Jeffree Star is known for his unfiltered opinions and one-of-a-kind looks. Star has made waves in the YouTube community since he started his channel, with an ever-expanding fan base that now stands at over 18 million subscribers. Given his popularity, many people might be wondering how Jeffree Star became rich and famous.
Jeffree Star is most famous for his YouTube channel where he shares makeup tutorials and films beauty product reviews, along with his makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, which has taken the beauty world by storm.
Read more below about Jeffree Star’s first claim to fame and how he became one of the most powerful names in the beauty industry.
Music and Makeup
Jeffree Star has always been interested in makeup, fashion and the entertainment industry. As a young kid, he dabbled in his mother’s makeup, creating edgy looks and curating what would eventually become his signature style. Armed with exceptional skills, Star packed up and moved to Los Angeles after his high school graduation.
Star’s appearance and take no prisoners attitude made him a force to be reckoned with in the Hollywood club scene. During the day he worked as a makeup artist and at night he performed on stage as his music career took off, thanks to his Myspace following.
In 2009, Star released his debut album, Beauty Killer, which featured superstar Nicki Minaj before she was a household name. Star also performed several times with the Vans Warped Tour during this period.
At the height of his music career, Star was rubbing elbows with celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Paris Hilton, with Star taking to Twitter to call the former “a legend.” Star was so successful that his music caught the ear of Akon, who wanted to sign Star to his record label and have him record a new album.
However, somewhere along the way, the deal fell apart, the album was never recorded and Star ultimately left the music business behind. Though Jeffree has never plainly stated what went wrong, he alluded to his feelings about the deal, saying, “It was almost like they were dimming my light and they weren’t letting me be me.”
YouTube Tycoon and a Business Boom
Star changed tacks and began focusing on his YouTube channel, showing off elaborate makeup tutorials and brutally honest reviews of beauty products, ranging from drugstore items to high end makeup. Audiences loved his candid approach and transparency about the industry, and Star quickly became one of YouTube’s biggest influencers.
Due to his success as an influencer, Star had a built-in fan base when he decided to launch his eponymous makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, in 2014. The brand was a hit from its inception and Star often showcases his brand’s items on his channel before they launch, giving customers an in-depth opportunity to see what they will be buying.
Jeffree Star makes a fortune off his YouTube channel and his makeup company, but he also invests in real estate and other companies, noting, “I own an entire shipment and fulfillment center, I own a merchandise company, I print and manufacture everything myself. So I have about 10 businesses that I’m currently running besides my brand which is the giant cosmetics company.”
Star also collaborates with makeup brands like Morphe, and other major influencers, such as Shane Dawson. Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson’s collaboration was one of the biggest launches in makeup history, with the line selling out in minutes and netting millions of dollars for both parties.
You can see Jeffree Star’s wealth discussed and where he is ranked by Forbes in the YouTube video below.
Jeffree Star’s personal wealth is estimated to be around $200 million, and his cosmetics brand closer to $1.5 billion. Given that Jeffree Star came from humble roots in Orange County, California and started as a small-time singer after graduation, it’s hard to imagine a bigger success story, with Star building his company and fortune from the ground up.