For an actor, singer, athlete or model, reaching a certain level of success and celebrity is generally accompanied by some pretty great perks and privileges.
Of course, there’s the expected increase in individual net worth that’s often fuelled by lucrative sponsorship deals. There’s the ego-boosting praise and adulation, along with gifts and special treatment.
Then there’s the additional benefits of entry into a higher-profile social circle, where hobnobbing with mega-millionaires and billionaires is commonplace. And sometimes friendships in high places can even grow into something more.
Here are six celebrities who – after having achieved a degree of fame and fortune themselves – married into even bigger fortunes and prestige.
Nicky Hilton Rothschild
Though she hails from a famous family tree, Nicky Hilton Rothschild – Paris’ sister and the granddaughter of the Hilton hotel group’s founder, Conrad Hilton – married into an even more distinguished dynasty when she wed James Rothschild in 2015.
James is the grandson of the third Baron Rothschild, whose lineage can be traced back to at least the 1700s when the founder of the renowned family, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, established his banking business and dynasty.
In 2021, it was estimated that James boasts a net worth of some US$1.3 billion.
Miranda Kerr
As a former Victoria’s Secret model and successful businesswoman, Miranda Kerr has frequently featured in Forbes lists of the world’s top-earning models.
In 2017, Kerr’s affluence skyrocketed even further when she married Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snapchat. In 2015 Spiegel was ranked as the youngest billionaire on the planet, and in 2021 his net worth is an estimated US$11.2 billion.
Salma Hayek
Renowned for her successful and prolific Hollywood career spanning at least three decades, Mexican-born actress and producer Salma Hayek attained an even higher social status in 2009 when she married French business magnate François-Henri Pinault.
Pinault is the CEO and chairman of multinational conglomerate Kering, which includes luxury brands Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. As of 2021, his net worth is said to be a whopping US$43 billion.
Jerry Hall
Formerly known as Mick Jagger’s model ex, Jerry Hall is now the wife of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The couple wed in March 2016 in London.
The owner and head of several major global media outlets, including The Times (UK), The Wall Street Journal (USA) and The Daily Telegraph (Australia), Murdoch’s fortune is believed to hover around the US$21 billion mark.
Jami Gertz
Jami Gertz is primarily known for starring in a slew of successful films and TV shows in the 80s and 90s. She also enjoyed several cameo appearances in many popular series, like Seinfeld and Modern Family.
The American actress is famously married to Antony Ressler, a venture capitalist billionaire who also owns a major sports team or two (namely the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Brewers).
Amanda Coetzer
At the height of her sporting career, the former professional South African tennis player was ranked third in the world.
Since putting down the racket, Coetzer has married Israeli-American billionaire film producer Arnon Milchan, whose long list of box office hits includes Pretty Woman, Mr & Mrs Smith, The Revenant and 12 Years a Slave. He is estimated to be worth some US$3.4 billion.
Grimes
Canadian music artist Grimes is in a relationship with tech mega-billionaire Elon Musk whose current net worth is roughly US$162.4 billion. They haven’t made it down the aisle just yet, but the couple have a son together: X Æ A-12.
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
