Kim Kardashian, Reality Star and Retail Genius

The reality-TV celebrity has started several businesses since Keeping Up With the Kardashians first aired in 2007, but none has been a bigger hit than Skims. Kim Kardashian and business partner Jens Grede, the Swedish entrepreneur who also runs Tom Brady’s sportswear line, founded the company in 2019. Initially it sold mainly bodysuits and other shapewear, going head-to-head with category pioneer Spanx Inc. Skims has since branched out into undergarments and loungewear, selling sleek collections of bralettes and boy shorts in many shapes and sizes, and stealing market share from Victoria’s Secret & Co.

Were the company to go public, it could be the biggest IPO involving a celebrity, but first Kardashian and Grede are eyeing international growth. Sales are expected to surpass $400 million this year as Skims expands into Australia, China, the Middle East and the UK. (In September, Kardashian and a former partner at Carlyle Group Inc. announced they were starting a private equity firm focused on investing in consumer and media companies.)