A billion. It’s a number that seems impossible to picture in our minds. It’s one that counts our population, our galaxy, and it could make up seemingly infinite lifetimes. For most people, this idea of the billion exists only in the hypothetical or in the things beyond this world. So, when someone achieves it, it leaves the world wondering how.
In March of 2019, Kylie Jenner was listed by Forbes Magazine as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at twenty-one-years old. TV jumpstarted her fame Kylie’s name when she appeared on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians when she was just ten years old. Since then, she’s used her name to create her brand. She started with endorsements for beauty companies. In 2013, Kylie had 2 nail polishes named after her as a part of a Kardashian Colors nail polish kit from Nicole by API. In the same year, she and her sister Kendall started a clothing line with Pac Sun and a jewelry line with Pascal Mouawad’s Glamhouse.
In 2015, Kylie decided to create a lipstick line pf her own, which she called the “Kylie Jenner Lip Kit.” Jenner said she took inspiration from her love of make-up tutorials and using makeup to make her lips look fuller. She started selling the lip kits for $29 online and they sold out right away. She created an app for the company and then changed the name to “Kylie Cosmetics” in 2016. Since, she’s started selling at Ulta Beauty, a decision that led her to make $54.5 million in six months. Being one of the most-followed people on social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, social media has been a major medium for promoting her products. It’s the power of social media,” Kylie said on the topic, “I had such a strong reach before I was able to start anything.” In fact, Ulta itself hasn’t done any marketing for the brand, which, the company has said just doesn’t happen. Kylie’s management of her social media pages has really made Kylie Cosmetics.
Part of the success of Kylie’s sales relies on scarcity. The company launches a set amount of products at a time, and each time, they sell out. The company continues to grow as it includes more makeup products, and Forbes magazine estimates that the company is currently worth 900 million dollars. Kylie Jenner is a successful entrepreneur by using her social media to market her brand to makeup users. In conclusion, Kylie truly captures the image of a millennial entrepreneur, using current media to create a brand for herself.
The amount of money she has made off of her make-up line is absolutely insane. However, her background with her family name and relationships with various rappers is one of the main reasons that she is in the position she is.
I think Kylie is really commendable in the way that she wanted reach women with the same interests as her. She didn’t just go after something she loved, but so many girls do too.
With a billion dollars in supposed net worth it will be interesting to see what she does next- She certainly has the capital. The cosmetics industry is still rapidly growing, Ms. Jenner has clearly taken advantage of that market.
It wasn’t mentioned here, but even the way Kylie handled the “rise and shine” meme was very entrepreneurial. She didn’t waste anytime in patenting the phrase and starting a line of merch. This is a great article — thanks for sharing!