From Jay-Z to Katy Perry and Oprah, new research uncovers who is the most prolific and savvy
Ever wondered who the most successful celebrity investor is? Or which star is the most savvy?
A new report by money.co.uk has analysed 30 of the world's most prolific celebrity investors to reveal how much of their cash they're investing and to determine how much influence they have over the success of a business.
The research found that:
- $11.9bn is the total amount invested by the celebrities across 339 different business ventures
- Jay-Z is the most successful celebrity backer with 11 investments and a total investment sum of $983m
- On average, celebrities invest $38m per investment venture
- Over a fifth (23%) of wellness and health brands are funded by female celebrity backers
- A third of celebrities have invested over $100m in a single business investment
- 1 in 10 celebrities have invested $500m in a single investment fund
- Showbiz stars who invest have a combined estimated net worth of $12bn
The new Celebrity Investments Index evaluated each star’s investments and awarded them a score based on net worth, number of investments (personal and partner investments), highest investment sums, estimated total amount of funding, and average investment sum. Scoring 132 out of 150, hip-hop star Jay-Z topped the report.
Despite Jay-Z leading the overall index, actor Ashton Kutcher took the lead for the most amount of money invested into businesses in total at $3.1bn.
A third of the celebrities in the report have invested over $100m in a single business investment, and overall one in 10 have invested a staggering $500m in a single investment fund.
The index revealed that on average, celebrity backers invest $38.5m per investment, with pop star Katy Perry leading the way with the highest average fund amount of $265m spread across her four investments.
Ashton Kutcher, Jay-Z, and Jared Leto were all early investors in Uber back in the brand's early days, cementing the stars as savvy investors.
Wellness and health brands have the most female backers with over a fifth (23%) of female celebrities in the report having a wellness brand in their investment portfolio, with Saie and Headspace enticing the most funds from celebrity backers.
Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tyra Banks are the most fruitful wellness investors with 16 brands in their portfolios.
Salman Haqqi, money.co.uk’s personal finance expert, said: “Venture capitalists and corporates aren't the only ones funding new startups. Our report reveals that a lot of celebrities are now investing their wealth in new businesses and entrepreneurs looking for business capital.
“Many celebrities have made millions through investing and have made more money away from their day jobs by generating wealth from their diverse investment portfolio.
“Just under half of the celebrities in our report hail from the music industry, while others have made a name for themselves in TV, movies, and sports. Stars on the list have backed some big names including the likes of Uber, Spotify, Airbnb, Houzz and Skype.
“Like all investors, celebrities need to be savvy when investing their hard-earned cash. Investing in stocks and shares is a high risk activity, and it’s important to remember that you may get back less than you originally invested.”
Top 10 Most Prolific Celebrity Investors:
- Katy Perry - $265,250,000
- Bono - $177,210,000
- Will.i.am - $143,115,093
- Oprah Winfrey - $112,950,000
- Jay Z - $89,394,545
- Ashton Kutcher - $38,641,975
- Dr. Dre - $37,466,667
- Arnold Schwarzenegger - $36,600,000
- Jared Leto - $36,428,571
- Nasir Jones - $31,041,667
Celebrities included in the report: Jay Z, Ashton Kutcher, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, Jared Leto, Dr. Dre, Serena Williams, Will.i.am, Katy Perry, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nasir Jones, Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rihanna, 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson), Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba, John Legend, David Beckham, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyra Banks, Sir Alex Ferguson, Priyanka Chopra, Andy Murray, Sir Elton John, Steve Nash, Beyonce, Gary Lineker, and Stephen Fry.
https://www.money.co.uk/investing/celebrity-investment-index
