1. Paul Newman
We often assume fame and fortune go hand in hand, but that’s not always the case. Many well-known figures found lasting wealth in surprising places far from the spotlight that made them household names. Paul Newman captivated audiences as a Hollywood icon, starring in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Cool Hand Luke. But Newman’s financial legacy came not from acting, but from salad dressing. In 1982, he and his friend A. E. Hotchner began selling homemade salad dressing under the brand Newman’s Own. What started as a small experiment turned into a massive food company offering sauces, snacks, and beverages. The business generated hundreds of millions of dollars, but Newman chose to donate all profits to charity, creating one of the most generous philanthropic ventures in the food industry. His face on the bottles became as iconic as his film roles, and Newman’s Own turned him into both a food mogul and a humanitarian.
2. George Foreman
George Foreman rose to fame as a powerhouse in the boxing ring, becoming an Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight champion. While he made millions as a fighter, his true knockout punch in wealth came years later with a household appliance. Foreman partnered with a company to create the George Foreman Grill, a simple device marketed as a healthier way to cook. The grill exploded in popularity, selling over 100 million units worldwide. Foreman reportedly earned around $200 million from the endorsement and licensing deal, dwarfing his boxing earnings. What began as a kitchen gadget turned into a cultural phenomenon, and it transformed Foreman from a retired athlete into a global household name for something entirely different than sports.
3. Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel is remembered worldwide for the Nobel Prizes, celebrating achievements in peace, literature, and science. Yet Nobel’s fortune came from a very different line of work: explosives. He was the inventor of dynamite and held over 350 patents in chemistry and engineering. Nobel established factories and laboratories across Europe, building a vast empire in arms and industrial explosives. Ironically, his work fueled wars even as his legacy became associated with peace. Toward the end of his life, a premature obituary labeled him “the merchant of death,” a reputation that troubled him deeply. In response, Nobel redirected his wealth to create the Nobel Prizes, ensuring that his name would be remembered for rewarding humanity’s greatest achievements rather than for his role in destructive inventions.
4. Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson first stepped into the spotlight as a pop singer, scoring hits in the late 1990s and appearing on a reality TV show with then-husband Nick Lachey. But while her music and acting career brought her fame, her real success came from fashion. In 2005, she launched the Jessica Simpson Collection, a line of clothing, shoes, and accessories that quickly found a loyal customer base. The brand grew into a billion-dollar business, carried in major department stores across the United States. Simpson’s approachable, relatable style resonated with shoppers far more than critics expected, and she proved herself as a sharp businesswoman. Today, her fashion empire remains her greatest achievement, eclipsing her career in entertainment and securing her long-term financial success.
5. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger is best known for his larger-than-life presence as a bodybuilding champion, Hollywood action star, and later, governor of California. Yet long before The Terminator made him a household name, Schwarzenegger was already financially secure thanks to real estate investments. In the 1970s, he used earnings from bodybuilding competitions and small acting jobs to buy apartment buildings in Los Angeles. Those early investments grew steadily in value, making him a millionaire by the time he broke into films. This savvy move allowed him to pursue Hollywood without financial pressure, and it set the stage for his eventual success in multiple careers. Schwarzenegger’s story is a reminder that smart investments off-screen often matter more than blockbuster paychecks.
6. Rihanna
Rihanna became an international superstar with chart-topping hits like Umbrella and Diamonds, but her path to billionaire status came from beauty, not music. In 2017, she co-founded Fenty Beauty in partnership with LVMH, creating one of the most inclusive makeup brands on the market. The line launched with an unprecedented 40 foundation shades, setting a new industry standard for diversity and accessibility. Fenty Beauty quickly grew into a billion-dollar business, with sales soaring online and in stores worldwide. While Rihanna remains one of the best-selling musicians of all time, her fortune today comes primarily from her beauty empire. In fact, most of her wealth is tied to Fenty, proving that her biggest hit wasn’t on the radio but in the cosmetics aisle.
7. Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner rose to fame on reality television as the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family. But her true financial breakthrough came from her cosmetics company, Kylie Cosmetics, launched in 2015. Her initial product, the Kylie Lip Kit, sold out within minutes and turned her into a social media-powered entrepreneur. Using Instagram as her main marketing tool, Jenner built a global fan-driven beauty business worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2019, she sold a majority stake in the company to Coty Inc. for $600 million, cementing her place among the youngest self-made billionaires. While reality TV gave her visibility, it was her ability to turn makeup into a massive brand that secured her wealth.
8. Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is widely recognized as the outspoken owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and a longtime investor on Shark Tank. However, the deal that made him a billionaire came years earlier in the dot-com boom. In 1995, Cuban co-founded Broadcast.com, one of the earliest internet streaming companies. Just four years later, Yahoo bought the company for $5.7 billion in stock, instantly making Cuban a billionaire. That windfall allowed him to buy the Mavericks and invest in countless startups, turning him into a household name. While many know him today for his sports and television presence, Cuban’s fortune was built on seizing a once-in-a-lifetime tech opportunity.
9. David Bowie
David Bowie was one of the most innovative and influential musicians of the 20th century, famous for creating groundbreaking personas like Ziggy Stardust. But he also made a revolutionary move in finance that secured his fortune. In 1997, Bowie introduced “Bowie Bonds,” a financial instrument that allowed investors to buy shares in his future music royalties. The bonds were valued at $55 million and gave Bowie immediate access to cash while letting investors profit from his catalog. This creative fusion of art and Wall Street was unprecedented at the time and later inspired similar deals for other artists. Bowie proved that his genius extended beyond music , he redefined how artists could manage and monetize their work.
10. Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher is best known for his roles in That ’70s Show and romantic comedies, but behind the scenes he built a second career as a savvy venture capitalist. Kutcher co-founded investment firms like A-Grade Investments and Sound Ventures, placing early bets on companies such as Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, and Skype. Many of these startups grew into tech giants, and Kutcher’s portfolio made him tens of millions, far outpacing his Hollywood earnings. His reputation in Silicon Valley is so strong that he is often seen more as an entrepreneur than an actor. Kutcher’s career shows how a celebrity platform can open doors, but it was his eye for promising tech that made him truly wealthy.
11. George Lucas
George Lucas will always be remembered as the creator of Star Wars, a franchise that reshaped popular culture. But surprisingly, his fortune didn’t come primarily from directing or producing the films. When negotiating with 20th Century Fox for the first Star Wars movie, Lucas agreed to take a lower director’s fee in exchange for keeping merchandising and sequel rights , something the studio considered insignificant at the time. That decision proved brilliant, as toys, action figures, and licensed products generated billions of dollars. Lucas built a merchandising empire far more lucrative than the box office itself. When Disney later bought Lucasfilm for over $4 billion in 2012, much of its value came from the licensing machine Lucas had so carefully protected.
12. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey rose to fame as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, one of the most successful talk shows in television history. But her financial empire was built on ownership rather than appearances. From early on, Oprah made sure to control the rights to her show through her own production company, Harpo Productions. This decision allowed her to reap profits not just as a host, but as the producer and distributor. She expanded her influence by launching the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and making smart investments in companies like Weight Watchers. These moves turned her into one of the wealthiest women in the world, showing that behind her warm television persona was a shrewd business mind.
13. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan is remembered as the 40th president of the United States, but his financial foundation was built long before politics. In the 1930s and 1940s, he was a successful Hollywood actor, appearing in over 50 films. Later, in the 1950s, Reagan became the host of General Electric Theater and served as a corporate spokesman for GE, roles that paid handsomely and kept him in the public eye. By the time he transitioned into politics, Reagan was already financially secure. His entertainment career and endorsement work gave him a stable platform, even as his legacy came to be defined by his years in the White House.
14. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is now synonymous with Tesla, SpaceX, and futuristic visions of colonizing Mars. Yet the money that allowed him to pursue those dreams came from a very different venture. In 1999, Musk co-founded X.com, an online payment company that later became PayPal. When eBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion, Musk walked away with a reported $165 million. That windfall provided the seed money to fund Tesla, SpaceX, and other ambitious projects. While today Musk is known as a pioneering industrialist, his fortune was built on a less glamorous but highly successful online payment system.
15. Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar is best known as the hard-rocking singer who fronted Van Halen during the 1980s and 1990s. But his greatest payday didn’t come from music. Hagar founded Cabo Wabo Tequila in the 1990s, initially as a small side project connected to his nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The tequila brand took off, becoming hugely popular in the United States. In 2007, Hagar sold most of the company for about $80 million. He later sold the remainder in a second deal worth tens of millions more. While music made him a star, it was tequila that made him truly wealthy, cementing his reputation as a savvy businessman as well as a performer.
16. Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is celebrated for directing masterpieces like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. But while his films brought critical acclaim, they often came with financial risk, leaving him searching for steadier income. Coppola found it in Napa Valley, where he invested in vineyards and launched the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Over the years, the winery grew into a major success, producing award-winning wines and even housing a museum of film memorabilia. For Coppola, wine proved to be a more reliable business than Hollywood, where box office returns can be unpredictable. Today, many know him as both a legendary filmmaker and a respected vintner, with his wine label securing the financial stability that cinema never guaranteed.
17. 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson)
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson burst onto the music scene in 2003 with his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’. The album sold millions and made him a hip-hop star, but his most lucrative move came from an unlikely source: Vitaminwater. Jackson accepted a minority stake in the company as part of an endorsement deal, a decision that would pay off in a big way. When Coca-Cola purchased Vitaminwater’s parent company in 2007 for $4.1 billion, his share was estimated to be worth around $100 million. While his music career established his fame, it was bottled flavored water that delivered his fortune.
18. Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre is a legendary figure in hip-hop, known for producing groundbreaking albums and launching the careers of stars like Eminem and Snoop Dogg. But his billionaire status didn’t come from music royalties. In 2006, Dre co-founded Beats by Dre, a premium headphone company that quickly became a global sensation. The headphones were embraced as both a fashion statement and a music accessory, dominating the market. In 2014, Apple acquired the brand for $3 billion, making Dre one of the richest figures in the music industry. For all his influence in rap, it was sleek headphones , not beats on the turntable , that turned him into a business mogul.
19. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player in history, with six NBA championships and a legacy that reshaped the sport. But his true financial empire was built off the court. In 1985, Nike launched the Air Jordan sneaker line, which grew into one of the most successful athletic brands in history. Today, Air Jordan continues to generate billions annually, with Jordan himself earning tens of millions each year from royalties alone. His sneaker partnership has far outpaced the $90 million he earned in NBA salaries over his career. Jordan may have conquered basketball, but it was shoes that made him a billionaire.
20. Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons made his name as the flamboyant bassist of KISS, known for his stage makeup, fire-breathing, and theatrical performances. But the band’s true financial genius lay in branding. Simmons and his bandmates aggressively licensed the KISS name and logo, putting it on everything from lunchboxes and comic books to pinball machines and even coffins. This merchandising strategy turned KISS into not just a band, but a multi-billion-dollar brand. Record sales alone would never have sustained their fortune, but by treating KISS as a business empire, Simmons ensured the group’s financial success long after their biggest hits left the charts.
21. Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett built a loyal following with his breezy songs like Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise. While his music gave him fame, his financial empire came from branding that music into a lifestyle. Buffett turned Margaritaville into a global brand of restaurants, resorts, clothing, and merchandise, all designed to capture his laid-back, beach-loving persona. Fans flocked to the restaurants and resorts as much as they did his concerts, making the Margaritaville empire worth over a billion dollars. Buffett became far wealthier from cheeseburgers and cocktails than record sales, proving that a single song could inspire an entire business model.
22. Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk is the most famous skateboarder in history, known for winning championships and landing the legendary “900” trick. But his biggest payday came not from competitions, but from video games. In 1999, Activision released Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which went on to sell billions of dollars’ worth of games across multiple sequels. Hawk earned more from royalties on the franchise than from decades of skating. For many people, his name is more connected to the game than the sport itself. Hawk’s legacy shows how an athlete can extend their influence beyond their field by embracing new forms of media.
23. Merv Griffin
Merv Griffin was a television talk show host for decades, but his fortune came from creating game shows that outlived him. Griffin invented both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, two of the most successful syndicated shows in television history. Their global reach and endless reruns generated billions over time. In 1986, Griffin sold the rights for $250 million, one of the biggest deals in entertainment at the time. While his own talk show made him a recognizable figure, it was his behind-the-scenes creativity that turned him into a media mogul.
24. Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert rose to fame as a trumpet player and leader of the Tijuana Brass, enjoying chart-topping hits in the 1960s. But his greatest fortune came not from performing, but from co-founding A&M Records with Jerry Moss. The label became one of the most successful independent record companies, signing artists such as The Police, Janet Jackson, and Carole King. In 1989, Alpert and Moss sold A&M to PolyGram for about $500 million. While Alpert remained a celebrated musician, his role as a record executive secured his lasting financial success.
25. Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart became famous as a lifestyle guru, publishing cookbooks, hosting television shows, and teaching homemaking skills. Yet her empire was built on branding and licensing rather than appearances. Stewart put her name on everything from cookware and bedding to magazines and retail products, turning her personal image into a broad merchandising powerhouse. She even launched Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which at its peak was valued at hundreds of millions. Stewart’s fortune came not from her time in front of the camera, but from turning her brand into a household staple across stores and homes nationwide.
Fame and fortune don’t always come from the same source, and sometimes the real wealth lies in the unexpected. Whether it’s wine, sneakers, or even salad dressing, these people found financial success by thinking beyond the roles that first made them famous.
