Kim Kardashian-West has always been?an extremely controversial figure ever since her sex tape with R&B singer Ray J came out.?Even though that tape seemed to be released ages ago, people still hold that over her head as if it defines her whole existence. That’s not including criticizing her for what she wears, the weight she gained during pregnancy, her relationship choices, etc…
This is a very unfair, sexist and degrading attitude to have. We do not treat men who have sex tapes the same way. Not to mention there is a war on women that we can agree is going on in our country. So, let’s attack a woman who is successful? People seem to think either she makes her money from the sex tape, or it comes from her father (that is something else I frequently hear). ?Let’s just admit this right here and now: Kim Kardashian-West is a very smart businesswoman.
Yes, her sex tape may be the most famous one of all time, but it is by no means her only source of income. Yes, her father, Robert Kardashian left a huge estate to his family when he died of esophageal cancer; however, each member has went on from there to build their empire, and yes, Kim is the top earner. Sure, she was already well off financially. However, how many times have we seen celebrities living the high life fall from grace and make the papers when they are filing bankruptcy? It may take time, but I’m positive $100 million can be blown in a few years by someone irresponsible enough.
However, Kim Kardashian-West has been?part of numerous business ventures post-sex tape. The Kardashian/Jenner family has set a high bar in the branding arena, but Kim has probably set that bar the highest. Aside from the many television shows on E! that Kim has been a part of, she has the very successful DASH clothing store, which she runs along with her sisters Kourtney and Khloe, popular fragrances, a partnership with the online shoe company ShoeDazzle, a jewelry line, and now, an app game.
People have been freaking out because Kim showed up at a tech conference recently. It’s like: “Homegirl has a sex tape so she could possibly not know anything about anything ever.” ?I urge the haters to realize that Kim Kardashian-West has had?an extreme amount of success which she has had to work for. Sure, her name and her sex tape may have boosted her popularity and opened a lot of doors for her, but her sustainability financially and as a popular Hollywood star is all due to her work ethic and yes, BRAINS.
Her new app “Kim Kardashian Hollywood” is an app allowing the user to?try their hand at climbing the social ladder with help from Kim herself. Sound dumb? Maybe to you. However, Kim is estimated to take in a whopping $200 million from the app this year alone. Not so dumb anymore is it? And while you may hate her, she has over 24 million followers on Twitter, and people clearly buy her stuff. So in some ways, we should all respect what she has been able to build. Kim’s estimated net worth is over $65 million and with this app, her worth is only going to continue to rise.
Here’s something else to think about. What if she?pulled the plug on all her projects and stepped out of the limelight? How many jobs would actually be lost? The Wall Street Journal said it best:
???there is more money to be made if you can cultivate a public interest in yourself that equals or exceeds interest in your work. That public interest, in turn, can support thousands of jobs in the larger economy. Call it celebrity economics 101.”
So where does all the hate for Kim come from? I remember watching an?episode from one of the E! shows she is in, and her family was participating in a celebrity boxing tournament for charity. Kim, as we all know, can be quite the?girly girl and was extremely afraid to even step in the ring. The female who bid on her was an athlete and clearly more skilled and stronger.? Viewers saw how visibly shaken Kim was. Then a huge fan of Kim’s, who was very ill and part of the charity, came and met with her. The young girl?was SO excited! After speaking with the?fan and knowing how much the female had bid on her, Kim decided to toughen up and step in the ring. Kim got hit pretty hard, but she did it only because of the difference she knew it would make.
These are the stories I wish her detractors?would think about. You can hate the sex tape or how she seems to have such a good and easy life, but we should all remember and respect that she is still a person and savvy enough to be successful. She found a niche, and instead of disappearing after her 15 minutes, she continues to dominate.
She seems to be a great mom, a lovely wife, and a pretty good person overall. But importantly, especially for women, she has become a terrific example of how to utilize your strengths. She knows what she is good at, what her brand is, and she has capitalized on this in a brilliant way.
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