Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely

Our second self-made billionaire woman on this list is Sara Blakely. Her path to fame was the invention of a now widely-used product, and an unexpected celebrity endorsement that sent her sales figures through the roof. She's banked $1.25bn via 'Spanx,' the underwear company she founded, which helps other women ensure their bodies stay contoured below whatever they're wearing. Blakely was 27 when she came up with the idea behind the garment. Putting them into production cost her every penny she'd ever saved; a comparatively meager $5000.

Anything that helps women to appear thinner and guard them against the effects of bloating on a night out was always bound to be popular with buyers, but she couldn't have wished for a happier accident when it came to building brand awareness. Television legend Oprah Winfrey, who hadn't been paid to do so, publicly stated they were a vital part of her wardrobe. After that, the orders started rolling in and never stopped.

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Did You Know...

I

To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.

II

At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.

III

David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.

IV

15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.

V

The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.

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