It’s no secret: billionaires have an eye for beautiful models. Call it cliché if you will. Or call it love at first sight. Either way, from an outsider’s point of view, it’s a win-win situation for both lovebirds involved – a lifetime of beauty, fame and a bottomless fortune. Who could say no to that?
Despite some critical public opinions, plenty of billionaire-supermodel couples have proven over time that their romances extend beyond superficiality.
Let’s take a look at 10 supermodels who married billionaires (and billionaire heirs) over the years – and the one very famous icon who nearly wedded the “Russian Donald Trump” …
1. Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel
According to Insider, the former Victoria’s Secret icon met Spiegel at a Louis Vuitton dinner and they began dating in 2015. They got married two years later.
Kerr (who was previously married to Orlando Bloom), 40, is the founder of successful skincare brand Kora Organics, and Spiegel, 33, is the co-founder and CEO of social media app Snapchat. Together, their net worths total up nicely to US$3.4 billion, per Insider.
2. Ming Xi and Mario Ho
Chinese supermodel Ming Xi found love with Mario Ho, the son of one of Hong Kong’s richest billionaires Stanley Ho, and they made it official by tying the knot in 2019.
The casino heir, 28, first met the supermodel, 34, through his sister Sabrina, per AsiaOne. It’s unclear exactly what Mario’s net worth is, but his late father’s fortune was last recorded at US$14.9 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Local media reports that there were some family disputes over the fate of his wealth as Stanley didn’t leave a will upon his death, but considering Mario once dropped US$63 million (HK$500 million) on a mansion for his 25th birthday, he can’t be doing too badly.
3. Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brant
Seymour, a highly successful supermodel from the 80s and 90s, found her fairy tale romance with billionaire industrialist Peter Brant when they sealed the back deal in 1995.
Seymour, 55, and Brant, who’s 11 years her senior, seem to live a low-key lifestyle – even though Brant has an estimated net worth of US$2.7 billion, per Celebrity Net Worth.
4. Elle Macpherson and Jeff Soffer
The Aussie supermodel and billionaire property developer made headlines when they got married in 2013.
However, People confirmed that they called it quits after four years of marriage. Soffer, 55, is also good friends with Tom Brady, who split from supermodel Gisele Bündchen last year. Macpherson is now 59.
5. Melania and Donald Trump
Melania Trump became the first supermodel-turned-first-lady of the United States, thanks to her marriage to the former president Donald Trump.
According to Us Weekly, they first met at a New York Fashion Week party in Manhattan in 1998. The 53-year-old Slovenian model is over two decades younger than her 77-year-old hubby, who has a net worth of US$2.5 billion, per Forbes.
6. Natalia Vodianova and Antoine Arnault
Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova married LVMH heir Antoine Arnault in 2020. The pair first met at a Louis Vuitton fashion shoot, which also featured fellow supermodels Eva Herzigova, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymour, according to W Magazine.
Arnault, 46, is the son of the world’s second richest man Bernard Arnault, who has a net worth of over US$200 billion, per Bloomberg. While the Loro Piana CEO’s fortune hasn’t been disclosed, as an heir to the fashion conglomerate’s fortune, we expect it to be not too shabby. His 41-year-old wife is nicknamed “Supernova” and was once the third highest paid model in the world, per Forbes.
7. Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch
Hall was previously in a long-time partnership with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, with whom she shares four kids, until their split in 1999.
She then married media billionaire mogul Rupert Murdoch in 2016, but divorced him last year – apparently via email, per Vanity Fair. Hall is now 67 and Murdoch is 92.
8. Christina Estrada and Sheikh Walid Juffali
While former supermodel Estrada and Sheikh Walid Juffali’s marriage lasted 13 years, it’s their infamous 2014 divorce that grabbed the most media attention.
In 2016, the billionaire businessman, who had an estimated US$9 billion net worth before his death, per The Telegraph, got caught up in a lengthy divorce battle with his ex-wife and ended up paying her US$69 million in settlements, per BBC. He was married to another then-25-year-old model, Dubai Bling’s Loujain Adada (yes, while he was still married to Estrada) until his death in 2016.
9. Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner
Also a former VS model, Kloss, 30, is living the billionaire wife’s dream with tech entrepreneur Kushner, 38.
With a Forbes-estimated US$3.6 billion net worth, Kushner invested in numerous successful start-ups in their early days, from Instagram and Spotify to Slack.
10. Bar Refaeli and Adi Ezra
The Israeli supermodel, who’s walked for brands like Chanel and Ralph Lauren, married billionaire businessman Adi Ezra in 2015.
Before meeting Ezra, the 38-year-old was engaged in an on-off relationship with Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio. According to Adelaide Now, Ezra, 48, chairs Neto Group, a leading food conglomerate in Israel, and has an estimated net worth of US$1 billion, per NYDailyNews.
Nearly? Naomi Campbell and Vladislav Doronin
British supermodel Naomi Campbell and her Russian billionaire then-boyfriend Vladislav Doronin were set to tie the knot at an ancient Egyptian temple, according to reports in 2010.
They met at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, but called off the relationship in 2013. Doronin, dubbed the “Russian Donald Trump”, 60, is the CEO of Aman Resorts, and has a net worth of US$1 billion, per Celebrity Net Worth. Campbell is now 53.
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
