We don't give a lot of credit to pretty women because that is all we see them as. Women who are pretty and good for little more than selfies and taking their clothes off. Something that is often said of Kim Kardashian and her entire family. So how did a pretty woman who is good for no more than taking her clothes off and her entire family come to be worth over $300 million? That's the question that no one is paying attention to, but it's a fact that I follow closely.
Plenty of successful women hide their success by beauty and the image of being dumb, the most famously notable being Paris Hilton who til this day is worth over $100 million.
We dismiss these numbers as a consequence of just being famous for being famous, but I'm not sure that's what it really is. Not everyone gets rich from being famous. Not everyone is making $100 million a year for being famous. Being famous is a business, and it's a business that the Kardashian family is really good at - in fact, the best at, and I'm taking notes.
When it comes down to it, the Kardashian women are very powerful, very successful businesswomen who have their hands in a lot of projects and have their influence in a lot of things. While "momager" Kris Jenner may be crazy, she is also crazy good at what she does, which is manager her kid's business. She's one of the few "momagers" still out there as most kids fire their parents as their managers the minute they taste true fame. If anything, Kris Jenner is the reason why her kid's fame has grown and continues to grow. She puts them in the right projects at the right time with the right people. And I don't care what anyone says, that is a skill, that is a good manager, that's what keeps a good business.
There are many stupid people in the world and I don't think the Kardashian family is one of them, because at the end of the day, no one with that much power and that much influence makes $300 million by being stupid.
What the Kardashians are, are influencers, meaning that they influence the culture we consume, sometimes without us being aware of how the trend really started. The Kardashian influence happens largely through social media, especially Instagram, their powerhouse.
Kim Kardashian is the 3rd most followed person on Instagram with over 23 million followers. Kendall Jenner is #7 most followed. Khloe Kardashian is at #9, Kylie Jenner at #10, and Kourtney Kardashian at #14. All 5 sisters crack Instagram's top 20. Combined, that's over 80 million followers and the influence is very clear when you follow trends. Just look at the top knot - a hairstyle that no one was really wearing until all of the Kardashian sisters got on board. Other things made increasingly more popular because of the Kardashians? Joggers, casual athletic wear, matte lipstick, and Balmain.
So why do I care? I care because Kim Kardashian created a video game app that was downloaded over 40 million times and made over $70 million in revenue. I care because at 18 years old Kylie Jenner is worth $10 million and can earn $50,000 for a single Instagram picture. I care because 5 women are dominating the beauty and fashion industry. And I care because despite all of these successes, we still tear them down - all of them for doing the exact same things we praise others for.
The Kardashian business model is incredible and over the years their fame (and net worth) has only grown, no matter how many people seem to hate them. And the beauty of it all is that no one truly sees the business behind it all. Every selfie is an ad, every piece of clothing picked out especially to promote a brand, every snap an endorsement, every event, a marketing opportunity. The entire 300 million dollar business hidden behind just pretty girls taking selfies.
Give me a break. I have no doubt in my mind they know exactly what they're doing.
