From Oprah to Kylie Jenner: 10 Famous Women Who Made Their Name Their Brand

These days, there’s no shortage of celebrities who are entrepreneurs. Whether they’re launching beauty empires or becoming fashion designers, a number of famous women have attached their fame to some extremely lucrative side hustles — several have even made their side gigs into their full-time passions.

From Rihanna to Issa Rae, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite famous celebrity businesswomen — some of which have become billionaires — to celebrate women-run businesses. Read on to check out these 10 stars who built their own brands and companies.

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Kylie Jenner

It all started with lip kits for the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sister. The famous business woman was touted as a billionaire (for a time) thanks to the success of her company, Kylie Cosmetics, and has continued to expand her empire ever since. From a skincare line to a swimwear line, the mogul most recently launched her line of baby products last year, Kylie Baby. We think her newest child, Wolf, will likely be using lots of the products.

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Rihanna

With inclusivity at the core of all her brands, Rihanna (whose last name is Fenty) has seen major success with Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin and her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty. While she may have hit pause on releasing music, it seems that the momma-to-be isn’t slowing down when it comes to her business ventures – Fenty Beauty is reportedly valued at over $2.8 billion, and Savage X Fenty is worth a reported $1 billion. We’d speculate a lot of the success is owed to her diverse makeup ranges and the stylish Savage X Fenty pieces that look great on everyone.

Oprah speaking live on stage to an audience

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Oprah

When it comes to a woman who knows how to run a business empire, Oprah is definitely top of mind. Of course, she’s best known for her eponymous talk show, which was on the air for over two decades, but — like any smart businesswoman — Oprah always knew she was destined for more. She created Harpo Productions (fun fact: "Harpo" is Oprah spelled backwards) in the ‘80s, and went on to create her television network, OWN, launched O, The Oprah Magazine, and opened a school, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

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Kim Kardashian

Of course the most famous Kardashian sister is known for her fragrance lines and KKW Beauty, but it’s her shapewear line, Skims, that has been one of her most successful businesses to date — and is valued at a reported $3.2 billion. The KUWTK alum most recently brought Skims to the Olympic stage, when she partnered with Team USA on a Skims capsule collection of loungewear and sleepwear.

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Issa Rae

Although Issa Rae is best known as the co-creator, co-writer and star of Insecure, she’s so much more than just a funny creative. Rae launched Raedio, her own record label, to support up-and-coming musicians in 2019, and she also has her own production company, Hoorae, which has inked a five-year film and television deal with WarnerMedia.

Victoria Beckham in a long sleeved purple top

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Victoria Beckham

Posh Spice launched her eponymous fashion label back in 2008 and, since then, the luxury line has been worn by other celebs including Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle. She also created a beauty brand, Victoria Beckham Beauty, a clean line of products that are cruelty-free.

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Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling may be an actress, comedian, screenwriter, producer, author and director, but she also has her own media company, Kaling International. The corporation has been behind several of her popular films and TV shows including The Mindy Project, Late Night, Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls and more.

Beyonce at The Lion King premiere in a gold gown

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Beyoncé

If you think about brands by the Grammy-winning singer, Ivy Park (a sweet tribute to her eldest child, Blue Ivy) probably comes to mind. However, before there was her clothing brand, Beyoncé launched her entertainment and management company, Parkwood Entertainment, back in 2010. The company has produced a number of films and albums, including all of Queen Bey’s album releases since 2011.

Sarah Jessica Parker in a grey gown and cape

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Sarah Jessica Parker

The And Just Like That… star launched a shoe brand, SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker in 2014 that was inspired by Carrie Bradshaw’s love of fab footwear. The shoes are sold online and also in flagship locations across the US and in Dubai. If you’re looking for a pair of pumps in Canada, there’s also a location at the West Edmonton Mall.

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Jennifer Lopez

JLo is never not working, and when she's not making music or releasing romcoms, she's busy with her other ventures. She may be worth an estimated $400 million, but that hasn't stopped her from bringing in more dough with her beauty brand, JLo Beauty, which hit Sephora shelves last year. She also partnered with DSW for her JLo Jennifer Lopez shoe collection, which she even wore a pair from while stepping out at the 2021 Met Gala.