bbc.com
Selena Gomez rose to fame as a child star on Barney and the Disney Channel. Her latest role? Billionaire.
The 32-year-old actress and singer has amassed a fortune worth $1.3bn, according to Bloomberg, which added the celebrity to its billionaire index on Friday.
It said her wealth came mainly from her Rare Beauty make-up company, which she founded five years ago and retains a stake in worth more than $1bn, the publication estimated.
The brand’s success has made her one of the “youngest female self-made” wealthy on the list, alongside the likes of Taylor Swift and Rihanna.
Rare Beauty, known for liquid blush and lip tint that have had viral success on social media, reportedly did net sales of $400m in the 12 months to February.
Gomez has also brought in tens of millions of dollars from endorsement deals with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Coach and Puma, according to Bloomberg.
It said she also took home “at least” $6m per season for her Emmy-nominated turn in the Hulu hit “Only Murders in the Building”, which was recently renewed for a fifth season.
Despite her on-screen and musical success – including multiple nominations for Emmy and Grammy Awards – those achievements count for a relatively a small fraction of her wealth, Bloomberg said.
Gomez, born in Texas, has spent nearly three decades in the public eye, where her success has brought scrutiny of her fashion, boyfriends and health travails – including diagnoses of bipolar disorder and the autoimmune disease lupus.
She has written about her family’s journey to the US from Mexico, starting with her aunt “hidden in the back of a truck” and recording songs in Spanish.
The singer became the most followed woman in the world on Instagram last year.
She counts more than 424 million fans on the platform, ahead of Swift and Kylie Jenner – a dubious distinction for a star who has discussed the platform’s negative impact on her mental health and at times deleted it.
On Friday, the account was quiet as word of her latest distinction hit headlines.
In an interview with BBC1 nearly a decade ago, Ms Gomez reflected on the longevity of her career, despite her youth.
“It’s weird it’s almost two decades…am I too old?” she joked, adding that there was more she wanted to achieve.
“You know what’s crazy, is that a lot of times I don’t even feel I’ve started,” she said.
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