What Is Kimora Lee Simmons' Net Worth?
Kimora Lee Simmons is an American model, author, and fashion entrepreneur who has a net worth of $80 million. Kimora Lee Simmons first became known for being married to hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons. They began dating in the early 1990s when she was a sophomore in high school, and he was 35 years old. They married in 1998, separated in 2006, and divorced in 2009.
Simmons started her career as a fashion model, working for top fashion houses like Chanel and under designers like Karl Lagerfeld. At the young age of 14, she was handpicked by Lagerfeld to model for Chanel, which catapulted her into the international limelight.
Her most significant business accomplishment is her contribution to the fashion line Baby Phat, which she took over as Creative Director and later CEO after it was spun off from Phat Farm, her then-husband Russell Simmons' clothing line. Baby Phat became one of the top urban luxury brands, known for its trendy and glamorous designs. Under her leadership, the brand expanded into multiple product lines, including denim, accessories, footwear, and perfume.
Additionally, Simmons launched a self-titled fashion line focusing on high-end designer wear. She also had a reality television show, "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane," which showcased her personal and professional life.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Kimora Lee Simmons was born Kimora Lee Perkins on May 4, 1975, in St. Louis, Missouri. She is of African American, Korean, and Japanese heritage.
After being teased for her height (she was almost 6 feet tall by age ten), Kimora's mother enrolled her in a modeling class when she was eleven years old. She signed a modeling contract with Chanel and was mentored by iconic Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld was inspired by Kimora, calling her the "Face of the 21st Century," calling for more racial inclusion in fashion. She would go on to model for international high-fashion brands like Fendi, Valentino, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Kenzo, Anna Sui, and Yves Saint Laurent.
Business and Entrepreneurship
In 1998, Kimora's husband at the time, Russell Simmons, was the head of the urban menswear brand Phat Farm. He created a women's brand named Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons, which was held under the umbrella of Phat Fashions. Kimora became Baby Phat's designer, creating clothes based on what she would want to wear. She was then appointed as President and Creative Director of the brand in 2000. In 2001, Baby Phat had gross revenue earnings of $30 million, and by 2002, the brands of Phat Farm and Baby Phat had combined profits of $265 million. The Kellwood Company acquired Phat Fashions in 2004 for $140 million, but Kimora stayed on as President and Creative Director. Under her leadership, she expanded the brand into a wide array of products, including denim, accessories, jewelry, swimwear, and fragrance lines. She was named President of Phat Fashions in 2006 and ultimately left the company in 2010.
However, even after leaving the company, Kimora retained ownership of all of the licensing rights for her fragrance and cosmetics collections. The perfumes include Baby Phat Goddess (2005), Golden Goddess, Seductive Goddess, Baby Phat Fabulosity, Luv Me, and Baby Phat Dare Me. They were sold in department stores across America like Sears and Macy's. She announced in 2019 that she had re-acquired Baby Phat.
Other ventures by Kimora include the Simmons Jewelry Company, which marketed jewelry items under the Phat Farm and Baby Phat labels. She also partnered with Sanrio Ltd. in 2006 to launch the "Kimora Lee Simmons for Hello Kitty" line, sold in Neiman Marcus. Another Hello Kitty collection was released with Zales Corporation in 2008. In 2006, she also partnered with Sephora and Macy's to launch her own cosmetics brand, KLS Cosmetics. She continued her relationship with Macy's, launching her KLS fashion collection with the department store in 2010 and the Kouture by Kimora brand that was exclusive to Macy's. In 2011, Kimora partnered with Swiss skincare company Makari de Suisse to launch an anti-aging skincare line targeted towards multi-ethnic women. She entered the luxury market with the launch of her KIMORA LEE SIMMONS high fashion collection, distributed through Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, and Farfetch.
In 2012, Kimora became President and Creative Director of the personalized shopping website JustFab. She ran the company until 2015. Under her direction, JustFab grew into a prominent player in the realm of fashion subscription services.
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Television Career and Other Projects
Kimora's first television hosting role was on "One World Music Beat" in 1998. She then went on to host the syndicated talk show "Life and Style" in 2004, produced by Sony Pictures Television. Other television projects Kimora has pursued include her E! show "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane," which premiered in 2007 and aired for seven seasons, and "Kimora: House of Fab," which debuted in 2013 on the Style Network. She was also a judge on the first season of Tyra Banks' reality competition show "America's Next Top Model."
Other projects she has worked on include her 2006 book "Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It" and music video appearances for artists like Ginuwine, Usher, and Jay-Z. Additionally, she produced the show "Def Poetry Jam" on Broadway, which won her a Tony Award for a Special Theatrical Event in 2003.
Personal Life
Kimora married Russell Simmons in December 1998. They have two daughters, Ming Lee Simmons (born 2000) and Aoki Lee Simmons (born 2002). They separated in 2006 and finalized their divorce in 2009.
In the summer of 2008, Kimora began a relationship with actor Djimon Hounsou and gave birth to their son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, in 2009. The couple split in 2012.
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In February 2014, Kimora married banker Tim Leissner. She gave birth to their son, Wolfe Lee Leissner, in 2015. Leissner was a partner at Goldman Sachs for many years. He resigned from Goldman in the wake of the infamous 1MDB Malaysia corruption scam, which cost the bank over $3 billion in fines and other costs.
In 2018, Leissner pleaded guilty to money laundering charges and agreed to forfeit $43.7 million in income. Leissner allegedly helped scam artist Jho Low bilk Malaysia out of $4.5 billion between 2009 and 2014. Along the way, Leissner and a partner earned $200 million in fees from the scheme.
Real Estate
In 2006, soon after separating from Simmons, Kimora paid $8.5 million for a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills. Years later, after buying a new, much larger Beverly Hills mansion, Kimora began renting this property out for as much as $55,000 per month. She sold this home in July 2023 for $16.5 million. Here is a video of this mansion:
In 2014, soon after marrying, Kimora and Tim paid $19 million for a New York City apartment.
In 2017, Kimora and Tim paid $25 million for a 20,000-square-foot home in Beverly Hills on nearly four acres. The mansion features 7 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms and is located in an exclusive gated community where other celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Eddie Murphy, and Sylvester Stallone live.
In addition to the 7 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, the mansion features lush gardens, a home theater, a sunken tennis court, and a mosaic-tiled swimming pool. It was originally listed about a year earlier for $33.5 million before being dropped to $29.95 million. The property was then taken off the market before Simmons and Leissner purchased it.
The person who sold the property was Kathy Harouche, the wife of apparel mogul Michel Harouche and mother of Simone Harouche, a celebrity stylist who was with Kim Kardashian on the night of the now-infamous Paris robbery.
Unfortunately, Tim and Kimora offloaded this mansion in January 2021 for $16 million, a $9 million loss.
