Kim Kardashian Takes Sister Kylie Jenner’s Place as Family Billionaire
Few families have had the level of success that the Kardashian family has seen. From former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner to
Ivy Griffith
Few families have had the level of success that the Kardashian family has seen. From former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner to the immensely successful Kardashian sisters, the family has a knack for forging their name and carving out a niche for themselves. Although Kylie Jenner was named a billionaire in 2019, Forbes announced today that she had fallen from that lofty spot. This must be causing some stir on the family group text, because it was just announced yesterday that sister Kim Kardashian is now on the list – having officially earned billionaire status. So how did Kim get here, which Kardashian could be next, and how common is it for families to have two such successful members?
Kim’s Rise to the Top
Everyone knows Kim’s name, although it varies from person to person how they recognize her. Kim K has had her hands in a wide variety of successful ventures, and her recently-ended marriage with Kanye West cemented her name forever as mega-celebrity status. Keeping Up with the Kardashians was a wildly popular and successful show which was recently announced as ending, but delighted fans for years. Through the show, fans could stay abreast of the goings on with the Kardashian kids, but Kim’s popularity didn’t come solely from the show. So how did Kim become so well-known, and how did she become one of the elite?
Kim started life with a bit of an edge over her peers. The Kardashian patriarch, Robert Kardashian, was a high-profile and wildly successful lawyer, most well known for his role in exonerating O.J. Simpson. But being born into the Kardashian empire isn’t her only claim to fame. Kim became a household name after a sex tape went viral in 2002 when then-boyfriend Ray J. At that time, a sex tape was just as likely to ruin a career as make one, but Kim is a marketing genius. Harnessing everything she’d learned from her father and her peers, Kim owned her image and used it to rise to prominence. The first season of KUWTK in 2007 boosted her fame even more, and before America knew it, Kim K was everywhere. With a keen business sense and a knack for connecting with the right people, the Kardashian sister quickly became the most well-known in the family, surpassing even Olympian step-parent Caitlyn Jenner and father Robert.
Kim didn’t just ride the tide of notoriety though, she used her name to create a brand and successfully launched several businesses, including Skims and KKW Beauty. The stunningly beautiful second-eldest Kardashian sister believed people would buy beauty products that she was the face of, and she turned out to be right in a big way – when Kim sold 20% of KKW Beauty, it was valuated at around $1 billion. Skims, Kim’s shapewear line, is worth moderately less but still an impressive $250 to $500 million.
Forbes announced yesterday that Kim’s net worth was officially estimated at over $1 billion, due to the success of her business brands. The oldest of the middle Kardashian sisters, Kim has been married to music artist Kanye West since 2014, although the pair filed for divorce recently after 2020 reached a crisis point for West’s mental health and the couple decided to amicably separate.
Kylie Knocked Down a Peg; Which Kardashian is Next to Rise?
Even as half sister Kim has risen to the elite level of billionaire, sister and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner has been knocked off the list. Jenner was tapped by Forbes as a billionaire back in 2019. However, today they announced that her net worth had dropped below the threshold, putting her at around $900 million.
But even with Jenner out of the billionaire club and Kim in, there are several other Kardashians who could be headed for the top. Kris Jenner – the Kardashian matriarch – is worth nearly $200 million herself. Kim’s sisters Khloe and Kendall are worth $40 million and $18 million respectively. Sister Kourtney is worth about $35 million and Caitlyn Jenner, about $100 million.
Other Families with Dual Billionaires
While the Kardashians only briefly enjoyed the status of being a dual billionaire family, there are a few more out there. The infamous Koch Brothers – Charles and David (who died in 2019) dominated the world of business and politics for a long time. Each brother was worth approximately $50 billion before David died.
Billionaire brothersPatrick and John Collison created the payment processor Stripe and they now find themselves the co-owners of a business worth approximately $96 billion.
While it’s dificult enough to achieve billionaire status, it’s incredibly difficult for multiple family members to do so. The fact that both Kylie and Kim have spent time on the elite roll of billionaires says something quite impressive about the Kardashian-Jenner family; they really know what they’re doing. Love them or hate them, they’re getting it right.