These celebrities increased their net worth by transitioning into different careers.
Any celebrity who wants to have staying power in the industry has to know how to be multifaceted. It's not uncommon for many stars to become triple or even quadruple threats! It makes complete sense for any person to have multiple streams of income and enhance their skillsets. While it's challenging to be a master of all trades, some stars do so successfully.
However, what's unique about these particular stars on our list is that once they decided to take a break from (or stop altogether) their first career, they ended up becoming more successful than before. Here are ten celebs who made more money after a career change.
10 Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad decided to dive into the fashion world. Her net worth is around $40 million. We first saw her as a reality TV show star on MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spinoff series The Hills. In 2009, she launched LC, a fashion and accessories line, and joined teams with Kohls, the department store.
9 Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande was an actress first. She appeared on Nickelodeon's Victorious and a spinoff series of that show Sam & Cat. Her debut album, Yours Truly, came out in 2013, and she has five #1 hits on the Hot Billboard 100 Charts. Her net worth as of 2020 is an estimated $150 million.
8 Drake
Drake got his first start on the well-loved Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. In 2010, he released his first mixtape, So Far Gone, and has become one of the most successful rappers commercially. He brings in an estimated $180 million each year. If you miss his acting, you can catch him on the State Farm commercial, or you can search for his skits on Saturday Night Live.
7 Jessica Simpson
Many celebrities decide to come out with a fashion line, but some bring in impressive revenue. Jessica Simpson is one of these celebrities. Her eponymous fashion line, The Jessica Simpson Collection, brings in $1 billion in annual sales. Celebrity Net Worth reported that Simpson's net worth is around $200 million. It's safe to say that this former Pop princess transitioned quite well into becoming a business mogul.
6 Ron Howard
Technically, Ron Howard didn't leave the acting world too far behind. Now, he merely gets paid to direct other actors. Some of the movies he has directing credits include Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, and Cinderella Man. During his childhood, he got his start on many series. These series include The Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days, and American Graffiti. His net worth is $200 million.
5 Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg first arrived on the scene as rapper Marky Mark. His rapping career made him a teen idol, but his acting career catapulted him to earning the big bucks. In 2017, Forbes listed Wahlberg as the highest-paid actor that year, bringing in $68 million with his net worth being $300 million. Some of his well-known films include Ted, Daddy's Home, and Transformers: The Last Knight.
4 Will Smith
If you're old enough to remember or merely enjoy older hip-hop, you may remember rap duo D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's 1988 track Parents Just Don't Understand. This song came out before Will Smith's first role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired in 1990. Will Smith would go solo in his rapping career, but some people know him more for his acting career. Some of Smith's box office hits include Ali, I Am Legend and Men in Black. His net worth is $350 million.
3 Rihanna
Fans are upset about it being five years since Rihanna released her last album Anti. Rihanna made a name for herself by dominating the world of Pop and R&B, but her entrepreneurial career is what helped to increase her net worth. Her lingerie line Savage X Fenty has a value of $1 billion. As of 2018, her cosmetics line Fenty Beauty brought in about $570 million. The Umbrella's singer's net worth is $550 million.
2 Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre's first career was rapping. He was a part of the group NWA, and he also had a solo rapping career. Dre also produced music for other stars such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg. His prolific and extensive back catalog still earns him money. However, his headphone company, Beats by Dr. Dre, brought in a higher income bracket after Apple acquired the company for $3 billion in 2014. Dre took home $500 million out of that, and his estimated net worth as of 2019 was around $800 million.
1 Jay-Z
In 1996, Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt. In many "greatest rappers of all time." debates, his name appears, and he's still making money from his back catalog. Also, in 2017, his 4:44 tour earned him around $48.7 million, according to The Source. With that in mind, his business investments are worth more. Jay-Z's Armand de Brignac champagne brand is worth about $310 million, while his music streaming service Tidal is worth an estimated $100 million. The 99 Problems rapper has a net worth of about $1.4 billion!