Beauty, brains and big bucks!
Heidi Klum should watch out — there's another supermodel-turned-supermogul trailing in her steps. Gisele Bundchen is on her way to becoming the world's first billionaire supermodel — and the first self-made billionaire from her native Brazil, Forbes predicts.
Why is the 30-year-old catwalker about to join the mega rich? Bundchen, who has been featured on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list for 10 years, has been busy branding herself with a slew of projects: her lingerie brand Gisele Bundchen Brazlilian Intimates, her skin-care line Sejaa Pure Skincare, and her line of sandals with Grendene.
Forbes writes: "According to a recent report in Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, Bundchen could add as much as R$ 30 million ($19 million) per year to her estimated $45 million annual income." The 5-foot-11 beauty's successful earning strategy can be attributed to her owning stake in these companies as opposed to solely licensing her name to the brands.
In the 2011 Celebrity 100 list, Bundchen's $45 million figure landed her the #60 spot, while her New England Patriots quarterback husband Tom Brady, 33, holds down #55, bringing in $31 million. The high-earning power couple have a 18-month-old son, Benjamin.
