A few celebrities who previously relied on their talents in music, film, or television for their fame have parlayed their stardom into huge business empires. Some are high-profile billionaires, whereas others have quietly slipped over the billion-dollar mark, building wealth through clever investments, brand deals, and stakes in huge businesses. But who are the celebrities that now belong to the exclusive billionaire club, some of whom are surprisingly under the radar?

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, known through the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, has now become one business giant. Her cosmetics company, KKW Beauty, and her shapewear brand, SKIMS, which debuted in September, have helped the shipping price in Canada. Especially SKIMS, which has boomed, attracting large investments and valuations in the billions. Kardashian’s marketing savvy, brand building, and devoted fan base have enabled her to transcend celebrity and become a real entrepreneurial powerhouse.

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Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey has always been synonymous with wealth, but most people may not realize the sophistication of her business mind. With Harpo Productions, she has produced TV shows and films and has been a partner with major media networks. And… She has a large exit from (Oprah Winfrey Network) and finally, her relationship with Weight Watchers, Apple, and others has led to her bank account exploding. Oprah had created an empire within the media industry, and her net worth continued to rise to billionaire status from life decisions that were thought through and diversified.

Jay-Z

Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, is a familiar figure on the billionaire list. His rise from the streets of Brooklyn to one of the richest artists on the planet is the stuff of legends. His investments include music rights, stakes in the streaming service Tidal, the luxury champagne brands Armand de Brignac and D’Ussé cognac, and real estate. Jay-Z’s ear for trends and knack for building brands around his image has helped him accrue generational wealth that exceeds the music industry.

Rihanna

The Barbadian singer Rihanna has become a billionaire, largely thanks to her Fenty Beauty empire. Fenty Beauty, co-owned with LVMH, revolutionized inclusivity in the beauty business with myriad shades that spoke to a worldwide customer base. Rihanna: Savage X Fenty is an inclusive, body-positive lingerie brand. This success in the world of fashion and cosmetics has not only skyrocketed her net worth but has turned her into an icon of culture and business.

Taylor Swift

While Taylor Swift’s mega-wealth status may shock some, it has a lot to do with her recent business ventures. Swift produced hundreds of millions in revenue through her Eras Tour, which has become one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. With her strategic decision to re-record her early albums and take back her masters, Taylor turned her artistic control into profits. She has also invested wisely in real estate and effectively utilized her brand and merchandising.

Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry’s ascent is a case study in ownership and self-sufficiency. Perry made his fortune outside the established Hollywood system as a filmmaker, playwright, actor, and studio owner. His Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios is among the largest privately owned film studios in the United States. Unlike many creators who license their work elsewhere, Perry owns the rights to his entire library, enabling him to produce long-term wealth. Real estate holdings and partnerships with major networks and streaming platforms cement his place on the billionaire list.

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld, whose landmark sitcom Seinfeld remains a cultural touchstone to this day, is another celebrity who achieved billionaire status with comparatively little fanfare. Seinfeld’s net worth has continued to rise, thanks to syndication deals in place and his work on comedy projects and television, including Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. His share of the Seinfeld series, which has been sold for hundreds of millions in licensing agreements, is still a key asset.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

You may know Arnold Schwarzenegger as a global action star and former California governor, but you probably don’t know how savvy an investor he is. Long before he was a Hollywood powerhouse, Schwarzenegger got into real estate, rolling early profits into an extensive portfolio. Along with income from acting, brand endorsement deals, and entrepreneurial projects in fitness and nutrition, Arnold quietly constructed a billion-dollar empire.

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Vince McMahon

The professional wrestling business has been very good to Vince McMahon. As chairman and former chief executive of WWE, McMahon transformed wrestling into a worldwide entertainment brand. An ongoing merger between WWE and UFC under one corporate umbrella, known as the TKO Group, has only inflated his wealth further, leaving him with a significant equity position in a new sports entertainment giant. McMahon’s control and expansion of WWE’s media footprint helped lift him into billionaire territory.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen, “The Boss,” as he’s popularly known, has always had a devoted following, but it seems that the business side of his career has finally matched the glory of the musical one. In 2021, Springsteen sold his music catalog to Sony, reportedly for $500 million, bringing his net worth closer to a billion. The rest has come from his tour earnings, music royalties, and investments. Before he played the even more modest man in public, Springsteen was, in fact, now officially one of the world’s richest entertainers.

Lizzo, the Grammy-winning powerhouse vocalist and unapologetic confidence icon, began a transformative fitness journey that inspired millions worldwide in 2025. Lizzo was already known for advocating body positivity and self-love throughout her career, and her latest chapter added a further dimension to her story that fitness and health can be part of the journey of self-acceptance, not the replacement for it. Her journey has ignited a worldwide conversation about wellness, self-care, and the significance of determining your beauty ideals.

Lizzo, 35, embarked on her fitness journey at the beginning of the year with a renewed focus on her health. It was a deeply personal decision to prioritize her physical and mental health. She shared with her fans what inspired her, not for anyone else but because she wanted to feel stronger, live longer, and perform better.

It was a dramatic transformation. Lizzo took up a strict exercise routine, which included strength training, cardio, yoga, and dance workouts. She collaborated with a personal trainer to create a specific, sustainable, and balanced routine within her lifestyle and goals to achieve that. Lizzo’s detox was less about dropping pounds and more about building her stamina, flexibility, and energy levels. As a performer who delivers high-voltage shows, this new fitness level allowed her to stand on stage with added power, strength, and endurance.

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Just as important to her transformation was her dietary overhaul. In 2023, Lizzo followed an eating plan based on clean, whole foods designed to accelerate her body and support her demanding schedule. She centered on including nutrient-dense foods high in lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh produce. She went on to write publicly about how fueling her body with what it needed provided clarity of mind, improved digestion, and a feeling of balance she had never experienced before. Fans applauded her for being transparent, and she shared everything from green smoothies to meal prep tips, and her Instagram became a fountain of healthy inspiration.

What made Lizzo’s 2025 journey through fitness particularly powerful, though, was how she maintained her self-love message throughout. Despite undergoing drastic physical changes, she stressed that a number on the scale never defined her self-worth. It’s nothing against my body in my past but an empowered acceptance of who I have become. This raw, vulnerable attitude struck a chord with the millions of followers who have turned to her for years as an icon of empowerment.

Her journey also subverted traditional narratives around celebrity transformations. Unlike most “before and after” tropes, which condense nuanced, complicated experiences into easy to digest visual narratives, Lizzo opted to capture her transformation in its entirety. She wrote about emotional highs and lows, triumphs and setbacks, and how mental health was crucial to her overall wellness. She reminded her audience that change is not a straight line and that growth tends to crest in waves.

Lizzo’s story became an inspiration to count them all because she got visible results and the way she went about the process with joy, authenticity, and respect for herself. She said fitness should not be considered a punishment or an obligation, it is a way to express ourselves and feel empowered. With dance challenges, motivational messages, and real talk about self-discipline, Lizzo helped strike a chord of enthusiasm for wellness, particularly in communities often excluded from mainstream fitness narratives.

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Lizzo wrote that in the months since her metamorphosis, hundreds of fans had written in, thanking Lizzo and giving her credit for spurring them to make changes for the better in their lives. From young women grappling with self-image issues to older people seeking their second youth, Lizzo’s impact crossed generations. Her journey became a reminder that wellness is highly personal and that everyone should feel strong and confident in their own skin.

In 2025, Lizzo lost weight and gained a new platform for inspiration. Her fitness journey showed how evolution and authenticity can coexist, and how embracing change is not the same as abandoning your identity. As millions watched her become stronger, healthier, and more radiant than ever, Lizzo taught the world that self-love and the pursuit of your best self can be one and the same. She changed the definition of fit, fabulous, and fearless, and in so doing, she inspired a movement.