The celebrity money desk Who's really writing the cheques
●SERENA WILLIAMS16 UNICORNS BACKED●REESE WITHERSPOON$900M MEDIA EXIT●OPRAH WINFREY$43M WEIGHT WATCHERS●GWYNETH PALTROW$250M GOOP VALUATION●RIHANNA$1B SAVAGE X FENTY●JESSICA ALBAHONEST CO. · NASDAQ IPO●HALLE BERRYBACKS WOMEN'S HEALTH●BEYONCÉLEMON PERFECT BACKER●JENNIFER LOPEZHIMS & HERS BACKER●KIM KARDASHIANSKKY PARTNERS PE FUND●SELENA GOMEZGOPUFF STRATEGIC PARTNER●PRIYANKA CHOPRABUMBLE EARLY BACKER●DEEPIKA PADUKONEKA ENTERPRISES INVESTOR●SHAKIRAISIMA HAIRCARE FOUNDER●NATALIE PORTMANANGEL CITY CO-FOUNDER●KERRY WASHINGTONANGEL INVESTOR●MINDY KALINGANGEL INVESTOR●EVA LONGORIACASA DEL SOL CO-FOUNDER●CAMERON DIAZAVALINE CO-FOUNDER●DREW BARRYMOREFLOWER BEAUTY FOUNDER●KATE HUDSONFABLETICS CO-FOUNDER●BLAKE LIVELYBETTY BUZZ FOUNDER●VENUS WILLIAMSELEVEN FOUNDER●NAOMI OSAKAHANA KUMA CO-FOUNDER●MARIA SHARAPOVAPROLIFIC WELLNESS ANGEL●TYRA BANKSFIERCE CAPITAL FOUNDER●KARLIE KLOSSBEDFORD MEDIA FOUNDER●ISSA RAETOPICALS & HILLTOP BACKER●KATY PERRYDE SOI CO-FOUNDER●KYLIE JENNER$1.2B KYLIE COSMETICS●BETHENNY FRANKELSKINNYGIRL FOUNDER●MELINDA FRENCH GATESPIVOTAL VENTURES●CATHIE WOODARK INVEST CEO●MELLODY HOBSONARIEL INVESTMENTS CO-CEO●KIRSTEN GREENFORERUNNER VENTURES●SALLIE KRAWCHECKELLEVEST CEO●MARY MEEKERBOND CAPITAL FOUNDER●ARLAN HAMILTONBACKSTAGE CAPITAL●BARBARA CORCORANSHARK TANK INVESTOR●SHERYL SANDBERGEX-META COO●SARA BLAKELYFOUNDER OF SPANX●KATHY XUCAPITAL TODAY FOUNDER●JENNY LEEGRANITE ASIA PARTNER●SOLINA CHAUHORIZONS VENTURES●KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAWBIOCON FOUNDER●FALGUNI NAYARNYKAA FOUNDER●MARÍA ASUNCIÓN ARAMBURUZABALATRESALIA CAPITAL●OLIVIA WILDE$500K–$2M CHEQUES●EMMA WATSON2 DOCUMENTED DEALS●PARIS HILTON20+ STARTUP BETS●THE FOSTER SISTERSBUMBLE AND MIRROR EARLY●GRACE BEVERLEY£6.2M IN TALA'S FIRST YEAR●AILEEN LEECOINED "UNICORN"●ANN MIURA-KOSEED INVESTOR IN LYFT●EMMA GREDE8% OF SKIMS●NAMITA THAPAR100+ COMPANIES BACKED●SERENA WILLIAMS16 UNICORNS BACKED●REESE WITHERSPOON$900M MEDIA EXIT●OPRAH WINFREY$43M WEIGHT WATCHERS●GWYNETH PALTROW$250M GOOP VALUATION●RIHANNA$1B SAVAGE X FENTY●JESSICA ALBAHONEST CO. · NASDAQ IPO●HALLE BERRYBACKS WOMEN'S HEALTH●BEYONCÉLEMON PERFECT BACKER●JENNIFER LOPEZHIMS & HERS BACKER●KIM KARDASHIANSKKY PARTNERS PE FUND●SELENA GOMEZGOPUFF STRATEGIC PARTNER●PRIYANKA CHOPRABUMBLE EARLY BACKER●DEEPIKA PADUKONEKA ENTERPRISES INVESTOR●SHAKIRAISIMA HAIRCARE FOUNDER●NATALIE PORTMANANGEL CITY CO-FOUNDER●KERRY WASHINGTONANGEL INVESTOR●MINDY KALINGANGEL INVESTOR●EVA LONGORIACASA DEL SOL CO-FOUNDER●CAMERON DIAZAVALINE CO-FOUNDER●DREW BARRYMOREFLOWER BEAUTY FOUNDER●KATE HUDSONFABLETICS CO-FOUNDER●BLAKE LIVELYBETTY BUZZ FOUNDER●VENUS WILLIAMSELEVEN FOUNDER●NAOMI OSAKAHANA KUMA CO-FOUNDER●MARIA SHARAPOVAPROLIFIC WELLNESS ANGEL●TYRA BANKSFIERCE CAPITAL FOUNDER●KARLIE KLOSSBEDFORD MEDIA FOUNDER●ISSA RAETOPICALS & HILLTOP BACKER●KATY PERRYDE SOI CO-FOUNDER●KYLIE JENNER$1.2B KYLIE COSMETICS●BETHENNY FRANKELSKINNYGIRL FOUNDER●MELINDA FRENCH GATESPIVOTAL VENTURES●CATHIE WOODARK INVEST CEO●MELLODY HOBSONARIEL INVESTMENTS CO-CEO●KIRSTEN GREENFORERUNNER VENTURES●SALLIE KRAWCHECKELLEVEST CEO●MARY MEEKERBOND CAPITAL FOUNDER●ARLAN HAMILTONBACKSTAGE CAPITAL●BARBARA CORCORANSHARK TANK INVESTOR●SHERYL SANDBERGEX-META COO●SARA BLAKELYFOUNDER OF SPANX●KATHY XUCAPITAL TODAY FOUNDER●JENNY LEEGRANITE ASIA PARTNER●SOLINA CHAUHORIZONS VENTURES●KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAWBIOCON FOUNDER●FALGUNI NAYARNYKAA FOUNDER●MARÍA ASUNCIÓN ARAMBURUZABALATRESALIA CAPITAL●OLIVIA WILDE$500K–$2M CHEQUES●EMMA WATSON2 DOCUMENTED DEALS●PARIS HILTON20+ STARTUP BETS●THE FOSTER SISTERSBUMBLE AND MIRROR EARLY●GRACE BEVERLEY£6.2M IN TALA'S FIRST YEAR●AILEEN LEECOINED "UNICORN"●ANN MIURA-KOSEED INVESTOR IN LYFT●EMMA GREDE8% OF SKIMS●NAMITA THAPAR100+ COMPANIES BACKED
Business
Sara Blakely
Built Spanx into a billion-dollar shapewear brand with no outside investors, then began angel investing selectively, mostly in women-led consumer and media startups. Few documented deals; no named fund. Much of her public capital activity is philanthropy via the Sara Blakely Foundation.
$5,000 of personal savings (2000)Starting capital for Spanx
21Years Spanx ran with no outside investor
$1.2B (October 2021); stake size and price undisclosedBlackstone deal valuation
$1.4B (August 2026)Forbes net worth
$5M+, paid as 1,000 grants of $5,000 to US women founders (2020)Red Backpack Fund
Guest shark, seasons 9 and 10; two deals actually closedShark Tank record
Watch
Sara Blakely in her own words
Sara Blakely, Founder and CEO, Spanx · via Stanford Graduate School of Business
The thesis
How Sara Blakely invests
Blakely is a founder first and an investor second. She started Spanx in 2000 with $5,000 of her own savings and took no outside money for 21 years, until Blackstone bought a majority stake in October 2021 in a deal that valued the company at $1.2 billion; she kept a minority stake and the exact terms were never disclosed. She launched her second company, the sneaker-heel brand Sneex, in August 2024, again with no reported outside round. Her investing is personal and occasional rather than institutional: she runs no fund and writes cheques into mostly women-founded consumer, media and health companies, plus two deals as a guest shark on Shark Tank in seasons 9 and 10. The public record of her angel cheques is thin, amounts are almost never disclosed, and much of her documented capital activity is philanthropy through the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation, including the $5 million Red Backpack Fund.
I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment.
Men invented the high heel centuries ago, and its basic construction hasn't really changed. There has been a void in comfortable footwear, and women deserve a new option.
Shapewear and apparel brand she founded in 2000 in Atlanta.
When
Founder-owned. Started with $5,000 of her own savings and took no outside capital for 21 years. Sold a majority stake to Blackstone in a deal announced October 2021 that valued Spanx at $1.2 billion; she retained a minority stake and became executive chair. Neither the size of Blackstone's stake nor the price paid was disclosed.
Why
Her own product problem, solved by cutting the feet off a pair of pantyhose. She wrote her own patent application and never raised.
Status
Private, Blackstone-controlled. Spanx named Cricket Whitton CEO and Jeanne Jackson executive chair in February 2024; Blakely stays as founder rather than an operating executive. She gave every employee two first-class tickets anywhere in the world and $10,000 after the deal.
Footwear brand selling a hybrid of a high heel and a sneaker, which she calls a 'hy-heel', handcrafted in Spain and priced $395 to $595.
When
Founder-owned, launched August 2024. No outside funding round has been reported. She spent roughly a decade working with factories in Italy and Spain on the construction.
Why
Same pattern as Spanx: a problem she had herself. She has said the heel's basic construction has not changed in centuries and that she would rather be an innovator than an imitator.
Status
Operating and selling direct. Early fashion-press reviews were mixed on whether buyers will pay that price for comfort.
AI shopping app and browser extension that compares prices, tracks price drops and estimates resale value, co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni.
When
Angel participant in the $8M seed round announced September 2025, led by Kleiner Perkins, alongside Sheryl Sandberg, Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner and Michael Rubin. Cheque size not disclosed.
Why
Backed the founders rather than the category: 'They saw white space in their shopping experience and had the courage to create a solution and build a business.'
Status
Private. The company went on to raise a $35.5M Series A reported in January 2026; whether Blakely took her pro rata was not disclosed.
Plant-based snack maker best known for roasted chickpeas, founded by Poorvi Patodia.
When
Joined the Series A announced June 2017, brought in by Darren Rovell's Tastemaker Capital alongside Jesse Itzler; returned for the $8M Series B in August 2019 led by MAW Investments. Amounts not disclosed in either round.
Why
Repeat cheque into a woman-founded consumer packaged goods brand — the sector she knows best.
At-home hormone testing for fertility, measuring luteinizing hormone and progesterone, founded by Amy Divaraniya.
When
Named individual investor in the $10.3M Series A announced June 2023, led by Spero Ventures with Virgin Group, US Fertility, Jefferson Health, Connecticut Innovations and Hannah Bronfman. Amount not disclosed.
Why
Women's health from a female founder, in a category built on data most women never get.
Direct-to-consumer dress brand for mothers, founded by Whitney Lundeen.
When
$350,000 for 25% on Shark Tank season 10, at a $1.4M valuation — exactly the terms Lundeen asked for, offered before the other sharks could bid. Shark Tank Blog reports the deal closed.
Why
A woman-founded apparel business solving a wearability problem, which is her own operating expertise.
Status
Reported at roughly $6M in annual revenue as of late 2023. Later reports that the brand wound down are not confirmed by a named outlet.
Home kombucha brewing kits, founded by Kate Field.
When
Accepted on air in Shark Tank season 10: $350,000 for 10%, structured as $200,000 in equity plus a $150,000 line of credit, jointly with Barbara Corcoran.
Why
A profitable, founder-led consumer brand with real repeat purchase behaviour.
Status
The deal never closed after the episode. The company was sold to Habib Bakshi in January 2021.
Seed and pre-seed venture firm that deploys capital through a network of founder-scouts and is backed by a roster of high-profile entrepreneurs.
When
Blakely is listed in Village Global's own network of luminary limited partners, alongside Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Eric Schmidt. Her commitment size is not public.
Why
The only fund exposure in her public record — a way to get early-stage deal flow without running a fund of her own.
Status
Active firm. This is an LP position, not a management or partner role, and she is not credited with individual investment decisions.
Joined the Tony Ressler-led group that bought the team in April 2015, alongside Grant Hill and her husband Jesse Itzler. Forbes reported the price as $730M, correcting earlier $850M figures that included debt. Her individual stake was not disclosed.
Why
A passive sports asset rather than an operating bet; Forbes still counts it among her holdings.
Grant programme run with GlobalGiving that paid 1,000 US women-owned small businesses $5,000 each during the COVID-19 crisis.
When
$5M+ committed by the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation in April 2020. Grants, not investments — no equity taken.
Why
Named after the red backpack she carried when she started Spanx. Recipients also got a MasterClass pass and a red backpack.
Status
Grants fully awarded. The foundation, launched in 2006, has funded Vital Voices, the Malala Fund and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy among others.
Photo: Gillian Zoe Segal — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
What the record doesn't say
Read this with the gaps in mind.
Her personal angel investments are few and not fully disclosed; she has no formal fund, and much of her documented capital activity is philanthropy rather than startup equity.
Sara Blakely has backed Spanx, Sneex, Phia, theSkimm, and 9 more. Each one is listed on this page with what the company does and a link to named reporting.
How much has Sara Blakely invested?
Cheque sizes are almost never disclosed, and Sara Blakely's are mostly private. Where a round size, stake or valuation has been reported we cite the source; otherwise we flag it as undisclosed rather than guess.
How does Sara Blakely invest?
Blakely is a founder first and an investor second.
Founder of Spanx