Media
Skinnygirl founder
SKKY Partners PE fund
$1.2B Kylie Cosmetics
$43M Weight Watchers
Fierce Capital founder
Celebrity media investors
Media people invest with an unfair advantage: they can move a brand by talking about it, and they know it, so they tend to negotiate ownership before the promotion starts. Oprah Winfrey bought roughly 10% of Weight Watchers and joined the board rather than signing an endorsement; the deals in this category usually follow that shape.
7 profiles in this category
Skinnygirl founderBethenny Frankel
Media & TV
SKKY Partners PE fundKim Kardashian
SKKY Partners
$1.2B Kylie CosmeticsKylie Jenner
Media & Beauty
$43M Weight WatchersOprah Winfrey
Media20+ startup bets
Paris Hilton
11:11 MediaBumble and Mirror early
The Foster Sisters
Oversubscribed Ventures
Fierce Capital founderTyra Banks
Fierce CapitalFrequently asked questions
Why do media figures get equity instead of fees?
Because their attention is the asset. A television host or a magazine founder can add distribution a startup cannot buy, and increasingly they take a stake in exchange for it — which also means they carry the downside if the business fails.
Is promoting a company you own a conflict of interest?
It is at least worth knowing about, which is part of why this site exists. Where someone holds equity in a brand they publicly champion, the profile says so and links to the reporting.