While many question her on-camera and personal life choices, there is no doubting that Kim Kardashian is a bonafide and shrewd businesswoman.
Whether it is from her stake in the successful DASH stores in Los Angeles and Miami, her ventures in accessories in ShoeDazzle and of course the wildly popular reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardshaians on E!, whether we like her not, we are addicted to the diminutive—and curvy—reality star/entrepreneur and her exploits.
Heck, her half-sister, Kendall Jenner, the new “it” girl of fashion, is on the cover of this month’s GQ. while her other half-sister, Kylie is venturing into cosmetics and promoting new wireless headphones.
This is not me proudly shilling for them, or expressing my fandom for her or her famous clan, but strictly from a money and business point of view, she is quietly making money off of the constant hatred and vitriol thrown at her, while you still quietly have her name in your mouth.
Admit it, and to keep it one hundred, despite her brief marriage to Kris Humphries, her sex tape and her current marriage to cultural lightning rod, Kanye West, we can’t get enough of her.
Men want her, women hate her—but secretly admire her fashion sense. Quite a gender disparity, eh?
As I like to say, money talks and bullshit walks, because at the end at the end of the day, it’s all about the bottom line.
Like I said, it’s ok, your secret is safe with me.
It’s okay to admit that as much as you mock her for having no talent, being a slut, or an attention whore, that you do—from time to time—do Google searches on her, are drawn in by the sight of her on the cover of your favorite fashion magazine, flip the channel to E! and discreet admire her fashion sense in buying her designer shoes.
Like I said, it’s okay to admit that you are a fan of her and her style.
Heck, it’s even okay to admit that you are a tad bit curious about her stepfather, Bruce, recently coming out as a woman and transitioning, in flipping the channel to see the exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer.
Karadashian—depending on how it’s used—is everything from a punch line to a recognizable one-name brand synonymously with Coke, Nike and Pepsi.
Which brings me to her latest business venture, the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app.
Launched in August of 2014, the wildly successful app, which enables the user to play as a virtual Kim, and progress up to the A-list, amassed $43 million dollars in it’s first three months of release, per parent company Glu Mobile—via the Daily Mail.
According to Forbes and Bloomberg, it was well on its way to making $200 million, before failing short of those initial projections. Hype aside, Kardashian still took home a reported 45 percent of the profits.
While the app may have flopped sales wise, her fame and popularity are anything but, and should serve as a teaching moment for those in business of putting yourself out there by betting on you.
Critics and naysayers will continue to bash and criticize, and for Kim, that is perfectly fine, as she is the one laughing all the way to the bank, while you are most likely playing her Hollywood game on your Android or iPhone.
Like I said, your closet obsession with her and all things Karadashian are safe with me.