: X)
However, even this valuable asset cannot rival the consistent and massive revenue that Yeezy brought in from its collaboration with Adidas.
Additionally, West has built an extensive real estate portfolio, owning multiple luxury homes in locations such as Los Angeles and Wyoming. These properties, while valuable, also cannot match the ongoing income that Yeezy provided.
Furthermore, West retains a stake in Skims, the shapewear brand co-founded by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
While Skims has been incredibly successful and continues to grow, it represents a relatively small portion of West’s overall wealth in comparison to the massive financial windfall from Yeezy. Still, this stake in Skims offers West a way to diversify his assets and maintain his wealth as he looks to rebuild his brand.
Other Business Losses: Gap, Balenciaga, and Donda Sports
West’s controversies also led to the loss of several other high-profile business partnerships. In addition to Adidas, West’s ties with companies such as Gap and Balenciaga were severed.
Balenciaga, one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world, also dropped West, distancing itself from the negative publicity surrounding him.
West’s marketing agency, Donda Sports, also faced repercussions. Key athletes like NBA star Jaylen Brown and NFL player Aaron Donald publicly announced their departure from the agency, citing their disagreement with West’s views and behavior.
The loss of these partnerships further exacerbated the financial blow to West, highlighting the far-reaching impact of his public fallout.
The Financial Legacy of Yeezy: A Groundbreaking Partnership
Despite the challenges that West faced after losing his billionaire status, the Yeezy-Adidas partnership remains one of the most impactful collaborations in recent fashion and business history.
The Yeezy brand’s influence on streetwear and sneaker culture is undeniable, and West’s ability to leverage his celebrity status to create a globally recognized brand is an achievement that few others have matched.
However, the events of 2022 serve as a cautionary tale about the intersection of business success and personal conduct, demonstrating how public behavior can directly affect a brand’s financial trajectory.
The Future of Kanye West’s Net Worth
Although West is no longer a billionaire, his wealth and influence are not to be underestimated. His future financial success will depend on his ability to recover from the fallout of his past actions and rebuild his brand. Whether through new business ventures, music releases, or collaborations, West will likely continue to maintain a presence in the entertainment and fashion industries.
However, the loss of Yeezy and the severing of major partnerships will require him to diversify his income streams and prove his ability to adapt to changing market conditions.
While West’s financial standing has drastically changed, his career is far from over. The next chapter of his financial journey will depend on his ability to rebuild his reputation, form new business partnerships, and continue to create products that resonate with consumers.
West’s story, marked by extraordinary financial success and equally dramatic setbacks, is a testament to the volatile nature of celebrity-driven business ventures and the power of public perception in shaping one’s financial destiny.
