Kimberly Noel Kardashian, widely known as Kim Kardashian, is an American media personality, socialite, entrepreneur, and billionaire who has become one of the most globally recognized and commercially powerful women in the world. Born on October 21, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, Kardashian first gained widespread public attention through the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians before leveraging her extraordinary media presence and business acumen to build a multi-billion dollar empire encompassing shapewear, beauty, skincare, and beyond. She became a billionaire in 2021 and has consistently appeared on Forbes' list of the world's billionaires, with her net worth estimated at approximately $1.7 billion as of May 2025. Few individuals in modern history have so dramatically transformed a media profile into a business empire of such scale.
Early Life
Kimberly Noel Kardashian was born on October 21, 1980, in Los Angeles, California. She is the second of four children born to Robert Kardashian Sr., a prominent American attorney best known for his role as a defense attorney in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, and Kris Houghton (later Kris Jenner), who would go on to become one of the most powerful managers and media strategists in the entertainment industry. Kim grew up alongside her older sister Kourtney, younger sister Khloe, and younger brother Rob in the affluent community of Beverly Hills, California. Following her parents' divorce in 1991, her mother later married Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner), and Kim gained two stepsisters in Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
Kim has spoken about growing up in a household shaped by wealth, ambition, and intense family bonds. The death of her father Robert Kardashian in 2003 from esophageal cancer was a deeply formative event in her life, and she has repeatedly spoken about how profoundly his loss affected her. His legacy of hard work and professional excellence has been a guiding influence throughout her career.
Education
Kim Kardashian attended Marymount High School in Los Angeles, a private Catholic all-girls school. She did not pursue formal higher education after high school graduation, instead entering the workforce and pursuing business and entertainment opportunities. However, in a remarkable turn that surprised many, Kardashian announced in 2019 that she was studying to become a lawyer, having chosen to read the law through an apprenticeship program in California rather than attending law school. She passed the California First-Year Law Exam (commonly called the Baby Bar) in 2021 after multiple attempts, and has spoken passionately about her advocacy work for criminal justice reform, including her successful campaign to secure clemency for Alice Marie Johnson. She has stated her intention to take the California Bar Examination.
Career
Kim Kardashian first gained widespread public recognition through her friendship with heiress Paris Hilton, with whom she worked as a stylist and closet organizer in the mid-2000s. Her public profile escalated dramatically with the release of a personal video in 2007, the same year that Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered on E! Network. The reality series ran for twenty seasons until 2021 and became one of the most-watched and culturally influential reality television programs in history, launching the careers of the entire Kardashian-Jenner family. The family subsequently transitioned their reality programming to Hulu with The Kardashians, which premiered in 2022.
Kardashian's entrepreneurial career has been equally remarkable. She launched KKW Beauty, a cosmetics line, in 2017, and the brand sold out of its initial product within hours. In 2021, she sold a 20 percent stake in KKW Beauty to Coty Inc. for $200 million. Her most significant business triumph, however, has been SKIMS, a shapewear and loungewear brand she founded in 2019. SKIMS has grown into one of the most successful apparel brands in the United States, achieving a valuation of $4 billion by 2023 and making Kim Kardashian a genuine billionaire. She also launched SKKN by Kim, a luxury skincare line, in 2022. Beyond beauty and fashion, Kardashian has pursued criminal justice reform advocacy, studied law, and has been a vocal proponent of prison reform initiatives that have resulted in the release of numerous incarcerated individuals.
Personal Life
Kim Kardashian has been married three times. Her first marriage was to music producer Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2004. Her second marriage was to NBA player Kris Humphries in August 2011; the marriage famously lasted only 72 days before she filed for divorce. Her third and most high-profile marriage was to rapper and fashion designer Kanye West (now known as Ye), whom she married in Florence, Italy, in May 2014. Together they have four children: North West (born June 2013), Saint West (born December 2015), Chicago West (born January 2018), and Psalm West (born May 2019). Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West in February 2021, and the divorce was finalized in 2022.
Net Worth
As of 2026, Kim Kardashian's estimated net worth is approximately $1.7 Billion, according to Forbes and Celebrity Net Worth. The vast majority of this wealth is derived from her ownership stake in SKIMS, which has been valued at $4 billion, as well as the proceeds from the sale of her KKW Beauty stake to Coty, ongoing revenue from The Kardashians on Hulu, brand endorsements, social media partnerships, and her various business and legal pursuits. She is one of a small number of self-made female billionaires in the world and arguably the most successful reality television personality ever to achieve billionaire status.
Quick Facts
- Full Name: Kimberly Noel Kardashian
- Date of Birth: October 21, 1980
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Nationality: American
- Height: 5 ft 3 in
- Net Worth: $1.7 Billion (estimated 2026)
- Marital Status: Divorced (Kanye West, finalized 2022)
- Children: North West, Saint West, Chicago West, Psalm West
- Profession: Media Personality, Entrepreneur, Socialite, Legal Advocate
- Best Known For: SKIMS, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, KKW Beauty
