Kim Kardashian West is no stranger to fame. A media personality, socialite, and businesswoman, she is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. With millions to her name and a high-profile family to back her up, she continues to grace headlines without fail. Here’s everything you need to know about her, from her business endeavors to the inside scoop on her family.
Who is Kim Kardashian?
Fast Facts
- Full Name: Kimberly Noel Kardashian West
- Birthday: October 21, 1980
- Place of Birth: Beverly Hills, California
- Parents: Robert Kardashian (Father), Kris Jenner (Mother)
- Height: 5 ft. 2 in. / 1.59 m
- Age: 40 years old (As of 2020)
- Horoscope: Libra
Kardashian has three other siblings — Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Robert Kardashian — all of whom are just as famous. She is the second of the four children. Notably, her father Robert gained national recognition for being OJ Simpson’s friend and defense attorney during the latter’s murder trial in 1995. Robert later died of cancer in 2003.
In addition to Kourtney, Khloe, and Robert, Kardashian also has half-sisters (Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner) through her stepfather at the time, Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner). Kris Jenner married the then-Bruce Jenner after her divorce from Robert Kardashian in 1991.
Kim Kardashian Career
Early Beginnings
Kim Kardashian first came into the spotlight as the friend and stylist of American personality and socialite Paris Hilton. As a result, she made appearances in The Simple Life, Hilton’s reality show with fellow socialite Nicole Richie. Kardashian worked with Hilton from 2003 to 2006.
In addition to her association with Hilton, she also made her first business venture with D-A-S-H. Founded by the Kardashian sisters themselves, D-A-S-H was a boutique shop that first opened in 2006. The D-A-S-H stores sold high-end clothes and accessories, with its first store located in Calabasas, California. After 11 years of operation, D-A-S-H eventually went defunct in April 2018.
The Kim Kardashian Sex Tape
Although she was already associated with high-profile personalities through Hilton, Kardashian arguably shot to instant fame after the leak of her sex tape in 2007. Made by Kardashian and rapper Ray J back in 2002, the sex tape was distributed as a film (titled Kim Kardashian, Superstar) by Vivid Entertainment. In response to the leak, Kardashian filed a lawsuit against Vivid Entertainment.
However, the star eventually dropped the lawsuit and settled with a payment of $5 million, later allowing Vivid Entertainment to release the film anyway. Due to this settlement, Kardashian and her family later received backlash from media outlets. Many perceived the move as simply a publicity stunt to promote the Kardashians’ upcoming reality television show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Without a doubt, the Kardashians became a household name with their reality show. Brought to TV screens by Ryan Seacrest, Keeping Up With The Kardashians documents the everyday lives of the Kardashian-Jenner clan. The show made its debut in October 2007 and ultimately thrust the Kardashian family into the spotlight. Most recently, it was announced that the show would come to a close in 2021, after 20 seasons.
Many came to know more about the Kardashians and Jenners through their reality show. It chronicled many significant events in the family’s life, ranging from weddings to divorces and everything in between. Notably, however, Keeping Up With The Kardashians amassed a lot of criticism due to its significant emphasis on the “famous for being famous” concept.
Nevertheless, the show garnered high viewership ratings in spite of all the criticisms it faced. With its success, Keeping Up With The Kardashians even spouted several spin-offs. These include Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Kourtney and Khloe Take the Hamptons, and Flip It Like Disick.
Personal Life
Kim and Kanye
As someone who is always in the spotlight, Kim Kardashian and her personal life are always more public than private. For starters, she is married to American rapper Kanye West. The two first started dating in April 2012. Notably, they began dating when Kardashian was still legally married to her previous husband, NBA star Kris Humphries.
Kardashian and West were later engaged on October 21, 2013, which just happened to Kardashian’s 33rd birthday. They later married on May 24, 2014, at Fort de Belvedere in Florence, Italy. Since their union, the couple’s relationship has continued to be a hot topic in celebrity news. Due to their respective careers and high status, they are often subject to a lot of media coverage to this day.
The couple have four children together. Their eldest daughter, North West, was born on June 15, 2013. Meanwhile, the couple’s eldest son Saint West was born on December 5, 2015. Their youngest children, Chicago West and Psalm West, were both born via surrogacy. All Kim Kardashian kids have been subject to a lot of media coverage since birth, what with their parents being such popular subjects in Hollywood.
Previous Relationships
As mentioned, Kim Kardashian was married to NBA player Kris Humphries prior to her marriage to West. Kardashian and Humphries first started dating back in October 2010. They later tied the knot in August of the following year.
Kardashian’s marriage to Humphries was one that garnered a lot of media attention — and perhaps some controversy as well. Although their wedding was heavily covered by the media, the marriage itself did not last very long. Citing irreconcilable differences, Kardashian later filed for divorce after 72 days of marriage. Due to how short-lived their union was, many criticized the relationship as a mere publicity stunt.
Notably, Kardashian’s first marriage was in 2000, when she was 19 years old. She eloped with music producer Damon Thomas. However, in 2003, Thomas filed for divorce. It’s worth noting that Kardashian claimed that the marriage fell apart due to physical and emotional abuse on Thomas’ end. She also admitted to being high on ecstasy during the wedding ceremony.
Business Ventures and Beauty Brands
Beyond seeing Kim Kardashian nude in her infamous sex tape, the reality TV star is much more than her rather notorious beginnings. The Kim Kardashian Instagram account alone is telling of her reach as a social media icon. In fact, her vast reach on the Internet even allows her to charge a premium when it comes to making sponsored posts for brands.
A celebrity in her own right, Kardashian is also a notable businesswoman as well. Besides her earlier venture with D-A-S-H, Kardashian has also launched several of her own products as well. Her most popular products arguably come from her beauty line, KKW Beauty.
Founded in 2017, KKW Beauty took the beauty world by storm. The brand offers a number of makeup products for fans to choose from and features several collaborations with other notable figures in the fashion and beauty industry. According to Business Insider, KKW Beauty made $100 million in its first year. As of 2020, KKW Beauty is now valued at a worth of $1 million.
Kardashian didn’t stop there, though. Also in 2017, she launched her own fragrance line called KKW Fragrance. The brand already boasts of having several best-selling scents under its line. Notably, Kardashian regularly collaborates with her family, both for KKW Fragrance and KKW Beauty.
Then, in June 2019, she followed up with Kimono, her product line of shapewear. However, following the launch of the range, Kardashian received a lot of backlash for the Kimono brand name. This was due to the fact that it appropriated Japanese culture and disrespected the cultural significance of the traditional garment. The criticism escalated to the point that even the mayor of Kyoto implored Kardashian to reconsider her trademark on Kimono. In response to all the backlash, Kardashian later renamed Kimono to Skims.
Film and TV Appearances
Although she is already very prominent in the reality tv scene, Kardashian has also made appearances in a number of films and other television shows. She portrayed Lisa Taylor in 2008’s Disaster Movie and even made a cameo appearance as herself in 2018’s Ocean’s 8. Kardashian made further appearances as herself in other noteworthy shows, such as How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, and 2 Broke Girls.
Other than Keeping Up With The Kardashians and its spinoffs with the other Kardashian kids, Kim K was also a contestant on Dancing With the Stars back in 2008. She has also guest starred in America’s Next Top Model and Australia’s Next Top Model.
Attorney Kim Kardashian
Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing. pic.twitter.com/uOy4UJ41JF
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
Following in the footsteps of her late father, Kardashian has also dipped her toes into yet another venture: law. Though she is yet to become an official lawyer just yet, Kardashian already has some experience under her belt. Previously, she successfully managed to have 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson released from jail. Though there’s still a long way to go before we see Attorney Kardashian in court, it seems the social media star and business mogul is already on her way to building her career in law.
Kim Kardashian Net Worth
Considering the success and steady popularity of her business ventures, the Kim Kardashian net worth is unsurprisingly in the millions. As of 2020, Kardashian is now worth $900 million. This comes after securing a deal with multinational beauty company Coty. As Forbes reports, Kardashian sold a 20% stake of KKW Beauty to Coty for $200 million.
It’s worth noting that although a significant bulk of her wealth stems from her businesses, Kardashian also earns simply as a celebrity and mega influencer. Let’s not forget her venture into mobile gaming with Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, either. Thanks to millions of downloads, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood garnered Kardashian a good couple of millions as well.
It’s safe to say that even without her husband’s own estimated net worth, Kardashian is a multi-millionaire whose wealth is beyond imagination.
Kim Kardashian Latest News
The latest Kim Kardashian news — other that what we see on social media — is an emotional one for the mother of North West. A recent episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians shows Kardashian in tears as North takes the stage at her father’s fashion show in Paris. Though the show took place back in March, the emotions on Kardashian’s face were nonetheless timely and genuine. It was clear that she was beaming with pride for her little girl, even to the point of tears.
As the Keeping Up With The Kardashians episode reveals, West invited his eldest daughter to rap in his fashion show. The performance was energetic and showed North’s personality, with her mother filming in the crowd just like a stage mom would.
In Closing
Overall, it goes without saying that Kim Kardashian is a name that needs no further introduction. Over the years, Kardashian has built an empire that has amassed millions — both in dollars, and in fans. A Hollywood star, a businesswoman, a mother, and even a lawyer in the making, it’s clear that there’s more to Kim Kardashian than what meets the eye.
