NEWSInvest Like a Celebrity: How A-Listers Grow Their Wealth Beyond Fame
June 12 2025, Published 1:25 a.m. ET
Celebrities are known for their musical and on screen achievements, but many have quietly built fortunes through smart investments mostly involving real estate, crypto, stocks and other business ventures. Public figures went far beyond being just entertainers with fat portfolios that will take care of their families for generations to come.
Jay-Z
One of the smartest and most business savvy celebrities is certainly Jay-Z. For the past couple of decades, he has been more of a businessman than a rapper, with his estimated net worth surpassing $2.5 billion in 2024.
Beyond his public success as a producer, Jay-Z has invested heavily in real estate, including luxury homes in Bel Air and Tribeca, as well as commercial ventures. His investments in Uber and D’Ussé cognac raked in huge profits for the rapper, and his partnership with Tidal and subsequent selling to Jack Dorsey (Block) in 2021 for $500 million proved to be one of the best moves of his career. Jay Z continues to sit on the board of directors of Tidal.
Jay also has now famous Roc Nation Sports which became one of the most famous brands in the US when it comes to sportswear, and his champagne brand Armand de Brignac was partially bought by LVMH. Jay’s portfolio is as fat as the butcher’s dog, with so many capital and business enterprises that will keep generating income for decades.
Kim Kardashian
The reality show family has found a way to cash in on their turbulent family life, with Kim being one of the most prominent figures of the brood and one of the main reasons Kardashians became as popular as they are today. Other members found profitable ventures that made them millions, but Kim proved to be one of the savviest among sisters with an estimated net worth of over $1.7 billion. She has successfully diversified her fortune beyond reality television which earned her a seat in the billionaires club.
She has invested significantly in real estate, owning several multimillion dollar properties in one of the most famous neighborhoods of Hidden Hills, California. Kim is also the most prominent figure behind Skims that grossed over $4 billion, serving as the brand's creative director, bringing her personal brand and influence into the company.
Kardashian also showed interest in cryptocurrencies, buying NFTs and investing in meme coins, joining celebrities that explored crypto opportunities related to show business, including investments in blockchain gaming and crypto slots as a rising form of digital entertainment.
Ashton Kutcher
The actor is widely known as an investor in startups and niche industries that are just taking off looking for investors who are willing to take a chance on their ideas. Kutcher is one of the co-founders of A Grade Investments and Sound Ventures that have their shares in Robinhood, Spotify and Airbnb.
Officially, his net worth is around $300 million, but considering his portfolio it’s very possible that Ashton Kutcher has way more coins in the bank. His focus remained mostly on new companies struggling to fund their production costs which is one of the best ways to profit in the long run. Kutcher saw the opportunity a long time ago making him one of the smartest investors in Hollywood.
Crypto adoption among celebrities gained momentum after 2020 when Bitcoin price exploded with the rising inflation and unemployment rates. Many celebs recognized the chance to protect their investments from shrinking by transferring to crypto, or investing in digital assets or gaming industries. Platforms like Sportsbet.io have helped popularize this blend of crypto and gaming, offering a new alternative to traditional sportsbooks.
Mike Tyson was one of the earliest celebrities to promote Bitcoin, while NFL player Tom Brady, with a net worth of over $300 million, has both endorsed and invested in crypto exchange FTX which later became one of the most controversial stories in the history of crypto.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is one of the celebrities who have been an entrepreneur for a long time alongside her successful acting career. Even though the actress has been somewhat controversial with her choice of investments like her lifestyle brand Goop with some strange scents that stirred up Hollywood, Paltrow also grabbed the chance to enter the world of crypto through investing in Abra, a crypto wallet app. The actress has an estimated net worth of $200 million, including all her ventures in tech companies, health products and e-commerce retailers.
Oprah Winfrey
When it comes to stock market investments, Oprah Winfrey stands out with her bank account of almost $3 billion. One of her best moves, besides building her public persona through her talk show, is investing in Weight Watchers, a business move that multiplied her fortune in a matter of months. Oprah is known to be one of the savviest investors, holding a great number of shares in Apple and other high value companies. Not all of her investments are a matter of public knowledge, and Oprah tends to be tight lipped when it comes to her fortune or any future investments in companies that she personally believes in.
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Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq turned out to be a smart investor, with a rich portfolio and a good sense of profitable businesses. Valued at around $500 million, Shaq’s business ventures include franchises such as Papa John’s, Five Guys, and Auntie Anne’s, while being one of the first investors in Google. The NBA superstar is also the owner of multiple real estate properties, both industrial and residential.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese is not as blond as she looks when it comes to investing. The actress figured out the Hollywood game a long time ago and made sure that she would be well off in her later years, like today. Her media company, Hello Sunshine, was sold for approximately $900 million, significantly raising her estimated net worth, now reportedly around $440 million. The actress also bought many properties across California and Tennessee and is very active in companies promoting sustainability.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Schwarz realized early on that an acting career is profitable but unpredictable, so he started investing in real estate from his first paycheck back in the 1980s. Today, the actor is one of the real estate moguls in California, especially focusing on commercial properties. This raked him more than $450 million in his bank account, with the majority of the capital dating back from the last century. His portfolio includes office buildings, retail spaces, and residential complexes across California, all of which continue to provide steady income.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Another celebrity saw the main potential in real estate, investing and buying properties across the world. Leo is the owner of many luxurious villas in California, Florida, New York and the country of magnificent beaches, Belize, where he plans to open an eco resort. DiCaprio is very devoted to the preservation of resources, clean air, and soil, trying to bring awareness to solar energy, electric cars, and sustainable building materials. So naturally, he invested a lot of money into companies that align with his core values.
Ye
Ye’s fortune went up and down throughout the years, but an accomplished rapper formerly known as Kanye, proved to be also talented for investing. When his Yeezy brand took off, Ye was grossing over $2 billion. While less is known about his stock or crypto holdings, Kanye owns extensive real estate, including a Wyoming ranch and various properties across the US. He was also quietly shopping for properties in Europe, namely Italy and France.
Smart celebrities figured out a way to secure steady sources of income even when their five minutes of fame are long gone. Granted, they also had access to high value properties, and brand names, but many of them were not so savvy when it came to investing. Celebrities who were smart enough to recognize that fame doesn’t last but fortune could, invested in real estate, stocks, crypto, blockchain opportunities, tech unicorns and businesses that they have a personal interest in.
