Cover Will Ferrell’s celebrity investments include co-owning Los Angeles FC, one of Major League Soccer’s most valuable franchises. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole / Offside / Offside via Getty Images)
Will Ferrell’s celebrity investments include co-owning Los Angeles FC, one of Major League Soccer’s most valuable franchises. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole / Offside / Offside via Getty Images)
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From doorbells to decentralised art, these celebrity investments prove that the Hollywood hustle has no off-switch
When celebrities aren’t acting, singing or starring in paparazzi dramas, they’re quietly making some of the smartest and strangest moves in business. This isn’t about launching perfume lines or tequila brands—though those ventures can be lucrative too—it’s about backing NFTs, building meditation empires and owning soccer teams.
Some of these celebrity investments raise eyebrows, others raise millions. Either way, these stars prove that having good instincts isn’t just for picking scripts. When you’re playing the long game, it means spotting unicorn startups before the rest of the world even downloads the app. Here are some of the most unexpected celebrity investments that actually paid off.
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1. Snoop Dogg: Klarna and fintech
When he’s not dropping beats or narrating wildlife documentaries, Snoop Dogg is busy building a portfolio of celebrity investments with the savvy of a seasoned investor. The rap legend became a minority shareholder in Klarna, the Swedish “buy now, pay later” fintech unicorn, in 2019. Of course, he appropriately and temporarily rebranded himself as “Smoooth Dogg” for its campaign. Through his venture firm Casa Verde Capital, he’s also invested in Robinhood and Reddit. Snoop Dogg doesn’t just have a portfolio—he’s got a power playbook.
2. Reese Witherspoon: NFTs, the Metaverse and digital feminism
Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine was a brilliant investment and sold for hundreds of millions. She also ventured into AI storytelling and children’s NFT characters, while partnering with World of Women NFTs to promote female-led crypto art. The verdict’s still out on this one. But when it comes to celebrity investments, Witherspoon is unconventional and daring.
3. Will Ferrell: soccer
In between his Anchorman one-liners, Will Ferrell became a low-key soccer tycoon. He’s a co-owner of Los Angeles FC, one of Major League Soccer’s most valuable franchises, and also bought into Leeds United before their Premier League rollercoaster. His passion isn’t just for laughs. He shows up at matches, chats with players and helps bring Hollywood polish to the pitch.
4. Nas: doorbells, Dropbox and pillows
Nasir “Nas” Jones may have penned one of the greatest rap albums of all time, but his real genius might be in venture capital. Through his fund, QueensBridge Venture Partners, he made an early bet on Ring, the smart doorbell company Amazon bought for over US$1 billion (remember, it was rejected on Shark Tank). Reports estimate he pocketed up to US$40 million from his Ring investment. He also has a stake in Casper, the fancy mattress-in-a-box company.
QueensBridge’s portfolio includes everything from Lyft to Dropbox, proving that Nas isn’t just about hits—he knows his way around a balance sheet, too.
5. Jessica Alba: baby things, wellness and mental health
Jessica Alba already built a billion-dollar brand with The Honest Company, but she didn’t stop there. She joined a US$34 million funding round for Headspace, the meditation and mindfulness app that turned self-care into a science. Her celebrity investments reflect her long-standing advocacy for wellness and mental health, bringing both star power and strategic alignment to these causes.
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6. Gwyneth Paltrow: wellness and supplements
Goop has shifted from being a lifestyle brand to a case study in monetising the bizarre. Gwyneth Paltrow has thrown her celebrity weight behind investments like Moon Juice, a wellness company selling “dusts” that promise to enhance sex, brainpower and spirit. And let’s not forget her Goop-branded “vampire repellent”, which allegedly banishes bad energy. The actress doesn’t believe in conventional sunscreen, but she does believe in psychic protection. She also invested in Juice Beauty and collaborated with the company to launch Goop’s skincare line.
7. Ashton Kutcher: Airbnb, Spotify and a Smart Toilet
Ashton Kutcher is widely recognised as the quintessential example of celebrity turned tech entrepreneur, having made early investments in companies such as Uber, Airbnb and Spotify. But tucked among the billion-dollar unicorns are unexpected gems: toilet paper brand Hello Bello and “smart toilet” startup Toilet Tech. After all, what’s the purpose of disrupting Silicon Valley if it doesn’t extend to enhancing the bathroom experience?
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