Kim Kardashian's career started with intimate recordings. From the scandal, the star created an empire of millions for himself and the family.
What she touches becomes gold – or much more money. Reality star and beauty icon Kim Kardashian turns 40 on October 21. The daughter of the famous lawyer Robert Kardashian (1994-2003) now has a fortune that "Forbes" estimated at around $ 900 million at the end of June 2020. She is thus the best-earning reality star of all time. Her beauty brand "KKW Beauty" alone has a market value of allegedly one billion US dollars. And yet the wife of Kanye West (43, "Jesus is King") is underestimated by many – wrongly, as a closer look at her career reveals.
It was clear early on that the second daughter of Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner (64) would get a spot in the spotlight. In October 1980, Kim was born to a well-heeled home in the celebrity hotspot Beverly Hills. In preschool, she met millionaire heiress Paris Hilton (39).
When her father took over the spectacular and media-effective murder trial of his good friend O. J. Simpson (73) in 1994, Kim was just 14 years old. Suddenly her father and therefore the family were the focus of public interest. At this point, Kardashian was attending a Catholic girls' school. Her parents had divorced three years earlier.
With a sex tape for a breakthrough
As a stylist and friend of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie (39), Kim Kardashian presented himself in the media in 2003. But it wasn't until a sex tape made in 2002 that went public in 2007 that made her famous overnight and, in a certain way, helped her to the status it has in the present.
To this day it is rumored that the intimate video recordings between Kardashian and her ex-boyfriend, musician Ray J (39), were deliberately published and strategically used by mother and manager Kris Jenner. Family friend Paris Hilton and her little film "One Night in Paris" (2003 online, 2004 on DVD) are even said to have served as a model. Only a few months after the scandal and the newly awakened interest in the Kardashian clan, the reality show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" (2007-2921) started.
Kardashian left nothing to chance in her career. For her there is "no such thing as a lazy day," she said in a recent interview with Vogue. In addition to the start of the reality show, she increased her awareness with numerous television appearances. For example, she took part in the US version of "Let's Dance", was a guest judge on "America's Next Top Model", and had guest appearances on series such as "How I Met Your Mother" and "90210". As fame grew, she landed one lucrative advertising deal after another.
Kim Kardashian worked around the clock
"Keeping Up With The Kardashians" mutated in 20 seasons into a lucrative long-term commercial with spin-offs, in which the family increasingly advertised their own projects. Under Kim's name alone there are now numerous perfumes, books, cosmetics and clothing as well as a Kim Kardashian mobile game and even Kim emojis to buy. In 2015, Forbes magazine wrote that she had "monetized her fame better than anyone".
Kim Kardashian recognized the potential of social media early on and was a big step ahead of other celebrities. When the reality show's cameras were off, Kardashian could easily pick up her phone camera or use Twitter to keep fans up to date. It is not for nothing that she is referred to as the "Queen of Selfie" and in 2015 she even published "Selfish", a book filled with her self-portraits.
Kardashian was an influencer before the term even existed. Former Kardashian Family Representative Brian Dow said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: "Before more and more normal people started turning their bedrooms into Youtubers, there were people like (Kim). She was the one who led the way and got companies to spend money on this industry as it had a proven track record of doing so. That's why the revolution has begun. "
Kim Kardashian is a celebrity, individual and brand rolled into one
That is also the secret of the success of their products like the make-up line "KKW". According to the BBC, beauty marketing expert Alison Gaither explains the Kardashian phenomenon: "Basically, her entire life is on display at all times, and I think that makes her feel authentic and approachable to certain consumers." Kim Kardashian and her family have achieved what very few people have managed to do: They made a brand out of their name.
Unlike other celebrities, there is no separation between the Kim Kardashian brand, the private person and the person who is in public. Even sensitive topics and taboos that other stars don't talk about, Kim made visible to the whole world from the start: the intimate sex tape, the failed short-term marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries (35), the marriage to rapper Kanye West, every family quarrel , every drama, every tear. Even the dramatic robbery in Paris in 2016 was detailed in the show. This creates a great closeness to the audience.
Lawyer instead of reality star
But business has not always gone smoothly for the 40-year-old in the past 13 years. Kim Kardashian was often criticized for her appearance and the body cult that it triggered. There were negative comments for the reality star, especially for the promotion of diet pills in 2018 and the launch of shapewear last year. But another secret of her success is that she doesn't let setbacks such as broken deals, shit storms and negative press get her down. She went on tirelessly, no matter what others think of her.
At 40, Kardashian can look back on a lot. But that doesn't stop the mother of four – North, 7, Saint (4), Chicago (2), Psalm (1) – from pursuing new dreams. "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" ends in the coming year, but Kim still has her biggest goal ahead of her: Like her father, she wants to become a lawyer.
She has been working in a law firm in San Francisco since summer 2018, she revealed to Vogue magazine. She would like to take her bar exam in 2022. On the 16th season of her reality show, she made it clear how serious she is with this matter: "My goal is not to be Kim K in ten years. Instead, I want to focus on being a lawyer and for many needy people to fight. "