Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer who has a net worth of $15 million. Betsey Johnson is known for her whimsical, feminine, and frequently ostentatious designs. After struggling financially for several years and nearly going bankrupt, Betsey Johnson (the company) was acquired by Steve Madden (the company) in 2010 for $27.5 million. She is also known for doing a cartwheel and a split to conclude her fashion shows. Due to her fame as a fashion designer, Johnson has appeared on several reality television shows, including as a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" and as a guest judge on "Sugar Rush" and "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars."

Early Life and Education

Betsey Johnson was born on August 10, 1942 in Wethersfield, Connecticut as the second of three children of Lena and John. She has an older sister named Sally and a younger brother named Robert. Growing up in Terryville, Connecticut, Johnson took dance lessons and became interested in costume design. After graduating from high school, she attended the Pratt Institute in New York City, and then Syracuse University upstate.

Career Beginnings

Johnson commenced her professional career after she entered and won a contest to become a guest editor for Mademoiselle magazine. Within a year after that, she became the in-house designer for the Manhattan boutique Paraphernalia. Working within the youthquake fashion movement of the 1960s, Johnson got involved in Andy Warhol's underground scene and rubbed shoulders with Edie Sedgwick, Lou Reed, and Nico, among other countercultural figures. In 1969, she opened her own boutique on the Upper East Side called Betsey Bunky Nini; her house model was Sedgwick.

Rise to Prominence in the 1970s

Johnson rose to prominence in the fashion world in the 1970s. As the new head of the fashion label Alley Cat, which was popular with rock musicians, she debuted a collection that sold around $5 million in volume. Later in the decade, Johnson launched her own fashion line. However, after her second collection floundered, she had insufficient funding to stage her 1981 fashion show. Johnson still managed to open a retail store in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.

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Fashion Career in the 21st Century

For her prolific fashion career, Johnson was inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame in 2002. The following year, she expanded her line to include handbags, hats, scarves, and various other accessories. In 2009, Johnson earned the Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion from the National Arts Club. She subsequently had a buzzy ready-to-wear fashion show in 2010, in which the models were supposed to come down the runway riding bicycles. When this concept proved to be too dangerous, Johnson had one of her models ride a skateboard instead. However, the model fell over and lost one of her open-toed platform heels. Despite having fallen on hard times and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the spring of 2012, Johnson held a 40-year anniversary retrospective fashion show later in the year. The show featured a performance from Cyndi Lauper.

Reality Television

Johnson has appeared on a number of reality television shows since the 2010s. In 2013, she and her daughter Lulu began starring on the Style Network reality series "XOX Betsey." The next year, she competed in the 19th season of the dance competition series "Dancing with the Stars." Paired with professional partner Tony Dovolani, she was the fourth to be eliminated from the show. Johnson returned to reality television in 2018 to serve as a guest judge on the Netflix baking competition show "Sugar Rush." Four years later, she served as a guest judge in an episode of the seventh season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars."

Personal Life

Johnson has been married multiple times. Her first husband was musician John Cale, co-founder of the rock band the Velvet Underground. They were married from 1968 to 1969. Johnson's second husband was Jeffrey Oliviere, to whom she was betrothed from 1981 to 1984. Later, in 1997, she wed Brian Reynolds. Johnson has one child, a daughter named Lulu.

Johnson is a breast cancer survivor. She has used her profile to promote awareness of the disease via her own T-shirt and by serving as a spokesperson for Cornell Medical Center. Johnson also assisted General Motors in its annual breast cancer awareness and research campaign.

Real Estate

In 1999 Betsey paid $695,000 for a 1.65 acre property in East Hampton, New York. She sold this property in July 2015 for $1.5 million.

In 2016 Betsey paid $1.89 million for a mobile home in an upscale Malibu trailer park. She spent $550,000 on upgrades, painting the outside bright pink. She listed this property for sale in October 2019 and sold it two months later for $1.95 million. Here's a video tour:

In 2008 Betsey sold a NYC apartment for $3.6 million. That same year she paid $1.85 million for a new apartment in New York City. She listed this apartment for sale in May 2016 for $2.25 million. She ultimately accepted $1.795 million in November 2016.

"Betseyvilla" Mexico

In Guerrero, Mexico, Betsey owns a 4-bedroom, 6-bathroom home that she offers as an Airbnb. Here is a tour of the home, which she named Betseyvilla:

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Jimmy Choo is a Malaysian-Chinese fashion designer who has a net worth of $75 million. Jimmy Choo earned his fortune as the co-founder of the eponymous British luxury fashion house. The company specializes in shoes, handbags, accessories, and fragrances, and has stores in locations around the world. Choo's brand is also known for being a favorite of celebrities, including Diana, Princess of Wales.

Early Life and Education

Datuk Jimmy Choo was born as Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat on November 15, 1948 in George Town, British Malaysia into a Chinese family of shoemakers. His family name is Chow, but the name was misspelled as "Choo" on his birth certificate. Growing up, he learned the art of shoemaking from his father, and when he was 11, made his first footwear, a pair of slippers. As a young adult, Choo attended Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney, London from 1982 to 1984.

Career Beginnings

After college, Choo decided he wanted to stay in London. He ended up working for two design companies, spending a total of nine years in that line of work. In 1986, Choo expanded the business by opening his own shop in a rented old hospital building. He soon began being noticed by major events and organizations, including London Fashion Week and Vogue magazine. The latter featured his shoes in an eight-page spread, substantially boosting his profile. Choo's image was further lifted due to the patronage of Diana, Princess of Wales in the early 1990s.

J. Choo Limited

Through Vogue magazine, Choo worked with fashion assistant Tamara Mellon in the early 90s. Mellon eventually left the magazine, after which she suggested to Choo the idea of developing a luxury, ready-to-wear line of shoes. In 1996, Choo did just that, and co-founded the company J. Choo Limited with Mellon, whose parents provided funding for a 50% stake in the company. The first Jimmy Choo store was soon opened on Motcomb Street in London. A couple years later,  Choo ascended to a new level of fame when he was mentioned in the fifth episode of the HBO television series "Sex and the City." This inaugurated a new celebrity-oriented go-to-market model, which in turn prompted Choo to open his first stores in the United States, in New York City and Los Angeles. The brand garnered more attention in early 1999 when Mellon's Get Good Ink PR agency dyed the Jimmy Choos they loaned to actresses at the Academy Awards in colors that matched their dresses.

In 2001, businessman Robert Bensoussan set up the investment group Equity Luxury Holdings with David Burns of Phoenix Equity Partners. After that, a new holding company, Yearnoxe, took over the European and US operations of J. Choo Limited. With Equinox controlling 51% of Yearnoxe and Mellon and her father splitting the remaining 49%, Choo sold his stake for £8.8 million and left the company. J. Choo Limited traded hands many times over the subsequent years, being acquired by Lion Capital, TowerBrook Capital Partners and Gala Capital, and Labelux. In late 2014, the company went public on the London Stock Exchange, where it remained until it was purchased by Michael Kors Holdings in late 2017.

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Jimmy Choo Couture Limited

As a separate venture from the Jimmy Choo ready-to-wear brand, Choo launched Jimmy Choo Couture Limited in 2006 to continue his work on his exclusive shoe line. Sold under license by J. Choo Limited, the shoes are available only by appointment at Connaught Street in London.

Honors and Accolades

Choo has been the recipient of many honors for his contributions to fashion. In 2002, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services in the UK. Closing out the decade, Choo was given an honorary fellowship by University of the Arts London. He has also been amply honored in his native Malaysia, having been appointed a Commander of the Order of the Meritorious Service in 2013.

Personal Life

With his wife Rebecca Choi, who hails from Hong Kong, Choo has two children named Emily and Danny. The latter is a pop culture blogger and television personality who created the Smart Doll, a line of vinyl fashion dolls with interchangeable pieces. Danny's first doll, Mirai Suenaga, became his virtual mascot. Choi and Choo reside in London.

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Rick Petko is an American motorbike enthusiast and reality TV star who has a net worth of $2 million. Rick Petko earned fame and a large chunk of his fortune as a motorcycle fabricator for Orange County Choppers, which was chronicled on the reality TV show "American Chopper."

Early Life

Richard Petko was born in Pennsylvania in 1968.

His passion for racing and motorcycles began at an early age when he started riding mini bikes. He then progressed to go-karts, three wheelers, four wheelers, dirt bikes and Harleys – every bikers' ultimate dream.

Metal Work

After graduating from high school he took a job as a crane operator then coldsaw operated for Bethlehem Steel. At some point around this time Rick left Bethlehem and enrolled in welding school with the goal of ultimately working on NASCAR chassis. After graduating from welding school he took a job in the driving school at his local NASCAR track, the Pocono Raceway. He worked there for five years, during which time he also worked for the Hooters Pro Cup team.

For the next decade Rick worked in industrial metalwork contracting all over the east coast. He primarily worked on industrial kilns, furnaces and precious metal ovens. Through this work he began dabbling in automotive and eventually motorcycle restoration.

This side project is what ultimately led Petko to being hired by Orange County Choppers.

American Chopper

Petko eventually moved away from racing and joined the team at Orange County Choppers.

Orange County Choppers is world renowned and praised for their custom motorcycles. Their work, which is led by father/son duo Paul Teutul and Paul Teutul, Jr, ultimately led to a reality TV show on the Discovery Channel (later aired on TLC).

When the show was first aired in March 2003, it was evident that Rick Petko was the one of hardest working guys in the show. He worked at OCC from 2003 to 2016 and appeared on some form of the show from 2003 to 2012. As a member of the OCC team, Petko was involved in one of their most memorable projects, the POW/MIA Bike.

Petko was a regular on the American Chopper's spin off, "American Chopper: Senior vs Junior," which was first aired on TLC and later the Discovery Channel. Launched in 2010, the show reveals the bitter rivalry between OCC and Paul Junior Designs. He appeared in a 2014 Discovery special "American Chopper: Shaq Bike."

In 2012 Rick left OCC to launch his own motorcycle fabrication business in Stroudsburg, P.A. There were also speculation that Petko had joined, Paul Jr. Design, working for fellow Chopper Paul Teutul, Jr.

RPD & CO

After leaving Orange County Choppers in 2012, Rick moved back to Stroudsburg, PA to be closer to family and focus on his custom metalwork company RPD & CO. In addition to custom vintage bikes, RPD makes custom knives, wedding bands and performs various other custom metal welding. He runs the business from his farm in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania.

He also ran the custom fabrication shop at the Pocono Mountain Harley Davidson dealership.

Personal Life

Rick Petko married Brittany Cockeram in 2012. Their wedding was featured on American Chopper. They have two daughters.

Real Estate

In September 2007 Rick Petko paid $320,000 for a 3-acre property in Bath, Pennsylvania.

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Tinker Hatfield is an American shoe designer who has a net worth of $25 million. Tinker Hatfield best known for his work on Nike athletic shoes. Notably, he helped design the Air Jordans III through XV, as well as the Air Jordans XX, XXIII, XXV, XX8, XX9, and XXX. Hatfield oversees Nike's "Innovation Kitchen," and is widely considered to be a legend in the design world for his iconic contributions.

Early Life and Education

Tinker Hatfield was born on April 30, 1952 in Hillsboro, Oregon. He has a younger brother named Tobie. As a teenager, Hatfield attended Central Linn High School, where he excelled in athletics. He was a star basketball player, an All-State football running back, and an All-American in hurdles and pole vaulting. In 1970, he was recognized as the top high school athlete in the state of Oregon.

Hatfield went on to attend the University of Oregon, where he continued his track and field career and studied architecture. He set the school record in the pole vault, but his athletic career was abruptly curtailed when he was injured during his sophomore year. Tinker's track and field coach at Oregon was Bill Bowerman, who would soon go on to co-found Nike with another former Oregon athlete, Phil Knight. Hatfield graduated from Oregon in 1977, and subsequently practiced as an architect in Eugene.

Nike Air Max

In 1981, Hatfield joined Nike as a store designer; he began working on shoe design four years later. His first major shoe design was the Air Max 1, released in 1987. Marketed for running, it featured an upper composed of nylon and synthetic felt, as well as a translucent bubble under the heel showcasing Nike's "Air" unit, a urethane pouch filled with pressurized gas. The shoe was followed by the Air Max Light, Air Max III, Air Max 180, and Air Max 93. Several other additions to the line have been released in the decades since.

Air Jordan

Hatfield's most legendary contributions to Nike have been related to the Air Jordan line. He served as the lead designer of Air Jordans III through XV, and also designed the Air Jordans XX, XXIII, XXV, XX8, XX9, and XXX. His first design, the 1988 Air Jordan III, introduced the iconic Jumpman logo. The next one, the Air Jordan IV, was the first of the line to be released on the global market. Michael Jordan wore the shoe when he made the famous shot that won the Chicago Bulls the first round of the NBA playoffs in 1989. For the Air Jordan V in 1990, Hatfield drew inspiration from a WWII Mustang fighter and included a reflective tongue, translucent rubber soles, and lace locks. The shoe appeared often on the television sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," worn by Will Smith's titular character.

In 1999, Hatfield designed the Air Jordan XV, the first one to come out after Jordan's retirement. Inspired by the aircraft prototype X-15, it featured sides made from woven Kevlar fiber. This shoe was Hatfield's least favorite of the series, and the last one he did before returning to design the Air Jordan XX for the shoe's 20^th anniversary. He went on to help design the Air Jordans XXV, XX8, XX9, and XXX. The lattermost of those debuted in early 2016 at an exclusive media event in Chicago. It consisted of an upper and outsole similar to the XX9's, plus a combination of performance woven and flyknit materials new to the brand. Overall, Hatfield's contributions to the Air Jordan line have been immeasurable. Phil Knight, co-founder and former CEO of Nike, credits Hatfield's Air Jordan III with saving the company, asserting that the shoe kept Michael Jordan from leaving and signing with Adidas in the late 1980s.

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Other Designs

Among his other notable designs, Hatfield designed the Nike Air MAG for the 1989 science-fiction film sequel "Back to the Future Part II," as well as the bat boots worn by Michael Keaton in the superhero films "Batman" and "Batman Returns." Beyond shoes, he created the graphic design on the basketball court at the University of Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena, which opened in 2011. A couple years after that, he worked on Nike and Jordan brand concept car designs for the racing video game "Gran Turismo 6."

Honors and Awards

For his work with Nike, Hatfield was named one of Sportstyle Magazine's most influential people in the sports business in both 1993 and 1996. In 1998, he was included on Fortune magazine's list of the 100 most influential designers of the 20^th century. A decade later, Hatfield received the Ellis F. Lawrence Medal from the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts. He was also inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame for his special contributions to sports. In 2019, Hatfield received his own sneaker from Nike.

Personal Life

With his wife Jackie, Hatfield has three daughters.

Real Estate

Tinker and his wife own several homes around the US, primarily in Portland and along a like in Idaho called Lake Pend Oreille.

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George Condo is an American contemporary visual artist who has a net worth of $400 million. George Condo works in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Since emerging on the East Village art scene in the early 1980s, he has established a reputation for blending traditional European art styles with the sensibility of the American pop movement. Condo has collaborated with many famous figures throughout his career, including artist and writer William S. Burroughs and French philosopher Félix Guattari.

His work has been exhibited all over the world and he has had permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and more. In May 2018, one of George's paintings sold for $6.16 million (with fees). That set his own record for most expensive piece sold, breaking his previous record by $2 million.

Early Life and Education

George Condo was born in 1957 in Concord, New Hampshire. Growing up, he studied guitar and music composition and pursued his passion for drawing and painting. For his higher education, Condo went to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he studied art history and music theory. After two years there, he moved to Boston and began working at a silk screen shop.

Career Beginnings

Pursuing his interest in music while in Boston, Condo joined a proto-synth band called The Girls. As a bassist, he was joined by abstract painter Mark Dagley and avant-garde musicians David Hild and Robin Amos. The Girls released one single, which came out in 1979. That year, Condo met visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat when Basquiat's band Gray opened for The Girls in New York. Inspired to pursue a career in the visual arts, Condo moved to New York City.

Visual Art Career

In the early 1980s, Condo emerged as a major name on New York City's East Village art scene. As his popularity grew, he coined the term "artificial realism" to refer to his unique blending of traditional European painting styles with an American pop sensibility. Condo held the first public exhibitions of his work from 1981 to 1983, during which time he worked in Andy Warhol's factory space. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles for a short spell, where he had his first solo exhibition at Ulrike Kantor Gallery. Condo went on to move to Cologne, Germany shortly after that; there, he collaborated with several artists from the Mulheimer Freiheit group, such as Jiri Georg Dokoupil and Walter Dahn. He held his first European solo exhibition in 1984 at Monika Sprüth Gallery. While still in Europe, Condo started working with American art dealer Barbara Gladstone. Upon his return to New York City, he met and befriended fellow visual artist Keith Haring, with whom he remained friends until Haring's passing from AIDS in 1990. A number of Condo's most significant works from the mid-to-late 80s were painted in Haring's studio in the East Village. A large number of his other works were done in hotels and rented studios between New York City and Paris.

Condo worked professionally with many other major figures throughout the 1980s and 90s. Among them was writer and visual artist William S. Burroughs, with whom Condo collaborated on several paintings and sculptures. Selected works by the duo were exhibited in 1997 at Pat Hearn Gallery in New York. Condo and Burroughs also collaborated on a collection of writings and etchings called "Ghost of Chance." In other professional partnerships, Condo collaborated with renowned French philosopher Félix Guattari, who wrote extensively about Condo's work and provided him with an introductory text for a solo exhibition. Condo has also collaborated with myriad authors and musicians doing commissions for book and album covers. Notably, in 2010, he worked with rapper Kanye West to create a series of paintings for West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." Additionally, Condo has designed album covers for such musical artists as Phish, Danny Elfman, and Anthony Roth Costanzo.

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Permanent Collections

In addition to his plethora of exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world, Condo has much of his work featured in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions. These institutions include New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as Washington, DC's Corcoran Gallery of Art and Los Angeles's Broad Foundation.

Legacy and Recognition

Condo's work has been influential on a wide range of artists and writers over the years. He has influenced such artists as Nigel Cooke, John Currin, Glenn Brown, Lisa Yuskavage, and Sean Landers, and such writers as William S. Burroughs and Félix Guattari, both of whom he collaborated with. Condo has also influenced author Salman Rushdie, whose 2001 novel "Fury" features a chapter inspired by Condo's 1994 painting "The Psychoanalytic Puppeteer Losing His Mind"; and writer David Means, whose short story "The Butler's Lament" was inspired by Condo's 2010 painting "The Fallen Butler."

Much critical writing has been done about Condo's work, and several monographs have been published. In 1999, the artist was honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2005 earned the Francis J. Greenburger Award. He has lectured at many prestigious universities and museums across the country. Condo is also the subject of John McNaughton's 2000 documentary film "Condo Painting," which charts the progress of the artist's large-scale oil painting "Big Red" and showcases his collaborations with William S. Burroughs.

Personal Life

In 1989, Condo married actress Anna Achdian. They had two daughters named Eleonore and Raphaelle before divorcing in 2016. Condo went on to date businesswoman and former actress Ashley Olsen.

Read more: George Condo Net Worth

Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer who had a net worth of $5 million at the time of her death in 1971. After adjusting for inflation that's the same as around $40 million today. Coco Chanel was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France in August 1883 and passed away in January 1971. She earned fortune and fame as the founder of the Chanel brand. She is credited with changing women's fashion in the post-World War I era and designed handbags, jewelry, and fragrance as well. Her signature scent is called Chanel No. 5. Chanel was awarded the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1957. Coco Chanel has also been credited with inventing the concept of the little black dress. Coco Chanel passed away on January 10, 1971 at the age of 87.

Early Life

Chanel was born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France and given the name Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. Her parents were Eugénie Jeanne Devolle Chanel and Albert Chanel. Her mother worked as a laundrywoman in the local charity hospital while her father was an itinerant street vendor who sold clothing and undergarments. She grew up with her older sister, Julia. The family lived a nomadic life, traveling to and from market towns and residing in various rundown lodgings. The couple went on to have four more children. Her mother died when Chanel was 11 years old and her father sent his daughters to an orphanage run by the convent of Aubazine and his sons to work as farm laborers.

When Chanel was 18, she went to live in a boarding house for Catholic girls in the town of Moulins. As she got older, Chanel would retell the story of her childhood differently, often making it more glamorous and including many details that obscured the reality of her impoverished upbringing.

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Chanel Founding

Chanel found employment as a seamstress in Moulins. She also began singing in a cabaret and made her on-stage debut singing in a Moulins pavilion in between the main acts. It was during this time that she acquired the name Coco. While in Moulins, Chanel met a young French ex-cavalry officer and textile heir, Etienne Balsan. She became his mistress at the age of 23 and lived with him in his château for three years. In 1908, she began having an affair with one of Balsan's friends, Captain Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel. Capel installed Chanel in an apartment in Paris and financed her first shops. She had already begun designing hats while living with Balsan and became a licensed milliner in 1910, opening a boutique in Paris called Chanel Modes. She became quite popular after the theatre actress Gabrielle Dorziat wore one of her hats in a play.

In 1913, she opened a boutique in Deauville, which was very successful. There, she began selling deluxe casual clothing. She opened another location in Biarritz, which proved so lucrative that she was able to reimburse Capel's original investment in her business. In 1918, she purchased a building in one of the most fashionable districts of Paris and opened an early incarnation of a fashion boutique there in 1921 which featured clothing, hats, accessories, and other designs. She later expanded to offer jewelry and fragrances. By 1927, she opened five properties in the district and her fashion line was immensely successful.

Wertheimer Deal

In the 1920s, she also began designing dance costumes for the Ballets Russes after developing a relationship with Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky. In 1922, she was introduced to Théophile Bader, the founder of the Paris Galeries Lafayette. He was interested in selling her perfume, Chanel No. 5, in his department store. What resulted was a business deal in which the entity, Parfums Chanel, was created using an injection of capital from investor Pierre Wertheimer.

Under the terms of the deal, Wertheimer owned 70%, Bader owned 20% and Coco owned just 10%. Coco would soon regret this partnership and forged an unsuccessful legal campaign to get the percentages renegotiated. Today Pierre Wertheimer's two sons Alain and Gerard own 100% of the brand. They have a combined net worth of $90-100 billion.

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1930s Onward

By the late 1930s, before the outbreak of World War II, Chanel had established herself as the preeminent designer in Paris. However, she closed all of her shops when the war began as she said it was not the time to be focusing on fashion.

During this time, Pierre Wertheimer appointed a local Christian industrialist as a Nazi-friendly "Aryan" proxy owner of the business. Coco would be accused of being a Nazi collaborator. After the war, these accusations forced her to flee to exile in Switzerland.

While living in Switzerland, Coco created a new perfume line under her own name. Wertheimer came very close to suing Chanel for infringing the commercial rights of their company Parfums Chanel. In 1947 Wertheimer and Chanel reached an amicable deal in which he paid her $400,000 in cash, agreed to a 2% royalty from the sales of No. 5, and agreed to a perpetual monthly expense stipend. In exchange, Coco stopped selling her Swiss perfumes, relinquished her 10% ownership stake in Parfums Chanel and sold her rights to the name "Coco Chanel."

Legacy

In terms of her legacy, Chanel is credited with popularizing sporty, casual chic style as the feminine standard, doing away with more restricted corseted silhouettes. She is the only designer to be listed on "Time" magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20^th century. Many of her designs and products have become iconic, like the Chanel No. 5 perfume and the famed interlocked-CC monogram that is featured on many of her clothing, shoe, and handbag designs.

Personal Life and Death

Chanel was romantically involved with Arthur Capel for much of her life, even after Capel got married to an English aristocrat. They remained involved until his death by car accident in December of 1919. In 1916, while in Biarritz, she began a romantic relationship with the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia. They maintained a close association for years. She also had a romantic relationship with composer Igor Stravinsky throughout the 1920s and 1930s, unbeknownst to Stravinsky's wife.

Chanel maintained a very close personal friendship with Misia Sert, a member of the bohemian elite in Paris. The two female friends also developed a regular drug use habit together, as Chanel became a habitual drug user and injected herself with morphine on a daily basis until the end of her life. She also developed a reputation for throwing lavish drug-filled parties in Paris.

Chanel later developed relationships with some of the British aristocracy. In particular, she had an affair with the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor. He was an outspoken antisemite, which likely influenced Chanel's own opinions about the Jewish people. During World War II, Chanel lived in the Hotel Ritz in Paris while the city was occupied by the Germans. Notably, the hotel was the preferred place of residence for German military staff and Chanel was said to be a sympathizer of the Nazis, as she had romantic liaisons with high-ranking German military members. In late 2014, French intelligence agencies confirmed that Chanel had actually been working as a spy for the Germans during World War II and had been instrumentally involved in a plan to help the Third Reich take control of Madrid. She reportedly had committed herself to the German cause by 1941 and reported to General Walter Schellenberg, the head of the German intelligence agency. He was later sentenced to six years in prison by the Nuremberg Military Tribunal. After his release in 1951, Chanel financially supported his family and paid for his medical care and living expenses. When the war ended, Chanel fled to Switzerland to avoid criminal charges for collaborating with the Nazis. Reportedly, Winston Churchill, whom Chanel had previously developed a friendship with, intervened to protect Chanel from punishment, allowing her to return to Paris.

Chanel died in January of 1971 at the Hotel Ritz, where she had lived for over 30 years. Her funeral was attended by models and fashion designers. In the years since her death, while her impact on women's fashion is undeniable, her reputation has been reexamined considering her close ties with the Nazis.

Read more: Coco Chanel Net Worth

Jean-Paul Gaultier is a French fashion designer and creative director who has a net worth of $300 million. Jean-Paul Gaultier  never received formal training in fashion design and instead sent sketches to stylists he admired. Pierre Cardin was one of the first major designers to recognize his talents. Pierre was so impressed with the Gaultier's drawings that he hired him as an assistant. Gaultier then went on to work for Jacques Esterel and Jean Patou and then returned to work for Pierre Cardin. Gaultier launched his first individual collection in 1976. By the early 80s he was receiving acclaim from fashion magazine editors. He introduced the world to what is now known as the 'man-skirt' and the infamous cone bra worn by Madonna.  started out with designer Pierre Cardin in the early seventies. As an Haute Couture designer, Gaultier collection is usually formal with a twist of quirkiness.

In the late eighties, Gaultier introduced Junior Gaultier, a lower-priced line for the young people. By the mid nineties, the label changed to JPG by Gaultier. In the late nineties, Gaultier generated success from his Haute Couture line. As a result of the success from his high fashion line, Gaultier was hired by Hermes as the Creative Director in 2003 and remained in the position until 2010. Gaultier has also designed costumes in motion pictures including, the fifth element. He also designed costumes worn by Marilyn Manson, Madonna (for the Blond Ambition and 2006 Confessions tour) and Kylie Minogue.

As well as being a popular designer, Jean Paul has also a highly successful perfume range. The early nineties, he launched his first perfume for women, Classique and three year La Male for men on was the market. Both fragrances were proven to be successful- La Male is currently the number one in Europe and is popular in Australia and the US.

Early Life

Jean-Paul Gaultier was born on April 24, 1952 in Arcueil, France, a southern suburb of Paris. His mother worked as a clerk while his father was an accountant. His maternal grandmother, Marie Garrabe, introduced him to the world of fashion at a young age. While he never received formal training in design, he did enjoy sketching designs and began sending them to famous couture stylists while in his teen years. By 1970, he was hired by designer Pierre Cardin as an assistant. By the following year, Cardin sent him to Manila to manage his boutique there. He stayed there until 1974 at which time he returned to France.

Career

Gaultier also began working on his own designs in the mid-1970s. He released his first individual collection in 1976. While many people found his designs to be very decadent and over the top, they also received praise by fashion editors from publications like "Elle" and "Marie Claire" who were impressed by his creativity and mastery of tailoring. He began incorporating increasingly nontraditional materials into his designs. In 1980, he designed women's dresses out of plastic trash bags, among other examples.

In 1982, Gaultier founded his eponymous fashion label. The following year, he released the "Boy Toy" collection for men. His popularity grew to the point that his garments were being offered for sale at prestigious department store Bergdorf Goodman in New York by 1984. The same year, he introduced his line of skirts for men at Paris and New York fashion week. He also introduced the iconic women's corset with cone bra.

By 1985, his company was generating $50 million in annual revenue.

In addition to his ready-to-wear collection, he also expanded his brand in 1988 to include the label Junior Gaultier, which featured lower priced products. He worked with the French accordionist Yvette Horner to help restyle her look, helping her relaunch her career by the end of the 1980s. He also designed Madonna's clothing for her Blond Ambition World Tour.

Gaultier launched a line of fragrances in 1993 and replaced the Junior Gaultier label with JPG by Gaultier in 1994. Over the next years, there was some restructuring of the brand. Gaultier began collaborating with Hermès, which acquired 35% of Gaultier's label in 1999. From 2003 to 2010, Gaultier worked as the creative director for Hermès in addition to directing his own brand. By 2008, there were 40 Jean Paul Gaultier stores open worldwide.

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In 2011, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts organized an exhibit called "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk." The exhibit toured through a number of prominent museums around the world, including the Barbican Centre in London, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and the Grand Palais in Paris. The exhibition in Paris became the subject of a documentary, "Jean Paul Gaultier at the Grand Palais," which aired on Eurochannel.

In 2015, Gaultier announced he was closing his ready-to-wear labels in order to focus on haute couture. In 2016, he designed more than 500 costumes for the revue "THE ONE Grand Show" at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin. In 2018, he staged a cabaret show that was loosely based on his own life called "Fashion Freak Show." It took place at the Folies Bergere theatre in Paris. The following year, he collaborated with the New York streetwear brand, Supreme. In January of 2020, he announced that his next Paris haute couture fashion show would be his last and he would then retire from the runway.

In addition to his work in fashion, Gaultier has also done some work in television, film, and music. He released a dance single called "How To Do That" in 1988. He has also been involved in the Eurovision Song Contest, dressing several of France's entrants over the years. Beginning in 1993, he co-hosted the Channel 4 program, "Eurotrash," with Antoine de Caunes. He hosted the show until 1997. In 2012, he was named as a member of the Jury for the Main Competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first time a fashion designer was called to sit on a jury at the festival. In 2022, he appeared with Iris Mittenaere as the guest judge on "Drag Race France."

Personal Life

Gaultier struggled with his sexuality throughout his youth. He was inspired to learn that some of the iconic fashion designers he admired were gay or bisexual. He met his partner, Francis Menuge, early on in his fashion career. Menuge helped him get established as a designer and assisted him as he began organizing fashion shows. During the AIDS epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Menuge learned that he was HIV positive. He became quite ill and Gaultier cared for him throughout the end of his life until his death in 1990 of AIDS-related causes.

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Gilles Bensimon is a French fashion photographer who has a net worth of $20 million. Gilles has had an illustrious career that spans several decades, cementing his status as a prominent figure in the fashion and photography industries. Over the his career Bensimon has collaborated with some of the most influential designers, models, and celebrities, capturing their essence through his signature photographic style.

Gilles is also known for having a brief marriage to super model Elle Macpherson. From 1997 to 2007 he was married to model Kelly Bensimon who became famous in her own right as a cast member of "The Real Housewives of New York City."

Early Life and Education

Gilles Bensimon was born on February 29, 1944 into an artistic family, with his father being a painter and his mother a sculptor. This environment fostered his passion for the arts from a young age. He studied photography at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris before embarking on his career as a professional photographer.

Career Beginnings and Elle Magazine

In the early 1970s, Bensimon began his professional career as a fashion photographer, working primarily in advertising and editorial projects. In 1985, he was appointed as the International Creative Director of Elle magazine, a position he held for over two decades. During his tenure at Elle, Gilles transformed the magazine's visual identity, helping it become one of the leading fashion publications in the world. He also played a pivotal role in launching the careers of numerous supermodels, such as Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Tyra Banks, by featuring them on the magazine's covers and editorials.

(Photo by Katy Winn/Getty Images for IMG)

Marriage to Kelly Bensimon

In 1997, Gilles Bensimon married American model and television personality Kelly Killoren, who later took his last name and became famous as Kelly Bensimon, a cast member on several seasons of "The Real Housewives of New York City." The couple had two daughters, Sea and Thadeus, before they eventually divorced in 2007. Despite their separation, Gilles remains devoted to his daughters and continues to maintain a cordial relationship with his ex-wife.

Celebrity Collaborations and Iconic Portraits

Throughout his career, Bensimon has had the opportunity to work with countless celebrities, from musicians and actors to politicians and athletes. Some of his most notable subjects include Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bill Clinton. Gilles' ability to capture the essence of his subjects, paired with his innovative and minimalist approach to photography, has led to the creation of many iconic portraits that are highly regarded in the world of fashion and art.

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Exhibitions and Recognition

Gilles Bensimon's work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums around the world, including the International Center of Photography in New York and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His contributions to the fashion and photography industries have earned him numerous accolades, such as the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a prestigious French honor recognizing significant contributions to the arts.

Later Career

In recent years, Gilles has continued to work on various photography projects, both in fashion and fine art. He has also dedicated time to mentor young photographers and share his vast knowledge and experience with the next generation of creative talent.

Gilles Bensimon's enduring influence in the fashion and photography industries is a testament to his exceptional talent and relentless passion for the arts.

Hamptons Mansion

In 1994 Gilles Bensimon paid $700,000 for a 1.25 acre property in East Hampton. In 1998, a year into their marriage, Gilles and Kelly completed construction on a 5,800 square foot mansion on the lot. Kelly took ownership of the home after their 2007 divorce. In 2009 Kelly listed the home for sale for $12 million. She also listed it for rent $250,000 per month. In November 2012 she accepted $5.7 million.

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Cliff Bleszinski is a video game designer who has a net worth of $16 million. Cliff Bleszinski is best known for his work on the "Unreal" and "Gears of War" franchises. He helped develop both for Epic Games, where he worked from 1992 to 2012, and after that co-founded Boss Key Productions in 2014. Following the closure of that company in 2018, Bleszinski ventured into theater production as an investor and co-producer of the Tony-winning musical "Hadestown."

Early Life

Cliff Bleszinski was born on February 12, 1975 in Boston, Massachusetts. He has two brothers named Greg and Tyler. A skilled video game player growing up, Bleszinski appeared in the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine when he was 13 for earning a high score close to 10,000,000 on "Super Mario Bros." At the age of 15, he came in second at the Nintendo World Championships.

Career Beginnings

Bleszinski began his career proper when he started his own company, Game Syndicate Productions, as a teenager. His first game was "Palace of Deceit," a text adventure game originally released for MS-DOS in 1991. The game was remade for Windows 3 in 1992 as a graphical point-and-click game under the title "The Dragon's Plight."

Epic Games

Bleszinski joined the video game and software developer Epic Games in 1992. Two years later, he had his first major career success with the platformer "Jazz Jackrabbit," co-developed by Arjan Brussee. The game became Epic's bestselling game at that time, and earned Bleszinski enough money for him to purchase his first apartment and car. He had his next big success in 1998 with the release of "Unreal," which he co-developed with James Schmalz. Powered by the 3D computer graphics engine Unreal Engine, the first-person shooter game was a huge hit, spawning a franchise. Bleszinski worked on the sequels "Unreal Tournament," "Unreal Tournament 2003," "Unreal Championship," and "Unreal Tournament 2004." He also served as a creative consultant on the action-adventure game "Rune."

In addition to the "Unreal" series, Bleszinski found enormous success with the "Gears of War" franchise, which he launched in 2006. As well as creating the third-person shooter, he worked as the lead designer on the first three installments of the series. "Gears of War" became one of the bestselling franchises for the Xbox 360 console. In October of 2012, one year after the release of his final "Gears of War" game, Bleszinski left Epic Games due to occupational exhaustion and jadedness. He intended to permanently retire from the video game industry at that time.

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Boss Key Productions

In the summer of 2014, Bleszinski announced via Twitter that he was coming out of retirement to work on new video games via his company Boss Key Productions, which he co-founded with fellow former Epic Games developer Arjan Brussee in Raleigh, North Carolina. The first game from the company was 2017's "LawBreakers," a first-person shooter for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. Although the game was well-received by critics, it sold poorly and was shuttered in 2018. Boss Key Productions went on to have another commercial flop with "Radical Heights," leading to the company's closure in May of 2018.

Other Projects

Following the closure of Boss Key Productions, Bleszinski ventured into theater production. He invested in and co-produced Anaïs Mitchell's musical "Hadestown," which had its London premiere in 2018 before transferring to Broadway in 2019. A major hit, the production won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Bleszinski subsequently invested in the 2019 Broadway revival of Terrence McNally's play "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune." Among his other activities, Bleszinski co-produced Jeremy Snead's 2014 documentary film "Video Games: The Movie." He later penned a memoir entitled "Control Freak: My Epic Adventure Making Video Games," which was published in late 2022 by Simon & Schuster.

Personal Life

In 2012, Bleszinski married former professional gamer Lauren Berggren. The couple resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Bleszinski opened two bars: The Station and The Raleigh Beer Garden.

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Tamara Mellon is a British entrepreneur and businesswoman who has a net worth of $300 million. Tamara Mellon earned her fortune as the the co-founder of the luxury brand Jimmy Choo. They launched what would become an empire in the mid-1990s using money borrowed from her father. She is also the founder of her eponymous fashion label, Tamara Mellon. Throughout her illustrious career, Mellon has played an essential role in revolutionizing the luxury shoe market and has been a fierce advocate for female empowerment and gender equality in the business world. In 2007 Mellon was listed as the 751st richest person in the U.K. and has also been ranked the 64th richest woman in Britain. In 2010 she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Early Life

Tamara Yeardye was born in London, England on July 7, 1967. Her father Tom Yeardye was Rock Hudson's stunt double and would later co-found the Vidal Sassoon salon. Her mother Ann was a Chanel model. Growing up in a well-to-do household, Mellon had access to the world of high fashion from a young age, sparking her lifelong interest in the industry.

In 1976, the family moved to Beverly Hills, California, into a mansion next door to Nancy Sinatra. Mellon attended Heathfield School, a prestigious all-girls boarding school in Ascot, Berkshire. Following her graduation, she pursued a degree in business at the Inchbald School of Design in London, where she honed her entrepreneurial skills.

Jimmy Choo

After completing her education, Mellon began her career in the fashion industry working at the British edition of Vogue magazine. During her tenure as an accessories editor, she gained valuable experience in styling and trend forecasting. The exposure to the world of luxury fashion during this time allowed her to recognize the potential in the high-end shoe market.

In 1996, Mellon co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with Malaysian cobbler Jimmy Choo. With her keen eye for design and Choo's exceptional craftsmanship, they created a luxury shoe brand that quickly gained a dedicated following among celebrities and fashion enthusiasts worldwide. Mellon's innovative approach to marketing, including securing high-profile clients and celebrity endorsements, catapulted the brand to global fame. The company expanded its product line to include handbags, accessories, and men's shoes under Mellon's leadership.

By 2001 the company had more than 100 wholesale clients that included Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, and Harrods. The company has retail stores in New York, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, London, Washington D.C., Moscow, Milan, and Hong Kong.

In 2001, Mellon and her partners sold a significant stake in the company to Phoenix Equity Partners. The new influx of capital helped to propel the brand's international expansion. In 2004, Jimmy Choo was sold again, this time to the private equity firm Lion Capital. Despite these changes in ownership, Mellon remained in her role as Chief Creative Officer and continued to guide the company's creative vision.

Jimmy Choo's success caught the attention of the luxury goods conglomerate Labelux Group, which acquired the company in 2011 for a reported £525 million. Following the acquisition, Mellon announced her departure from the company in November 2011.

In 2004 the brand was acquired by Lion Capital.

In 2011 the brand was acquired by Labelux.

The company went public in 2014 and then was taken private in a 2017 acquisition by Michael Kors in a deal worth $1.3 billion.

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Tamara Mellon Brand

In 2013, Mellon launched her eponymous luxury brand, Tamara Mellon. The brand offers a range of high-quality shoes, handbags, and accessories, characterized by bold designs and innovative styles. One of the key differentiators of her new venture is the direct-to-consumer business model, which allows for greater control over pricing, design, and production.

Mellon has been open about the challenges she faced while launching her brand, including a high-profile bankruptcy in 2015. Despite the setback, she successfully restructured the business and has continued to grow her brand, focusing on customer-centricity and embracing the digital landscape.

In addition to her work in the fashion industry, Mellon has authored a memoir, "In My Shoes," published in 2013. The book chronicles her personal and professional journey, detailing her experiences in building Jimmy Choo and the lessons she learned along the way.

Personal Life

She was formerly married to banking heir Matthew Mellon. They met at a narcotics anonymous meeting while they were both recovering from addiction. They married in 1999 on a grand estate in England. The wedding was attended by Hugh Grant, Elizabeth Hurley and a number of other high profile celebrities. They had a daughter in 2002. They divorced in 2005. Tragically, Matthew Mellon never recovered fully from his addictions and ended up dying at a drug rehab center in April 2018.

Tamara has been dating entertainment/technology executive Michael Ovitz in recent years. In 2015 they announced their engagement, though technically/legally Michael is still married to his first wife Linda.

Real Estate

In 2008 Tamara paid $21 million for a mansion on 95th street in New York City. She listed this home for sale in 2014 for $34 million. Unfortunately there weren't any takers at that price. Tamara ultimately accepted $19.25 million in April 2023.

Read more: Tamara Mellon Net Worth