In a world where time is money—and sometimes glittery and glamorous—celebrity entrepreneurs are experiencing quite the rollercoaster ride. As noted in the recent Forbes release on America’s richest self-made women for 2025, the once-booming period for celebrity businesses is hitting a snag as the economy cools down. Just imagine the once-unstoppable pop stars and glamour queens trying to sell their latest ventures while the rest of us are cringing at soaring prices from the grocery store.
Forbes highlighted an impressive 16 celebrities that managed to break into the elite list of the 100 most financially successful women entrepreneurs. This year, that financial bar has been raised. To get on the list, prospective billionaires needed a net worth of at least $350 million, a jump from last year’s requirement of $300 million. This year’s stars are collectively worth a whopping $14.1 billion, with actress Selena Gomez claiming a spot at number 48 due to her cosmetic company Rare Beauty. With a net worth of approximately $700 million, Gomez is nearly a billionaire and has helped elevate the total by herself. Talk about making a splash!
Interestingly, for several of these stars, their fortunes have remained mostly unchanged from the previous year, which is both a blessing and a sign of a shifting tide. For example, Judge Judy, who landed at number 61, smartly transitioned her show to Amazon Prime just as the celebrity business boom took flight. Similarly, musical maven Rihanna, sitting comfortably at number 35, saw her Savage Fenty brand valued at $1 billion during the peak, only to witness her self-made fortune drop nearly 30% in the last year. Yikes! Even the Kardashians, that infamous empire of reality royalty, are feeling the heat.
One particularly striking case is that of Reese Witherspoon. Our favorite Southern belle, now at number 82, sold her production company, Hello Sunshine, for a staggering $900 million—a deal that has now become a holy grail reference in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the reality of a cooling economy has made the company’s worth drop significantly since that sale. Imagine going from a towering castle to a quaint cottage! Since the acquisition, the company has seen minimal production, making it less of a production powerhouse and more of a hard lesson in market volatility.
Then there’s Katy Perry, who managed to cash in on selling stakes in her music catalog for about $225 million, while her fellow pop star Beyoncé has experienced the full spectrum of the economy’s impact. Beyoncé, who holds the number 45 spot on the list, saw a boost in net worth due to her massive Renaissance tour. But with ticket sales teetering on the edge as prices fluctuate, even she is feeling the market’s weight. Enter Taylor Swift, our delightful outlier—Swift’s net worth skyrocketed over $300 million to an astounding $1.6 billion thanks to her record-breaking “Eras” tour. A gigantic revenue generator, her tour has been a beacon of light in a dimming economic landscape.
As this latest Forbes list reveals, celebrity success isn’t just about fame and talent; it’s also about the timing of their business ventures, adaptability in the face of economic challenges, and a little luck. While some are soaring like Swift, others are feeling the treacherous winds of change. For anyone looking to understand the financial dynamics at play in the world of celebrity entrepreneurship, reviewing the full list and details on Forbes.com might just be worth your while. After all, who wouldn’t want a peek into the ornate world of the fabulously wealthy?
