Supermodels have come a long way from being glorified clotheshorses, with the richest of the top models amongst some of the highest earners in the world.
Dominating the runway, helming campaigns and gracing the front covers of magazines has become a lucrative trade, with the jet-setting and lavish lifestyle of a luxury fashion model not only a coveted career choice, but one that can amass a fortune.
Indeed, this billion-dollar business has supplanted the role of a supermodel as more than just a pretty face, with a handful of one-named wonders, see: Kendall, Cindy, Gigi and Giselle, breaking through from model to muse and icon, in turn, well-deserved spots on Forbes’ highest net worth lists.
With the “job” of gallivanting around the globe to saunter down some of the world’s most exclusive runways only a modicum of what a supermodel’s role requires her to do, the means through which these 90s icons and Instagram ‘It’ girls are bolstering their own personal wealth are more diverse than ever before.
So, without further adieu, we present the richest supermodels trading their face cards for fortunes.
The 10 Richest Supermodels, Ranked:
Cindy Crawford
One of the original ‘Big Five’ supermodels from the late 80s and 90s, Cindy Crawford garnered a name for herself thanks to her all-American glamour that subverted the idea of the ‘girl next door’.
As per a 2021 report from Forbes, a combination of Crawford’s skincare brand Meaningful Beauty and endorsement deals from Pepsi in 1992 and Revlon in 1989 have contributed to the 57-year-old’s $225 million fortune.
However, we’re sure Crawford is also getting residuals from her music videos, exercise tapes and the upcoming Apple TV+ documentary The Supermodels.
Gisele Bündchen
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen may no longer be a mainstay on the runway, but the former Victoria’s Secret Angel—best known for bringing an athletic physique back to the catwalk after a heroin chic reign—is reportedly worth $400 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.
In 2016, Forbes cited Bündchen’s net worth at $30.5M, but with recent brand deals from Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo (and a post-divorce glow-up), Bündchen’s accurate personal fortune is certainly growing.
Iman Abdulmajid
Like the other supermodels on this list, the Somali-American model is better known mononymously. Iman is arguably one of the world’s original supermodels, with her career ascending in a meteoric fashion since being discovered in 1976.
As per CelebrityNetWorth, Iman is worth $200 million, with the majority of that reportedly coming from the inheritance left to her after the death of her husband, David Bowie.
Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum first made a considerable amount of money after winning a $300,000 prize as part of a modelling contract in 1992, yet the German-American supermodel is now reportedly worth over $160 million, as per CelebrityNetWorth.
With Klum best known for her respective 13-year run as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and host of Project Runway, the model is now best known for her television career, front-row appearances and nightmarish Halloween costumes.
Elle Macpherson
Australian darling Elle Macpherson may have traded in coupes of champagne for glasses of green juice (courtesy of her WelleCo beauty supplements), but the beauty founder has reportedly amassed a net worth of $95 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.
Along with being one of the “Magnificent Seven’ models from the 90s, Macpherson’s fortune includes her former modelling agency venture, short-lived role on Friends and hosting duties on Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model.
Naomi Campbell
Dr. Naomi Campbell—who received an honorary doctorate from the University for the Creative Arts in 2022—is one of the world’s most decorated supermodels, with the British runway maven still dominating the industry.
With Campbell receiving her first magazine cover before she even turned 16, the mother-of-two is reportedly worth $90 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth. In 2023 alone, Campbell fronted Fendi’s Peekaboo campaign and walked runways for Alexander McQueen, Schiaparelli and Off-White.
Claudia Schiffer
As one of Karl Lagerfeld’s original ‘choupettes’ (or muses), German supermodel Claudia Schiffer enters the richest supermodel list with a reported net worth of $70 million.
One of the biggest fashion icons in her heyday, Schiffer famously appeared in Versace’s Autumn/Winter 1994 campaign lensed by Richard Avedon and made an iconic cameo in Love Actually.
Nowadays, Schiffer mainly shares fashion throwbacks and snippets of her 530-acre Tudor mansion with her 1.8 million Instagram followers.
Kate Moss
Kate Moss has continually claimed if she wasn’t a supermodel, she’d be a rockstar, but with the fashion star worth a reported $70 million, we can only imagine what the perennial style icon would amount to should’ve she chosen a different career path.
The supermodel has worked with the biggest fashion houses since she was 16 years old, with Moss becoming a household name in 1992 after appearing topless with Mark Wahlberg in an infamous black-and-white Calvin Klein campaign.
This year, Moss launched her own wellness brand, Cosmoss, resigned as Diet Coke’s creative director and even inspired a Kate Moss fan book hand-curated by Bottega Veneta’s Matthieu Blazy.
Gigi Hadid
At only 28 years old, Gigi Hadid has risen to the ranks of the fashion industry to become one of the wealthiest figures from the Instagram generation of ‘It’ girls.
Her nascent rise was chronicled on early seasons of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, with Hadid working in every facet of the industry, from runway modeling, designing as part of her knitwear brand Guest In Residence, hosting Netflix’s Next In Fashion and even lending her backstage photography (taken on her Kodak disposable camera) to Miu Miu’s Fall/Winter 2020 campaign.
According to CelebrityNetWorth, Hadid is worth $30 million.
Kendall Jenner
With Jenner fronting cameras since age 9 as part of her family’s reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the supermodel became one of the most sought-after stars when she stepped on the scene back in 2014.
Now, in 2023, Jenner is topping the industry courtesy of her recent brand deals with FRWD, Calvin Klein, Miu Miu, Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs, her spirit business, 818 Tequila, and of course, starring on The Kardashians.
Forbes reported her net worth as $22.5 million dollars in 2018—citing her as the highest-paid model in the financial year of 2017-18—but CelebrityNetWorth places her fortune closer to $60 million.
Of course, as fans of Jenner would know, the renovation of her Beverly Hills mansion has certainly added a substantial asset to her financial portfolio.
This article originally appeared on Grazia International.