Keeping Up With The Cash: The Kardashian Family's Financial Empire, Unraveled
The Kardashian family has achieved celebrity status in the entertainment and commercial sector from their (relative to now) humble beginnings in Los Angeles.
Beyond their fame and influence is a shrewd entrepreneurial spirit, one that has transformed them into one of the wealthiest families in America.
Together with the Jenners (through ties with Caitlyn Jenner), the Kardashian-Jenner clan successfully leveraged their fame to build lucrative business empires.
Each member of the family has their own brands and businesses, collectively worth over $2 billion.
The Kardashian family first had its first taste of the mercurial spotlight in the late 1990s when their patriarch, Robert Kardashian (a successful Los Angeles attorney) represented and defended his friend turned client O.J. Simpson for the latter's 1995 murder trial.
Robert Kardashian's high-profile clientele and wealth helped establish the family's name and reputation, laying the foundation for his children to conquer Hollywood.
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Kardashian-Jenner familyThe Kardashian family collectively rose to fame through their reality TV show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians (KUWTK), which premiered in 2007.
After Robert Kardashian died in 2003, his wife Kris Jenner took over as the family's matriarch, and began to manage their careers.
Their "momager" is an astute businesswoman, instrumental in the family's success. Kris has been credited with launching their reality TV show; the series has been running for almost two decades, with the family's fortunes growing in tandem with it.
KUWTK provided viewers with an intimate look into the lives of the Kardashian-Jenners, showcasing their extravagant lifestyle, family dynamics, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Over the years, the show has become a pop culture phenomenon, generating billions of dollars in revenue and propelling the Kardashians to successively higher levels of fame.
The show helped make the women household names, and launched their careers in the fashion, modeling, and beauty business.
In 2017, the family renewed their contract with E! Network for five additional seasons, in a $30 million per season deal. They leveraged their newfound fame to secure lucrative endorsement deals, partner with major brands, and launch their own product lines.
Kim Kardashian became a fashion and tech icon with her leisure and shapewear line SKIMS, and her mobile game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.
Khloé Kardashian co-founded a clothing line, Good American, challenging industry standards of body inclusivity.
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The Kardashian-Jenner clan may have gotten their fame from reality television, but they launched that reality TV stardom into multiple businesses.Kourtney Kardashian cultivated her lifestyle brand, Poosh, and her lifestyle platform, while Kendall Jenner soared as a supermodel, and Kylie Jenner built a billion-dollar empire with her cosmetics company, Kylie Cosmetics.
Kylie Jenner was just nine years old when the series started, and officially became a billionaire at 21. According to Forbes, her alleged net worth of over $1 billion made her the second-wealthiest member of the family after Kim.
Forbes' description of Jenner as "self-made billionaire" was widely disputed when they first appended the label (due in very large part to her family's highly publicized wealth).
In May 2020, Forbes reported that it "no longer believed that [Kylie Jenner's] net worth was that much," revising their estimate to around $900 million.
Reuters covered the then-viral news story, and reported:
The magazine [Forbes] said it reviewed financial data released by Coty Inc, which bought a 51 percent stake in Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics company in November 2019.
Those financial filings show “Kylie’s business is significantly smaller, and less profitable, than the family has spent years leading the cosmetics industry and media outlets, including Forbes , to believe,” the magazine said.
Forbes now estimates the net worth of Jenner, 22 [as of May 2020], at around $900 million.
In addition to Forbes' reporting, the outlet produced a video pertaining to Kylie Jenner's net worth, and their decision to revoke her billionaire status on their site and in their print magazine.
In the clip (below), Forbes breaks down why they revised their initial claim, decreeing Jenner "no longer a billionaire":
Nevertheless, the family's business acumen extended beyond their individual ventures, as they co-founded the clothing line The Kardashian Kollection.
Breaking Down The Billion-Dollar Kardashian Brand
Kim KardashianWhile the family brands came to the spotlight after their television show premiered, their debut entrepreneurial venture occurred way before that.
In 2006, Kim Kardashian and her sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, opened their first DASH store in their hometown of Calabasas, California. Functioning like a consignment shop, the idea behind the store definitively reflected Kim's love for all things fashion.
From there, they have a global empire that spans multiple industries – from gaming to beauty and publishing – amassing billions of dollars in revenue. Their success is a result of their strategic branding, savvy business decisions, and ability to connect with fans.
Kim Kardashian
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Kim Kardashian's businesses (like her mobile game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood) have all built her net worth of over $1.7 billion.
SKIMS, her shapewear and loungewear brand, has been praised for its inclusivity and has attracted a loyal celebrity following and as of 2023, is worth an astounding $4 billion after earning $500 million in sales the previous year.
Her mobile game, which allows players to build their own Kardashian-esque empire, has also been a commercial success. The game titled Kim Kardashian Hollywood, was an amazing success, amassing over 60 million downloads and $200 million in revenue. Thanks to her 28% share of revenue, Kim made an estimated $56 Million off that game alone.
Kim further co-founded the Kardashian Kard with her sisters. Kardashian Kard is a pre-paid credit card aimed at teenagers, and parents who want to track their spending.
Forbes declared her a billionaire in 2021, and Kim has up to 72 international trademarks in her portfolio.
Kourtney Kardashian
Net Worth: $65 Million
Kourtney KardashianKourtney Kardashian has been busy too, if not as visibly as some of her many sisters.
Her diverse income streams, including reality TV earnings, fashion ventures, endorsements, social media influence, and the thriving lifestyle brand POOSH, have contributed to her financial success.
In addition to the $4.5 million she received per season for Keeping Up With The Kardashians, her brand also rakes in an estimated $3 million in sales on a yearly basis. Poosh offers advice on beauty, wellness, and lifestyle, while Poosh Productions creates content for the brand.
Kourtney has also launched a line of vitamins and supplements, further expanding her brand portfolio.
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Net Worth: $60 Million
Khloé KardashianWith her clothing line Good American and her fragrance line True Reflection, Khloé Kardashian has a net worth of over $60 million.
Good American focuses on body-inclusive clothing, catering to a broader range of sizes and shapes. Her fragrance line, True Reflection, captures her personal style and appeals to her loyal fan base.
Khloé serves both as an executive producer and star of The Kardashians. Thanks to her role on the show, Khloe earns anywhere from $7.5 million to $8.3 million a season.
She had two of her own shows, Revenge BodyWith Khloé Kardashian on E!, and Twisted Sisters on Investigation Discovery, and she executive produced both.
Kendall Jenner
Net Worth: $60 Million
Kendall JennerAccording to Cosmopolitan, the eldest of the Jenner sisters, Kendall Jenner, is worth over $60 million, thanks to her long strides on the catwalk for fashion brands.
Jenner is one of the highest-paid supermodels in the business, with Forbes estimating her yearly earnings in 2018 at $22.5 million.
Her endorsements and partnerships with brands like Estée Lauder and Adidas further contribute to her wealth.
Kylie Jenner
Net Worth: $680 Million
Kylie JennerWith her cosmetics company, Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner has a net worth of $680 million as of 2023.
Kylie Cosmetics, known for its virally popular lip kits and other cosmetics, has been a runaway success, catapulting Kylie to near-billionaire status.
In 2019, she sold 51 percent of her shares of Kylie Cosmetics to industry giant Coty for $600 million, helping her amass the bulk of her fortune.
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