How Kim Kardashian built her $1.8 billion empire

Kim Kardashian has had a career spanning multiple industries, and she’s eager to add law to her list. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Kim Kardashian’s net worth is $1. 8 billion, according to Forbes.

From a sex tape to Hulu’s “Kardashians,” she’s become an icon in the entertainment world.   From founding KKW Beauty and clothing lines to becoming a lawyer, here’s a look at her career.   While Kim Kardashian came from a family made famous by her well-known father, she had a few of her own breakout moments along the way.

Defense attorney for O. J. Simpson, Robert Kardashian sits in a court in Los Angeles Friday, June 9, 1995.

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, PoolThe Kardashian family’s first moments in the spotlight were when the patriarch of the family, Robert Kardashian Sr. , was in the public eye as O. J.

Simpson’s lawyer. Kim Kardashian’s first solo appearance in the world of entertainment, though, came with her stint as singer and actress Brandy Norwood’s stylist in 2004. Her skills as a stylist landed her a spot on TV’s “The Simple Life.

“Kim Kardashian (left) and Paris Hilton (right). Stephen Shugerman/Getty ImagesShe appeared on the show, which starred Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, from 2003 to 2006. Kardashian told Variety that her career as a businesswoman actually dates back to before she appeared on TV.

Kim Kardashian has always had a knack for business. David Livingston/GettyImagesShe told Variety it started in high school when she was working at a boutique and in her dad’s office. Kardashian said she discovered eBay while she was working at Robert Sr.

‘s office and loved shopping. She said she developed a love of shopping while working in her father’s office. Kardashian at a speaking engagement.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The Girls’ LoungeKardashian said Robert Sr. told her she could buy five pairs of Manolo Blahnik shoes as long as she paid him back plus interest. The shoes were $700 heels in a style worn by Jennifer Lopez in one of her early music videos.

“Everyone had to have them,” Kardashian told Variety. She said that she saw the opportunity to make money and capitalized on it. Kardashian resold shoes as a young adult.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidKardashian said she called up a store, bought five pairs of the Manolos for $700 each, and resold them on eBay for $2,500. She said she became so “obsessed” with the return that she began to sell off her own clothes that she no longer wore. Kardashian eventually channeled her love for reselling to help build a retail business model.

Kim (left), Khloé (center), and Kourtney Kardashian (right). Chris Polk/Contributor/Getty ImagesIn 2006, Kim Kardashian and her sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, opened their first DASH store in their hometown of Calabasas, California. The concept behind the store — a sort of consignment shop — was pretty similar to Kim’s love for reselling.

In the following decade, the sisters opened more locations, including one in Miami and one in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. DASH Miami opened in May of 2009. Gustavo Caballero/Contributor/Getty ImagesKim Kardashian announced they’d be shutting DASH doors in April 2018 as the sisters continue to work on their own brands and families.

Kardashian said her original idea for the reality show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” was to bring attention to the DASH brand. Fans outside of a DASH store. Bauer-Griffin/Contributor/Getty Images”I was thinking, this might not last very long, but we’ll grow a great business and expand online,” she told Variety.

“I thought it would be great press. I didn’t think it would turn into what it turned into. “It turned into a larger phenomenon than Kardashian imagined it would.

New Yorkers welcome Kim and Kourtney to NYC. Philip Ramey Photography, LLC/Contributor/Getty ImagesIn 2018, Complex ranked “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” one of the best reality TV shows of all time, behind only MTV’s “The Real World. “It was so successful, that several spinoffs happened down the line.

Kim (left) and Kourtney (right) Kardashian filming their show. Ray Tamarra/Contributor/Getty ImagesThe opening of DASH Miami in 2009 brought about a new reality spinoff: “Kourtney and Kim Take Miami. “The Miami-based series lasted for three seasons.

Khloé (left) and Kourtney Kardashian (right). “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami”/E!Khloé Kardashian headlined season two, although Kim Kardashian did appear in the season.  But before all the spinoffs came “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

“”Keeping Up With the Kardashians” aired on E!E! via UniversalPlaybackTV/YouTubeKim Kardashian was 27 years old during the show’s first season. Shortly before the first episode of the family’s original reality show aired in October 2007, Kim Kardashian became the center of a scandal that some say catapulted her career. Kim Kardashian and Ray J (left).

Patrick McMullan/Contributor/Getty ImagesIn February 2007, a sex tape with Kardashian and Ray J — Brandy Norwood’s brother whom Kardashian dated from 2003 to 2006 — surfaced and made its way into the news. Kardashian sued the entertainment company distributing the tape at the time. She reportedly settled the case for $5 million.

While the tape wasn’t technically part of her career path, she did tell Oprah she’s “not naive to the fact” that it helped launch her into fame. Kardashian on the Met Gala red carpet. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images”I think that’s how I was definitely introduced to the world,” she said.

At the end of 2007, Kardashian posed for Playboy, and the shoot was captured on the first season of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians. “Kardashian on the cover of Playboy magazine. Rob Loud/Contributor/Getty ImagesAccording to People, she said she was so nervous that she had to sit down with the magazine’s founder and then-editor-in-chief, Hugh Hefner, who she credited with helping convince her to pose.

In 2008, E! gave fans of the reality show a second season. Kardashian has appeared on all seasons of the show. E!The show lasted on E! for 20 seasons.

There’s now a second show, “Kardashians,” on Hulu. In 2009, Kardashian released a three-DVD workout plan called “Fit in Your Jeans by Friday. “Kardashian wearing a two-piece set on a red carpet.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesIn a promotional video, she called it “so high-fashion and so stylized, it’s very me. ” Most of the outfits have an “’80s, futuristic” look, as described by Kardashian herself. She said she developed it because people were continually asking her how she kept her curves in shape.

She said that while working with a few trainers, she found a routine that worked for her, and built the videos around the method. The DVDs are split up by physical focus — there’s “Ultimate Butt Body Sculpt,” “Amazing Abs Body Sculpt,” and “Butt Blasting Cardio Step,” which she says was inspired by her love for doing workout videos with her sisters in their teenage years. Also in 2009, Kardashian appeared in the movie “Deep in the Valley.

“Kardashian on the promotional poster for “Deep in the Valley. “”Deep in the Valley”/Persistent EntertainmentThe romantic comedy starred actors Chris Pratt and Denise Richards, has a 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was produced by Persistent Entertainment. In April 2010, Kardashian Glamour Tan was released onto the beauty market.

Kardashian’s self-tanning gel. AmazonIt’s a self-tanning gel created by the three sisters and was — at the time — exclusive to Sephora and cost $34. In 2019, there was a tube going for $79 on Amazon.

Six months later, Kim Kardashian made her debut in the perfume world with her eponymous scent. In 2011, reality TV viewers got to watch what happened as Kourtney and Kim Kardashian opened their third DASH retail store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. Kardashian filming “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

“E! Entertainment/YouTubeAt the time, Kim Kardashian was newly married to NBA player, Kris Humphries.  The pair lived in a suite at the Gansevoort Hotel with Kourtney Kardashian, her then-boyfriend Scott Disick, and their son Mason Disick. Kris Humphries (left) and Kardashian (right).

Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesKardashian gave viewers a look into her relationship with Humphries. Their wedding was broadcast into the homes of people all over the US as “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event. “Kris Humphries (left) and Kardashian (right) on their wedding day.

The event reportedly brought in $18 million in licensing fees, endorsement deals, and broadcast deals for Kardashian. But 72 days later, they were divorced. In 2011, Kardashian debuted a music video at the TAO nightclub New Year’s party for her song “Jam (Turn it Up).

“Kardashian tried her hand at singing. Ethan Miller/GettyIt was commercially released in March, according to Billboard. A New York Daily News headline following the song debut called Kardashian “the worst singer in the reality TV universe.

“A portion of the proceeds reportedly went to St Judes Children’s Research Hospital. She told Andy Cohen she gave herself a hard time about the decision to do a music video for a long time. Khloé (left), Kim (center), and Kourtney Kardashian (right) on “Watch What Happens Live.

“”Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen”/Bravo TV/YouTube”I can’t believe I did that,” she said. But, she said she had fun. Also in 2011, the sisters released a clothing line with retailer Sears aptly dubbed Kardashian Kollection.

Members of the Kardashian family pose on the red carpet. Jason Merritt/TERM/Staff/Getty ImagesThey came under fire with the line when they were accused of working with abusive employers to make their clothes, StyleCaster reported. In 2013, the brand was said to be “flopping big-time.

“Kourtney (left), Kim (center), and Khloé Kardashian (right). Stuart C. Wilson/Stringer/Getty ImagesSears dropped prices to less than $10, according to StyleCaster.

The brand officially folded in 2015. But of course, that wasn’t the only thing Kardashian had going on at the time. Kardashian’s Gold fragrance.

AmazonIn April 2011, she launched Gold, her second fragrance, according to Cosmopolitan. And her third fragrance, “Kim Kardashian Love,” was released for her wedding to Kris Humphries in 2011. Kardashian (right) and Caitlyn Jenner (left) on the day she married Humphries.

E! Entertainment/YouTubeThere were only 979 bottles sold, according to Cosmopolitan — 1,000 were made, but 20 were reserved for her bridal party and one for herself on her wedding day. In the summer of 2012, Kardashian launched her fourth fragrance, “True Reflection. “Kardashian’s True Reflection fragrance.

AmazonThe launch party in Hollywood benefited Dress for Success, a charity organization, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In November 2012, Kardashian and her sisters launched Khroma Beauty — a full range of cosmetics products. Kim (left), Kourtney (center), and Khloé Kardashian (right).

Katy Winn/Getty ImagesThe name was changed to Kardashian Beauty after another established makeup company called Kroma Beauty took the sisters and their lawyers to court. This came after Khroma was threatened with a different lawsuit from LA-based company Chroma Beauty, according to Teen Vogue. The line didn’t last, and a former employee of the family said the real problem was likely the lack of involvement.

Kardashian beauty products. Jamie McCarthy/Staff/Getty ImagesWhile Kim Kardashian and her half-sister Kylie Jenner are now heavily involved in their beauty brands, Khroma was a licensing deal, according to Fashionista. In 2014, Kardashian released her iPhone and Android game “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.

“Kardashian’s mobile game. Glu MobileJust in the first five days, the game grossed $1. 6 million, according to The New York Times.

As of August 2018, the game was bringing in around $8 million in a quarter for the Glu Mobile company, according to Variety. Kardashian covered Paper Magazine in November 2014. The Paper magazine cover that broke the internet.

Paper MagazineShe posed naked for a cover story called “Break the Internet: Kim Kardashian. ” While the story didn’t literally break the internet, Kardashian did end up winning the first-ever Webby award named after the achievement: The Break The Internet Award. In 2015, Kardashian published a book titled “Selfish.

“Kardashian published a book of selfies. Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesIt was a small coffee table book filled with 448 pages of selfies she had taken between 2006 and 2014. The book landed on The New York Times’ best-seller list.

The launch of Kimojis for iOS in December 2015 was huge for Apple’s App Store. Some of the Kimojis offered. App StoreShe told Rolling Stone that she’d only work with Kanye West-approved graphic designers to develop the emoji.

On the day of the launch, Apple’s App Store crashed. There was a lot of demand for the app. APKardashian tweeted, “Apple, I’m so sorry I broke your App Store!!!”In May of that year, Kardashian tweeted about her new children’s clothing line with Kanye West called TheKidsSupply.

Kardashian (left) and Kanye West (right). GettyShe tweeted, “For the past few years Kanye and I have made almost all of our kids clothes and we have collaborated on a new kids line!”According to Vogue, the entire first collection was inspired by Calabasas and included dresses, chokers, hats, sweatpants, and more. Later seasons included itty-bitty Yeezys, the luxury lifestyle sneakers developed by Kanye West and Adidas.

Also in 2015, Kardashian made $500,000 for one sponsored Instagram post about a morning sickness pill. Kardashian made money from sponsored Instagram posts. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesAccording to STAT, her initial post left out information on possible risks but was later corrected.

 Kardashian got back into the beauty business with KKW Beauty in 2017. KKW Beauty products. kimkardashian/InstagramThe first product was a $48 contour kit that sold out in minutes and racked up more than $13 million in sales, according to Fashionista.

She went on to produce more products for the line, including a fragrance that made $10 million in one day. Kardashian’s next fragrance was popular. Presley Ann/Getty ImagesTMZ reported that customers had a choice between three fragrances: Crystal Gardenia, Crystal Gardenia Oud, and Crystal Gardenia Citrus.

Her minimalist approach to the marketing process worked in her favor. Kardashian’s maternal grandmother, MJ, (left), Kim (center), and Kris Jenner (right). KKW BeautyShe didn’t spend money on traditional advertising — instead, she turned to her devoted social media following.

And it worked. People bought her perfume without even smelling it first. In June, Kardashian agreed to sell a 20% stake in KKW Beauty to Coty Inc.

(a publicly traded firm), which valued the company at $1 billion, according to Forbes. This reportedly bumped her net worth to $780 million — more than double her last-reported net worth of $370 million.  Kardashian also employed similar marketing tactics when she launched her shapewear line, SKIMS Solutionwear, in 2019.

SKIMS launched with its new name in September 2019. Vanessa BeecroftThe line was originally called Kimono. The name generated backlash as some audiences said it disrespected Japanese culture.

Kardashian changed it to SKIMS around two months after the initial product announcement. In January 2020, she announced that the line would be sold at Nordstrom beginning in February. The line was available at Nordstrom.

Scott Olson/Getty ImagesThe department store was the first traditional retail outlet to sell SKIMS. For the past few years, Kardashian has also been speaking at and headlining conferences. Kardashian at a speaking engagement.

Vivien Killilea/Getty ImagesShe’s appeared at events like Glamour’s Women of the Year Summit, Create & Cultivate (as pictured above), the #BlogHer16 Conference, Re/Code, and more. Kardashian had a hand in a wide variety of businesses and continues to build out her brands — both personal and professional. Kardashian at Forbes Women’s Summit.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty ImagesAlthough, the line between the two brands is a bit smudged. In 2019, Kardashian announced that she was studying for the 2022 bar exam. Kardashian decided to go after a career in law.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images”It’s never too late to follow your dreams,” she wrote on Instagram. Kardashian told Vogue that she was inspired to study law after she helped Alice Marie Johnson get released from prison in 2018. Kardashian and Alice Marie Johnson.

NBCKardashian publicly championed Johnson’s case and met with President Donald Trump in 2018 to seek clemency for Johnson, then a 62-year-old grandmother who was serving a life sentence for nonviolent drug offenses. Prison reform has been a cause that Kardashian continues to champion. Kim Kardashian leaves the West Wing after meetings at the White House in 2018.

Carlos Barria/ReutersShe even said that she’ll sometimes take on sponsored Instagram posts — ones that she wouldn’t have otherwise considered — in order to fund her efforts. She spoke at The New York Times DealBook conference about how she uses paid social-media posts to support the cause. Kardashian speaking at The New York Times DealBook conference.

Michael Cohen/Stringer/Getty ImagesAt the conference, she said that if a paid post opportunity comes her way, even one that’s “off-brand,” she thinks: “‘OK, well this can fund x amount of people behind bars, that can help free them with simple legal fees that they just can’t afford . . .

‘”She has reportedly been apprenticing at a San Francisco law firm. O. J.

Simpson (left) and Robert Shapiro (right). POOL / GettyRobert Shapiro — a lawyer who worked with Kardashian’s father on the O. J.

Simpson murder trials — told TMZ that he thinks she has skills that will help her as a lawyer. In April 2021, Kardashian officially joined Forbes’ World Billionaires list. Forbes reported that SKIMS sales helped push her net worth to $1 billion.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for NordstromForbes cites KKW Beauty and SKIMS, as well as “cash from reality television and endorsement deals, and a number of smaller investments” as sources of her wealth. The reporting estimated that her majority share of SKIMS was worth “a conservative $225 million” as of 2020 — a number Forbes used to bump her net worth up to $1 billion from $780 in October 2020. Forbes now estimates Kardashian’s net worth to be $1.

8 billion.  Kardashian recently announced that she’s starting a private equity firm, SKKY Partners. Kim Kardashian at the World Trade Center on June 21, 2022.

Raymond Hall/GC ImagesOn September 7, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kardashian is partnering with the former head of consumer, media, and retail at Carlyle Group, Jay Sammons. The firm will reportedly make investments in many sectors including consumer products, hospitality, luxury, digital commerce and media, and consumer-media and entertainment businesses. Sammons told WSJ that Kris Jenner will also be a partner.

 Read the original article on Insider.