Kimora Lee Simmons is a household name in the fashion world, having established herself as a successful designer, model, and businesswoman in the United States. Kimora Lee Simmons has accumulated a sizeable net worth over the years due to her many successful business enterprises. She supports many organizations, including the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which funds arts programs for impoverished New York City youngsters.
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Kimora Lee Simmons net worth
American model, novelist, and fashion entrepreneur Kimora Lee Simmons net worth is $200 million.
Kimora joined her husband’s womenswear line, Baby Phat, as its designer in 1998.
To the tune of $10 million every year, that is what she brings in. The compensation is $10 million annually, and the monthly income is $4.9.
Early Life
Kimora Lee Simmons entered the world at St. Louis Regional Hospital on May 4, 1975. She was welcomed into the world by Joanne Perkins and Vernon Whitlock Jr. Her parents both worked for the EEOC; her dad was an investigator, and her mom was a social security administrator. When she was young, her father was caught selling drugs and put in jail.
As soon as Kimora’s dad exited prison, he and Kimora’s mom started fighting. After that, her mother was responsible for raising her. She was approximately 6 feet tall at age 10, a source of constant ridicule. Later, her mother signed her up for modeling lessons to keep her from feeling down about herself. Kimora secured a modeling contract with a high-end French fashion business at thirteen.
Career
At 13, under Karl Lagerfeld’s guidance, Simmons accepted a contract to become a Chanel model. After closing Karl Lagerfeld’s haute couture presentation as the “bride” in 1989, she became a household name in the fashion industry.
Simmons also posed for several high-end fashion houses and designers, including Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Dior, Valentino, Fendi, Kenzo, Anna Sui, and Yves Saint Laurent.
Former spouse Russel Simmons founded the urban clothing label “Phat Farm” in 1998. Simmons subsequently launched a separate women’s line called “Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons” under the “Phat Fashions” label.
Simmons later became the company’s president and creative director for the Baby Phat line. Kellwood Corporation acquired Phat Fashions in 2004 for a reported $140 million. Simmons remained in her roles as President and Creative Director until stepping down in 2010. Nevertheless, she still owns the company and all the rights to use her name with her cosmetics and perfume lines.
Kimora Lee Simmons and Coty Inc. introduced their debut fragrance, Baby Phat Goddess, in 2005. Simmons also founded the Simmons Jewelry Company to promote his jewelry designs under the Phat Farm and Baby Phat brands. They released “Kimora Lee Simmons for Hello Kitty” at Neiman Marcus in 2006.
Simmons debuted the KLS line in 2010. The following year, she debuted an anti-aging skincare brand co-created with Swiss firm Makari de Suisse and aimed squarely at women of different backgrounds. She entered the high-end fashion industry by releasing her women’s designer clothes under the label KIMORA LEE SIMMONS.
A modeling career
Kimora has signed an exclusive contract with Chanel to pursue a career in modeling.
She first gained attention as a Chanel runway model for the label’s namesake designer, Karl Lagerfeld. Her fame skyrocketed when she closed Karl Lagerfeld’s haute couture presentation in 1989.
Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, Fendi, and Valentino were just a few designers she walked for after that.
The German, Indonesian, Singaporean, and Malaysian issues of Harper’s Bazaar have all featured her on their covers.
Working in television
Simmons’s first foray into television presentation was with the show “One World Music Beat,” which aired in 1998. She became the host of the televised chat program “Life and Style” in the latter half of 2004.
She received the Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event in 2003 for her work on the show Def Poetry Jam.
Simmons has been hosting the annual red carpet event in honor of Hetrick-Martin and LGBT rights fighters since 2009.
Real Estate
Kimora spent $8.5 million for a 13,000-square-foot Beverly Hills property in 2006, shortly after her divorce from Simmons. After Kimora had purchased a much bigger Beverly Hills estate, she started renting out the old one for as much as $55,000 per month.
Kimora and Tim, newlyweds at the time, spent $19 million buying a Manhattan penthouse in 2014.
They spent $25 million for a 20,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion on over 4 acres in 2017. Tim and Kimora sold their house for $16 million in January 2021, $9 million below what they had initially paid.
Kimora Lee Simmons sports cars, yachts
Kimora is another famous person with a garage full of expensive automobiles. As one would expect from someone with Kimora Lee Simmons’s enormous wealth, she can afford a fleet of expensive cars.
Kimora has reportedly been seen in a Ferrari California, costing anywhere from $328,100 to $414,810. But compared to the typical cost of an automobile, which is just around $40,000, the price is still deemed high.
Family
Kimora Lee Simmons married Russell Simmons in December 1998. Their children, Ming Lee Simmons (born in the year 2000) and Aoki Lee Simmons (born in the year 2000), are the product of their union (born in 2002). After separating in 2006, they finalized their divorce in 2009. In the summer of 2008, she began dating actor Djimon Hounsou. They welcomed their son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, in 2009 and were married in 2011.
Kimora married Tim Leissner in February 2014, and in 2015 they had their son Wolfe Lee Leissner. Leissner was a partner at Goldman Sachs for a long time. Goldman lost almost $1 billion in penalties and other charges related to the 1MDB Malaysia corruption crisis, prompting him to resign.
To settle money laundering claims, Leissner pled guilty in 2018 and agreed to have $43.7 million in profits disallowed. Leissner is suspected of helping con artist Jho Low steal $4.5 billion from the Malaysian government between 2009 and 2014. Leissner and his business partner made $200 million in fees from the scheme.
FAQs
Whose child did Kimora adopt?
The model and businesswoman have four children: Aoki and Ming with ex-husband Russell Simmons, Kenzo with ex-boyfriend Djimon Hounsou, and Wolfe with his current husband, Tim Leissner. Kimora is also a mother to Gary, a 10-year-old boy she adopted.
Where did Kimora Lee come from?
Kimora’s ethnic background includes African-American, Korean, and Japanese components. Mother Joanne Kyoko Perkins is of Korean and Japanese ancestry, while father Vernon Whitlock Jr. is of African American descent.
Is the Phat Farm still up for business?
In 2004, Simmons received $140 million from the Kellwood Corporation to sell Phat Farm and Baby Phat. Even though Phat Farm shoes came out in the early 2000s, stores like Sears and Kmart often have sales on them.
Last lines
Kimora Lee Simmons is a real fashion icon and a successful businesswoman who has amassed an incredible net worth thanks to her work in the fashion sector and her different business enterprises. She has made a name for herself, but it hasn’t stopped her from being a kind philanthropist.
