Extraordinary Celebrities Who Own Businesses

These Celebrities are Planning BIG for Retirement

If you own a television, you have probably seen Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning talking about “Papa Johns” pizza at some point in the last few years. When those commercials first came out, people were wondering out loud how a pizza chain could afford to pay for that kind of star power on a regular basis.


Peyton Manning

As it turns out, Manning actually owns 21 Papa John’s franchises in the Denver area alone. Why would a guy making millions of dollars to play professional football is buying businesses with his NFL paycheck? Because he’s planning ahead for life after football, that’s why.

Business savvy celebrities are doing this more and more these days, as they begin to realize that their athletic careers, modeling contracts and sexy, washboard abs will all come to an end one day. These celebrities are using their paychecks to invest in building or buying businesses that will continue to make them money long after the spotlight has fallen. Here are just a few notable names that are preparing for life after their superstardom.




Gwen Stefani 

While many people realize that Blake Shelton’s newest flame is much more than just the obligatory hot blond on the set of “The Voice,” few people realize that sexy singer is actually a powerful business magnate. What is she doing to plan for her future after showbiz?

Stefani has been busy over the last decade. In addition to touring with her band, “No Doubt” she has also been building her own clothing line. The name of the line is “L.A.M.B.” and has been seen on runways in New York and various top venues throughout the world.

She later compounded her success with the launch of another clothing line called “Harajuku Fashion Lovers” which features a Japanese slant and is a bit more edgy and vibrant than the original line. The clothing lines bring in a tidy little sum of over $90 Million each year. If her blond hair ever fades, I think Gwen has a little nest egg to fall back on.




Jerry Seinfeld 

Back in 1989, a Jewish comedian took his act to television. He added in a nice combination of friends and a few antagonists and somehow captured the heart of America with his dry and sensible sense of humor. From Newman and the Soup Nazi to Elaine, Kramer and George, he created a bizzaro world that we will never forget.

But all good things come to an end. Tired of nine years of the daily grind, Seinfeld hung it up and ended the show’s run in 1998. The final episode is still the brunt of jokes and sighs, as it was one of the worst comedy sets of television ever made, but it ended nonetheless.

But Jerry apparently got perks since that fateful finale. He was was offered 100 million dollars to regenerate the show but he declined. Whether this is due to a resurrection of his creativity, or to marrying a woman who was 20 years younger than him is a topic for another day. His new web series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” has become an internet sensation is running in its third season. Glad to hear your new project is a success Jerry, but if it fails, “No Soup for You!”




Diddy 

The artist known as Diddy has amassed a fortune by simply doing what he loves and doing it on his own terms. Rather than dancing to someone else’s tune, the rebellious rapper has owned his own production and recording company for years. But it didn’t come easily.

He started some groups that were intended to take off on their own, like “Three Tha Hardway,” and “Harlem World” and also “Dannity Kane.” None of these groups did much on their own, even when Diddy tied a reality TV series to their inception. Diddy still made money on them and continued to persevere.

Recently he struck it big with the creation of “Revolt TV” which is a new music cable network. This time, the dollars came rolling in. Somehow, Diddy has managed to survive the flops and the flashes and amass a fortune of over $700 Million in net worth. This should inspire us all that literally anything is possible.




Jessica Alba 

The stunningly gorgeous actress that played a dance choreographer in Honey the a decent film breaking trend in the 2000's dance competitions since she  has stepped out of the Hollywood spotlight and stepped right into a large pile of money. Her new business, “The Honest Company” has taken off and is doing great for Jessica and her children.

Environmentally friendly and safe for kids, her products are designed to replace other toxic products that are found in everyday type cleaners and disinfectants. Her mission is to provide a way for babies to be safe from pollutants, in their environment and in the item used to clean that environment.

 Her website, www.honest.com features vitamins, diapers, cleaning supplies and toys, as well as a host of other products designed especially to keep babies safe. The site tells the company’s story and cites Alba as the Founder. In her own words, “After I turned 30, I felt like I had turned a corner. I definitely started to feel more connected to myself.” Not much more to say than that.




Sammy Hagar

The famous singer and songwriter has come a long way from his long-haired rocker days as the lead singer for Van Halen. He isn’t running around on stage in skin tight clothes anymore, and we thank him for that, but he is making beautiful music still with his business, The Cabo Wabo Company.

His company has some acquisitions, as it owns some resorts, bars and restaurants. But it also owns an increasingly popular liquor company. The Cabo Wabo Tequilla that it produces is steadily growing on popularity worldwide and has actually become the second best-selling tequila brand in the United States.

Hagar made it his business to steer away from the celebrity norm of endorsing products in favor of owning them. A true entrepreneur, he set himself up for a “Shark Tank” style buyout deal. In 2007, he sold 80% of his Cabo Wabo Company to Gruppo Campari Spirits for $100 Million dollars. He got $100 Million and still owns 20% of the company? Our hats are off to you Sammy; well done.




Robert DeNiro  

When you have played “The Godfather” and starred in Casino, you must be able to cash in a few favors here and there. Robert DeNiro has managed to leverage his stardom, and his paychecks, into two lucrative business ventures that you have probably heard of before. I know, you are probably thinking to yourself,”Are you talking to me?” So, yeah, I’m talking to you.

As a native of Greenwich Village, DeNiro has been devoted to giving back to his community. Years ago he started the Tribeca Film Festival in response to the 9/11 tragedy. Today, that festival one of the most popular film festivals in the entire world, garnering international attention and attendance.

But building a business in film wasn’t the only thing this mega-actor had in mind. He also co-founded the restaurant known as Nobu, a Japanese style restaurant that is frequented regularly by celebrities and sports stars. Other than spaghetti who knew that Italians had a thing for sushi?

Paris Hilton

 

No matter how you feel about a celebrity, they are still celebrities. The princess of Hilton Hotels is no different. For years she has been an internet and tabloid sensation, scorned by the do-gooders and revered by the rebels in our society. Whichever side you are on, she wins. Why?

Because you all know exactly who we are talking about right now. At the expense of her personal reputation and often her pride and dignity, Paris Hilton built the brand of “Paris Hilton” through years of hard work, perseverance and sometimes, embarrassment. She has turned all of that press, both positive and negative, into a goldmine.

Her fragrance and accessory lines are wildly popular and are making her an enormous amount of money. Her internet presence has made her rich again, even after old grandad gave the family fortune away to charity, for no apparent reason. Paris took on the judgmental world that we live in, and came out a winner.




Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler may be one of the comedic geniuses in show business today. He capitalized on his popularity early on in his career by making movies that appeared stupid and meaningless but for some reason made crowds laugh out loud. But he wasn’t just a comedian who had a popular shtick that worked once in a while.

He also was a smart business man who started his own production company called “Happy Madison Productions.” The name comes from his first two movies, “Happy Gilmore” and “Billy Madison” which were both incredibly successful while also being monumentally childish.

 What wasn’t childish however, was the idea that he didn’t want to simply be the paid talent who gets a check and goes on his way. He wanted to be the one pulling the strings, making the residuals and keeping the royalties. Sandler has been the catalyst behind his own popularity and his own fortune. He has risen to the point where stars like Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Dustin Hoffman are all eager to star in his movies, even the ones that are really, really bad.




50 Cent

Yes, I’m serious. Looking at rapper 50 Cent on the surface, you see the hardcore gang-banging persona that he puts out there to sell his music and push his brand. Underneath all of that however, is a guy that has made some of the shrewdest moves you can imagine, and made a ton of money doing it.

As a self-admitted, former drug dealer, it’s clear that 50 knows something about capitalism. But he didn’t start out on the right track by any means. He made a fortune rapping, and then decided to star in a couple of b-movies. But he made some good decisions by owning companies that make headphones and music equipment and even a company that produces a line of underwear that has his name on it.

But after all of that, the most incredible move this man made was purchasing a brand called “Vitamin Water.” I’m sure you have all heard of that brand somewhere in your travels. But the money he made on that brand wasn’t from selling bottle to you and I and reinvesting his money. It was from the one sale he made when he sold the company to Coca-Cola for $4.1 Billion. WOW, there you have it.




Carrot Top 

Commonly known for his orange afro-style mane, Scott Thompson has made a fortune doing stand-up comedy and appearing in movies and comedy shows. Like many other talents in this same genre, Carrot top had the wherewithal to control his own destiny. Instead of working for someone else, he started his own company, for himself and his act, so that he would be the one calling the shots.

Carrot Top grew up in Florida and attended Florida Atlantic University. He earned a degree in marketing, which he has put to good use in managing his own career. He managed to not only be successful, but to follow in the footsteps of his childhood hero, George Carlin. Carrot Top headlines in his own Vegas show for fifteen weeks each year.

In addition to his Vegas gig, Carrot Top also has a regular role on the new Hollywood squares and special appearances on many TV shows. He made his living early on by doing comedy acts for college campuses, and was voted the most popular stand-up comedian of the year and the performer of the year by the National Association of College Activities in 1993. From there, he managed to amass a net worth of $75 Million. Not bad for a goofy kid who tells jokes.




Gisele Bundchen

If you are married to one of the greatest quarterbacks in football history, you won’t really need to go get a part time job at Walmart to make your extra spending money. But Gisele Bundchen has never fit that role. Sure, she has a rich husband, but she has always been an independent money maker and international star in her own right.

From the outside looking in, it would appear as if Gisele may be the one wearing the pants in the family. She made millions as a hot Brazilian supermodel who had endorsement deals for makeup, clothing and accessories raining down around her. But she didn’t stop there. Determined to outperform her famous hubby, she also owned a few businesses on her own.

Her clothing line that carries her name has been wildly successful, as has her skincare company, Sejaa Pure Skincare. She has endorsed athletic lines and activities including kickboxing, and become as big a name in the gym as she has on the runway. All of this happened while she was making time to be a mother too. At a net worth of $386 Million, it looks like Gisele can stand on her own.




 Dr. Dre 

The rapping, beat making mastermind has been above the rest of the fray for his entire career. When his associates were singing, he was writing. When they started writing, he was mixing. When they started mixing, he was producing. Always a step ahead and always looking for new talent, Dr. Dre has become a force unto himself.

In addition to founding artists like Eminem, Dr. Dre also participated with dozens of stars on their CDs with back-up vocals and specially designed instrumentals. He was a rich and successful music mogul long before he decided to go into merchandising his own products, but we all should have seen it coming.

If there was going to be a guy that was going to bring amazing musical sound to a simple and efficient headphone design, along with a cordless apparatus that could go with you everywhere, this was the guy. His “Beats” headphones took over the retail landscape years ago, and they have not released their stranglehold on the category.




Jay-Z 

Shawn Carter, as he is legally known, has been in the news quite a bit over the last several years. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t all about his music, his business or his money. Usually, when you hear about Jay-Z, it is because his voluptuous wife, Beyoncé has done something notable, and he was nearby.

However, behind his wife’s superstardom, the successful rapper has been extremely successful in his own right. In addition to his music, Jay-Z has found success with his record label, “Roc Nation, and his clothing line, “Rocawear.” In addition to his own solo businesses, he also started a partnership with Live Nation that has proven to be extremely lucrative.

In 2007, Jay-Z sold the Rocawear clothing line for $204 Million. His partnership with Live Nation has brought him another $150 Million. His net worth is around $520 Million, and that doesn’t count anything his unbelievably talented wife is bringing in. It’s safe to say that their Christmas stockings will be full each year.




The Olson Twins 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson have come a very long way from when they got their breakthrough roles playing the baby sister to the Tanner clan on “Full House.” The two girls shared the role as twins, each one utilizing the parts of their personalities that were better suited to the particular scene that was being shot.

They are still working together today, but this time it is for their own companies. They formed “Dualstar Entertainment Group” to protect their assets and provide for their careers as they grew up. They have done a lot of projects since the days of taping Full House, some of which have worked out well.

Under Dualstar Entertainment, the twins have made several low budget movies and a pile of teen merchandise that had their names on it. Since they have been grown-up, they have launched several clothing lines for different fashion tastes. Their main line, “The Row” has done quite well, and has helped the girls amass a net worth approximately $1 Billion.




Oprah Winfrey 

The first american black woman billionaire deserves a mention here, especially when you consider where she started. As the small time aspiring television personality trying to catch a break, the overweight actress was told that she had no future on television.   Decades later, she is laughing at those doubters, all the way to the bank.

Oprah may have become a fan favorite by giving away cars and shopping sprees, but she became a billionaire by forward thinking and aggressive business practices. Oprah founded Harpo Productions, Inc. in 1986 so she could be the one calling the shots behind the scenes as well as on the set. Her television network “OWN,” has been a monumental success as well.

Oprah was quoted by Forbes magazine in 1995 as having said,”On my own I will just create, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll create something else.” With that sort of belief in herself and her abilities and the backing of her successful companies, it isn’t any wonder that Oprah has had her net worth valued at over $3 Billion dollars.