7 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Successful Entrepreneurs

The perception of famous people is an odd mix of glorification and diminishment. Even though we adore some of these global icons, we rarely pay attention to anything behind their good looks, glamour, and fame.

That’s a bit unfair because many celebrities are far from just pretty faces, as some of them have demonstrated how brilliant, organized, and industrious they are. A number of our favorite Hollywood figures are actually immensely successful entrepreneurs, with multi-million dollar businesses.

Here are the seven celebrities you didn’t know were successful business people. See if anybody on the list surprises you.

1 Ryan Reynolds

It would seem that the Deadpool and Free Guy superstar has more going on than the blockbusters he’s been making lately. In 2018, the actor acquired a stake in “Aviation American Gin,” a gin brand produced in Oregon. Reynolds stated that he is determined to take a committed approach to his ownership, claiming that he’ll be involved with the creative and business aspects of the enterprise.

It would seem that it has paid off since Reynolds has made more than 600 million dollars since he acquired the company.

2 Kim Kardashian

Apart from being the most recognizable reality television star on the planet, Kim Kardashian has shown how sturdy she is as a businesswoman. It may sound strange, grotesque even, but her breakthrough into the world of fame, the infamous leaked sex tape with the rapper Ray J, was the first indication of Kim’s keen eye for business.

By allowing Vivid Entertainment to release the tape and let everyone see Kim Kardashian naked, the superstar has paved herself a road to fortune. Apart from becoming a global star of the reality show Keeping up With the Kardashians, Kim continued her business ventures. She launched “KKW Beauty”, which is now estimated at 1 billion dollars.0

3 George Clooney

It would seem that there’s an appeal that actors feel towards owning liquor brands. The Ocean’s Trilogy star is the owner of “Casamigos Tequila”, a brand of tequila that he developed with his friend and neighbor Rande Gerber.

The idea was born when the two gentlemen decided to make their own tequila for personal needs. They hired a professional to help them develop the drink, and when they perfected it, Casamigos Tequila was released.

It’s been one of the best brands of tequila since its release in 2013 and it brought the actor tremendous success beyond the movie screen.

4 Justin Timberlake

The Grammy awarded singer/actor is more than his artistic talents. Justin Timberlake is a very successful investor, with ownership of his fashion line “William Rast”, as well as stakes in the NBA franchise, the “Memphis Grizzlies”, and his co-branded tequila, “Sauza 901”.

Timberlake’s business ventures also include several endorsements of brands such as “Sony”, the luxury perfume house “Givenchy”, and the automobile giant “Audi”. Timberlake is also an “Air Jordan” brand ambassador.

His stakes and business deals represent a considerable portion of Justin Timberlake’s total net worth.

5 Robert De Niro

The legendary actor invested in the celebrity Japanese chef, and his Casino ‘co-star’, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa back in 2005. It was De Niro who persuaded Matsuhisa to open his first restaurant in 1987, on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. The actor’s faith in the quality of Matsuhisa’s fusion cuisine hasn’t stopped since then and it has paid off.

Since they started their partnership, the “Nobu” chain of restaurants and hotels has grown immensely. “Nobu” is now a global chain of restaurants and hotels worth about 500 million dollars. The chain consists of 13 restaurants with locations all over the world.

6 Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher is probably the most capable entrepreneur on this list. The That 70s Show and Two And a Half Men star owns a company called “A-Grade Investments”. Its main goal is to find the next big technology brand and invest in it through a startup program.

Kutcher’s “A-Grade” has since invested in companies such as Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, Shazam, and Soundcloud before any of us knew they existed, thus helping the innovation of these tech projects reach us. And make them rich.

In 2011, the investments made by “A-Grade” were about a hundred thousand dollars. By 2014, these numbers jumped to about a hundred million dollars.

7 Snoop Dogg

The famous rapper’s persona may not look like he’s the most industrious human being, but looks can be deceiving. Snoop is an active entrepreneur and investor.

Snoop Dogg is a creative chairman of Priority Records. Apart from that, he’s made numerous investments in digital apps and internet companies. His app Snoopify became a major success upon its release. In 2015, Snoop became a minority investor of the company “Eaze” which deals in the delivery of medical marijuana to people who need it. Among Snoop’s biggest business accomplishments is his co-ownership of Reddit, one of the most famous internet firms.

Final thoughts

It’s no wonder that many celebrities venture into the world of business. Whether it is their talent, popularity, connections, or something more notorious like celebrity sex tapes, they can use that spotlight to make money, create and promote their enterprise.

Some of them have proved to be world-class entrepreneurs, which helped them make more profit from business than from what they are mostly known for.