In September 2017, Rihanna launched her cosmetics empire with Fenty Beauty, which instantly gained popularity not just because it was backed by a worldwide superstar, but also because her brand is focused on broad infelicity across skin tones and gender.
With a range of quality products, Rihanna’s company amassed a whopping revenue of $570 million by 2018, making her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world of beauty, but unlike Kylie Jenner, who owned 100% of her Kylie Cosmetics firm prior to selling a big share to Coty, Inc. RiRi doesn’t actually own much of her brand.
How Much Does Rihanna Own Of Fenty Beauty?
According to BZ Journals, the “Umbrella” star only owns a 15 percent stake in Fenty Beauty, which means that while the brand is pulling in hundreds of millions in revenue every year, Rihanna is only making a small portion of that amount.
Of course, one also shouldn’t forget that Fenty Beauty ties in with her skincare company Fenty Skin, which has proven to be another hit with consumers thanks to its vegan-driven range of products.
Still, Rihanna isn’t really the breadwinner in all of this.
She partnered with Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey before signing a deal to front her own line of cosmetic products, and while the support and backing of a company as big as Louis Vuitton is a phenomenal move, the supposed far that RiRi is earning so little is shocking.
Still, if Fenty Beauty products are selling up to $500 million a year, the Grammy award winner would still be earning a cool $50 million, which isn’t bad but if you’re already going to present the business as your own, one may as well own a 100 percent stake similar to the Kardashians.
If that was the case, however, who knows if Rihanna would’ve still been able to secure her partnership with Louis Vuitton.
In November 2017 interview with TIME magazine, the Bajan beauty opened up on why she felt compelled to focus her attention on cosmetics, admitting that before Fenty Beauty, women of color have always had difficulties finding products that suited their skin tone.
And despite her celebrity status, it was no different for Rihanna, who recalled trying dozens of foundations throughout her career, with many either being the wrong shade (because the firm doesn’t offer any darker colors) or because the formula was terrible and left a caky residue.
This made the singer-songwriter all the more determined to launch a line of products that would work for everyone.
“I’ve had my makeup done thousands of time, and when it comes to foundation, you just never know how it’s going to turn out,” she told the publication.
“I think foundation should look like great skin, so it was important to me that the Pro Filt’r foundation had a soft matte finish because you want a dewy look, but never shiny! It was also important that every woman felt included in this brand. We are all so different, with our own unique skin tones, so we started with the 40 foundation shades out the gate.
And while she doesn’t own 100 percent of her company, Rihanna made sure to let her fans know that she did have full control of the creative process concerning formulas, packaging, and presentation.
“I have 100 percent involvement in this process, which is what makes this so special and very fun. I have so much creative freedom from products to packaging, and that’s really the only way this brand will stay true to my vision for it.”
Since its launch in September 2017, Fenty Beauty has expanded not just in skincare but also in fashion, with Fenty now offering everything from clothing to accessories and shoes.
Then there’s also the Savage X Fenty brand, which was founded in 2018, focused on providing sexy and comfortable lingerie for women of all sizes.
Rihanna’s collections have been such a success since its launch that she even teamed up with Amazon Prime Video in October 2020 to showcase her latest designs in a fashion show which fans can stream on the streaming service.
Speaking about the concept of her fashion show, she told Elle: “I wanted to include every woman. I wanted every woman on the stage with different energies, different races, body types, different stages in their womanhood, culture.
“I wanted women to feel celebrated and that we started this shit. We own this. This is our land because really it is. Women are running the world right now and it’s too bad for men.”
With a successful music career and a growing empire in cosmetics, skincare, and fashion, Rihanna’s net worth has skyrocketed to an astounding $550 million.