Celebrity investors are just like us, but maybe with higher returns

Author Marcus Baram

Marcus Baram is a contributing editor at Crain Currency, where he covers the intersection of finance and politics. Prior to joining Crain Currency, Baram was a staff writer at Fast Company and an editor at Huff Post. He has also written for outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Vice. Baram is an expert on economic policy and has a deep understanding of the ways in which politics shapes the global financial system. In his role at Crain Currency, he brings a unique perspective to the complex and ever-evolving world of finance. With his keen analysis and clear writing, Baram helps readers make sense of the important issues impacting the economy today.

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Sep 20, 2023

1 year ago

Celebrities have dominated headlines in recent years for their investments — in addition to their antics and scandals. Jay-Z and Beyoncé bought the most expensive residence in California, Ryan Reynolds snapped up Welch soccer team Wrexham FC, and Kim Kardashian has built up her shapewear empire Skims.

But which ones saw the highest returns on their net worth? Aging crooners and YouTubers, it turns out, according to an analysis by FOREX.com. The site analyzed celebrity investments across several categories of assets, including luxury properties, business ventures, intellectual property, financial instruments and collectibles.

At the top of the list was '90s singer Babyface, whose investments in real estate and luxury vehicles generated an eye-popping 134% return on his net worth of $250 million. Next up was the late Jimmy Buffett, who enjoyed an 88.9% return on his net worth of $810 million by buying up real estate, luxury vehicles, luxury yachts and stocks in companies like Apple, Amazon and Netflix. And Billy Joel saw a 52% return on his net worth of $230 million by investing in real estate and luxury vehicles.

Jay-Z and Beyonce are way down the list — his ROI was 8.2% and hers only 7%.

In terms of profession, YouTubers saw the highest average return on their net worth at 13.6%, followed by singers (13.5%) and football players (10%). At the bottom were comedians, with an average return of 6.62% on their net worth.

To look for the ROI for your favorite celebrity, check out the full data set.

Author Marcus Baram

Marcus Baram is a contributing editor at Crain Currency, where he covers the intersection of finance and politics. Prior to joining Crain Currency, Baram was a staff writer at Fast Company and an editor at Huff Post. He has also written for outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Vice. Baram is an expert on economic policy and has a deep understanding of the ways in which politics shapes the global financial system. In his role at Crain Currency, he brings a unique perspective to the complex and ever-evolving world of finance. With his keen analysis and clear writing, Baram helps readers make sense of the important issues impacting the economy today.