Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian turned a leaked tape and a reality show into a billion-dollar brand, and she's not done yet.
Kim Kardashian: The Machine Behind the Name
Kim Kardashian West (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, businesswoman, and aspiring lawyer who first entered public consciousness as a friend and stylist to Paris Hilton, then catapulted to global fame after a 2007 sex tape leak and the debut of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! that same year. She has since built one of the most recognizable personal brands on the planet.
Beyond reality TV, Kim has launched several major business ventures: SKIMS, her shapewear and clothing company valued at over $4 billion as of its most recent funding rounds, and SKKN BY KIM, her skincare line. She is also seriously pursuing a legal career, studying law through a non-traditional “reading the law” apprenticeship program in California, passing the First-Year Law Students’ Examination (the “baby bar”) on her fourth attempt in 2021.
She was married to rapper and designer Kanye West from 2014 to 2022 (divorce finalized November 2022) and together they have four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. Her previous high-profile marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries lasted just 72 days in 2011, making it one of the most-scrutinized celebrity divorces in pop culture history.
Kim remains one of the most-Googled humans on Earth, a status she maintains through a relentless social media presence (hundreds of millions of followers across platforms), brand deals, cultural controversies, and her ongoing legal journey. She is arguably the defining celebrity of the Instagram era.