Business-minded Celebrities Who Struck Gold

They say in the world of entertainment, nothing lasts forever. One day you’re popular, the next day you’re not. It’s simply just how the business works. It takes much more than just talent and good looks to stay around for a long while. Even when celebrities reach that point, the finances don’t always follow through.

How many stories of big stars going bankrupt have you heard about? Burning through their money like paper? With all the horror stories, it’s not surprising that their financial advisor and lawyers take careful steps to steer their clients towards smarter investments.

And some of these celebrities truly struck gold! Here are 7 celebrities who made it big with their investment portfolios.

George Clooney

This silver fox and Argo star established a business with his friends that’s completely aligned with his branding. He started a tequila brand named Casamigos with his friends, and after four years it was acquired by Diageo, a British multinational beverage alcohol company, for a whopping $1 billion!

According to Clooney, they didn’t expect it to be so popular. Needless to say, his hard work and investment paid off.

Reese Witherspoon

Best known for her role as the lawyer, Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon continued to preach her character’s message for young girls everywhere by establishing her own production company, Pacific Standard.

Pacific Standard focuses on female-driven material, something that’s sorely lacking in Hollywood. They produced successful films like Wild and Gone Girl.

Nas

Nas may have long passed his crown to younger rappers but he’s far from idle. Instead of keeping his money in the bank, Nas decided to circulate it by establishing his own venture capital firm, QueensBridge Venture Partners.

The former rapper has made investments in startups from different industries, including health care, music production, tech, and transportation. Some of the companies he invested in include Lyft and Dropbox.

Ellen DeGeneres

Real estate is an industry that requires a lot of capital to start with if you plan on making money off of it. Good thing Ellen DeGeneres has more than enough to spare.

Originally, she didn’t plan on becoming a house-flipper, it just kind of happened. Now, she’s owned and sold over a dozen properties since she became famous. She buys houses, renovates it, and sells it for profit. One of her biggest payoffs was when she flipped a $40 million mansion and went home with a $15 million profit.

Robert De Niro

Being a celebrity means getting to dine in the best restaurants, especially if you’re Robert De Niro. While many celebrities have tried their hand in the restaurant industry, only few really make it big.

De Niro struck gold when he invested in Nobu, headed by famed chef, Nobu Matsuhisa. De Niro was such a huge fan of Matsuhisa’s restaurants that he became a business partner of the chain.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba founded the Honest Company back in 2012. Although it has run into legal issues, it was nothing the company lawyer can’t handle. Honest Company sells organic products for household and personal use, growing into a multimillion dollar brand.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z’s investments have propelled him to a net worth of more than $800 million. Through proper money management and smart investing, he’s expanded his sources of income. This includes his streaming service company, Tidal, the Armand de Brignac champagne, and Roc Nation talent agency.

His talent agency recently negotiated Kevin Durant’s $51 million deal with the Golden State Warriors – that’s just how big his agency is!

Celebrities may have the money, but mishandling it can easily take it away. To stay on top of the game, they have to diversify and learn to go beyond their fickle industry – just like the stars on this list.