Growing up, you probably heard people talk about how history has a tendency to repeat itself. Case in point: these days, women like Kim Kardashian have managed to parlay their beauty into global empires that make them fabulously wealthy. Without diminishing her talents, Kim essentially became wealthy by being pretty, something that might only seem possible in a world of influencers, reality TV, and streaming.
Long before the Kardashians dominated the internet age, however, someone else reigned supreme. We’re talking about Kathy Ireland, the legendary swimsuit model who used her own great looks to become the most successful model in the world.
How did Ireland rise to fame and then become a business titan? What has she been up to now, and just how lovely is this former model now looking? Keep reading to find out!
The world’s most famous swimsuit model
Kathy Ireland is one of those names that might only ring a bell for older readers. That’s because she became famous long before YouTube or even the World Wide Web was a twinkle in a technician’s eye. Back in the ‘80s, Ireland began her career at the tender age of 17. She was a model from 1984 to 1997 and soon became one of the most famous faces in the entire world.
While Ireland had many great modeling gigs, she is mostly remembered for being a cover model for Sports Illustrated. She appeared on the cover a total of three times and appeared inside the magazine far more often than that. In an age when this magazine was the ultimate authority on sports, Ireland became the most famous model to millions of fans who came for the athletic updates and stayed for the bikini shots.
Becoming the world’s richest model
Earlier, we mentioned that Kathy Ireland’s modeling career only lasted for 13 years. That’s a relatively short time when you consider that she was named the world’s richest model by Forbes back in 2012. Therefore, you’ve probably got a simple question: how did she get so wealthy in such a short time, and how does she make money these days?
The short answer is that Ireland became an entrepreneur. Her business is called Kathy Ireland Worldwide, which is fitting considering that she sells everything from fans to fine jewelry all over the globe. The business has been a smash success, and as of 2012, the former model was worth over $350 million. If that’s not impressive enough, the business itself is worth a whopping $2 billion!