How Kim Kardashian Spends Her Money
If you run a billionaire dollar empire like Kim Kardashian, there's not much you could possibly want in life. Especially if you possess the kind of privilege that allows you to convince customers to spend $129 on concrete garbage cans. Kardashian has built a career on the heels of a sex tape launched during a time when she was most famous for being Paris Hilton's arm candy. She juggles multiple brands including her shapewear company SKIMS and skincare line SKKN, to name a few — all while balancing being a mother to her four children shared with her ex-husband Kanye West. She's also put her platform to good use, advocating for prison reform and lobbying for reduced sentences for convicted criminals, many of whom she believes are wrongfully convicted.
The SKIMS founder is privileged — something she acknowledges — but that hasn't stopped her from pursuing multiple entrepreneurship ventures beyond her family's famous reality TV show. Her hard work has certainly paid off, given that she's the highest-earning member of the Kardashian-Jenner megabrand. Yet, there's not a day that goes by that she isn't scrutinized by the media, for who she's dating, what she's wearing, and where she's going.
There's a lot the public knows about Kardashian due to her transparency on her family's reality show. But what fans might not know is how the mega-celebrity spends her money. Let's break down some of the billionaire's most notable purchases.
Diamond-encrusted grills
You wouldn't take Kim Kardashian as a celebrity that would invest in swanky teeth accessories, but think again. The reality star dropped some serious dough on a custom-made diamond and opal-encrusted grill. It was one way to promote her KKW Beauty campaign, as she showed off her 3-piece lip kits accentuated by the flashy grills, according to People.
Gabby Elan Jewelry was behind the expensive accessory, who showed it off on Instagram. Kardashian showed off the set on her own Instagram, writing "new opal birthstone grill alert." While it's not the most conventional purchase, it certainly draws attention to the lip plumpers the beauty mogul has on the market.
Kardashian toned down her lavish purchases in the years after her 2016 robbery, but a source told People that the reality TV personality still wants to push the envelope in terms of her style and fashion. "She was toned down and out of the public eye after the robbery, but eventually she realized she needs to live her life," the insider revealed at the time.
She paid five-years worth of rent for a former inmate
Not all of Kim Kardashian's purchases go towards her lavish lifestyle. The mother of four paid it forward in a big way when she vowed to pay five years worth of rent for a former prisoner. According to Harper's Bazaar, Matthew Charles was released from prison in 2016 under the First Step Act, a bill signed into action by Donald Trump, which aims to reform prison sentences that disproportionately affect African Americans. The former inmate's troubles didn't end upon his release, however, because he was unable to find an apartment in Nashville due to his criminal record.
Kardashian made a public plea on behalf of Charles in 2019, tweeting, "Matthew Charles's lease application was rejected again bc of his criminal record (even w me paying his rent in advance,)" asking for any leads on available leases. Charles eventually did find his way into an apartment of his own thanks to Kardashian's sponsorship. "GOD IS GOOD!!!. WHAT THE DEVIL MEANT FOR BAD, GOD REVERSED AGAIN, FOR MY GOOD. THANK YOU KIM KARDSHIAN [sic] -WEST and TRACY FOR THE LOVE SHOWN TO ME WHEN I WAS LOCKED UP," Charles wrote on his Facebook.
Charles is one of many former criminals that Kardashian dedicated her platform to in order to lessen the burdens of cracks in the criminal justice system. Kardashian is helping push for pardons for many prisoners she feels are wrongfully convicted on her podcast "The System" which was released in 2022.
She uses gold plated toilets
There's nothing quite as rare as the luxury of gold-plated plumbing — seriously. And if you're Kim Kardashian, your toilets are nothing less than top-tier thrones. All the way back in 2013, the Daily Mail revealed that "The Kardashians" star shelled out $750,000 on four gold-plated toilets for her Bel-Air mansion she once shared with ex-husband Kanye West.
In addition to her luxury bathrooms, the mansion is said to have Swarovski-encrusted freezers and nearly $1 million dollars worth of Electrolux appliances. "They expect the interior to cost twice as much as the property. They're spending more than a million on a security system alone," a source revealed to The Sun. The real question, however, is whether or not the reality star has adorned her home with the $400 SKKN home accessory bundle she sells. Nothing says luxury like a concrete waste basket with a $129 price tag!
Beds with a six-figure price tag
It's no question that if you're Kim Kardashian, you sleep like a queen. The SKKN beauty mogul spent nearly $1 million dollars on beds with her former husband Kanye West in 2013. According to the Daily Mail, the celebrity couple shelled out a whopping $750,000 on six limited edition Savoir Royal State Beds to fill up their former Bel-Air mansion when they were together. Only 60 of the exclusive beds were made in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. The swanky beds were decked out in the same gold silk used to make Hermes ties.
The managing director of Savoir Beds told the Daily Mail, "As a rule we never discuss clients' particular orders. Suffice to say, with a bed like this Kim and Kayne will have little excuse to leave their bedroom." Kardashian and West were among Madonna, Elton John, and Oprah Winfrey to purchase the custom beds. Since the SKIMS founder split with West in 2021, it's up for debate on how the pair decided to split the exclusive six-figure sleeping arrangements.
Slabs of rare imported gold marble
Kim Kardashian has an eye for expensive marble, so much so that she once bet her mother Kris Jenner $1 million if the matriarch could find extra slabs of gold calacatta marble. Oh, the problems of the rich and famous. According to the Daily Mail, Kardashian got into it with her mother during an episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," when she accused Jenner of taking slabs of her exclusive Italian imported marble and not paying for it. Jenner claimed she would find her daughter the slabs, but it wasn't the first time the "SKIMS" founder ran into problems with marble.
At Kardashian and West's nuptials in 2014 the former couple commissioned Italian stonemasons to engrave the names of their guests into marble tabletop. The intricate plan went awry when multiple guests' names were misspelled and their entourage's names were forgotten. Their problems continued when 30 life-size black marble nudes were ordered for their special day, but only 10 of them survived the transit and four of them were missing heads.
Kardashian caused another marble controversy when she posed on her bed promoting her SKIMS' loungewear. Estimates on the marble slabs reveal that they're allegedly worth more than $200,000. The mother of four's Instagram post generated quite the buzz, with some users writing "nothing like waking up being a Kardashian." Headless marble statues were not enough to stop Kardashian's obsession, who spends as much on a headboard as many of the public on a house down payment.
A swanky car collection
Imagine being so rich you paint your luxury cars to match your mansions. Kim Kardashian did just that to her $3.8 million dollar fleet. "I've always been a car girl. I love cars and I really wanted something different. I wanted my cars to blend in with my house which is grey," Kardashian told Vogue. The reality TV star paid $100,000 on the paint jobs to color coordinate with her $60 million dollar California mansion.
What's Kardashian's car of choice? In 2021, she was gifted five Maybachs for Christmas from her former husband Kanye West, totaling out to around a whopping $1 million. The star told Vogue that of her luxurious fleet, the Maybach sedan is her absolute favorite.
The SKIMS founder doesn't miss a chance to promote her own brand, even if it means decking out her Lamborghini in SKIMS fabric. She posted an Instagram photo of her luxury car completely covered in her brand's fabric. Fans had a lot to say about the labor of SKIMS love, with one user writing "What happens if it rains?" and another commenting, "So comfy." Even Paris Hilton weighed in, writing "You know you're rich rich when you can ruin a very expensive car for something like this!" alongside crying laughing emojis.
Her nannies make a pretty penny
Kim Kardashian's fabulous lifestyle hasn't slowed down since she had kids. To keep the Kardashian West household running, sources tell Radar Online the mother of four spends up to $100,000 in monthly bills. "Right now, what's costing them the highest by far though are the nannies, and it's becoming a real drain on their finances," the source said at the time. According to the insider, Kardashian keeps staff on call at all hours of the day and night, and nannies are always in tow on any and all trips.
Childcare isn't the only exorbitant cost, Kardashian also foots the bill for her children's exclusive private school education. Kardashian's kids reportedly go to the Sierra Canyon School, where tuition can top out at as much as nearly $40,000. The SKIMS founder also pays for private security for her kids, after her ex-husband Kanye West spilled the beans on where his kids go to school in one of his many Instagram rants. This comes after West has pushed for his kids to attend his Donda Academy, a non-accredited school.
Her glam squad
Kim Kardashian's weekly beauty routine is exhausting, and not to mention insanely expensive. iHeart News put together an estimate based on the "SKIMS" founder's Elle Magazine spread, and the monthly costs top out at six figures. From $3,000 a day for makeup to nearly $2,500 for personal training, it's estimated that the businesswoman spends nearly $170,000 a month to maintain her status as a pop culture icon.
If you want to have your own piece of Kardashians' beauty regime, she sells it — for a steep cost. The SKKN founder's nine-step regime is valued at more than $575, but fans have been quick to point out that the billionaire isn't even using her own pricey products. A Reddit thread shared the beauty mogul's Instagram story where sleuths were able to zoom in on her bathroom counter which was void of any SKKN products. The photo showed a Cetaphil moisturizer which retails at around $20, much less than the $85 face cream Kardashian is selling. "Cetaphil moisturizer and yet you expect us to drop 100 bucks on SKKN moisturizer," one user wrote. "The fact that she uses Secret deodorant is sending me," another wrote. Celebrities, they're just like us!
Kim Kardashian's multiple mansions
Kim Kardashian has quite a housing portfolio. The reality star spends the majority of her time living in the $60 million Hidden Hills home that she previously shared with her ex-husband Kanye West, but she's snatching up more real estate. According to Hello Magazine, she splurged on a $70 million Malibu mansion that once belonged to Cindy Crawford. It was the highest-sold property in Malibu in 2022, and the fourth most expensive in the state, making it quite the investment for the SKKN founder.
If you're looking to buy your own property fit for a Kardashian, the mother of four relisted her $3.5 million dollar Calabasas condo in 2022. Kardashian also put her $5.3 million dollar Hidden Hills ranch house on the market, which boasts horse facilities and a four-car garage, and is still for sale as of September 2022.
The former "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" star has more properties in the works, currently being built by acclaimed architects. Kardashian enlisted award-winning architect Tadao Ando to build a new home on a plot she owns at La Quinta's Madison Club in Palm Springs, where her mother and sister Kourtney Kardashian have vacation homes. The star once revealed that she also commissioned a unique glass and wood lake house in a secret location that will be designed by Japanese architects.
Exclusive parties on private islands
No one would let Kim Kardashian live it down when the reality star used her power and wealth to fly herself and her inner circle to exclusive private islands in the midst of a global pandemic. The SKIMS founder owned her privilege at least, sharing photos of the lavish trip and tweeting, "After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time." She added, "I realize that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is."
TMZ reported that 40 of Kardashian's closest friends were flown out on a Boeing 777 to the island where they were given keys to their private beachfront villas. Sources revealed the island picked had zero COVID-19 cases, a perfect place to enjoy goodies gifted to guests like GoPros, waterproof cameras, and of course SKIMS and KKW Beauty products. "We danced, rode bikes, swam near whales, kayaked, watched a movie on the beach and so much more," Kardashian tweeted at the time. Of course, there was a less-than-enthusiastic reaction from social media at the time.
She owns a watch worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
One particular item in Kim Kardashian's closet came not only with a hefty price tag, but a lot of sentimental value as well. In April of 2019, it was revealed that the reality TV star owns a Cartier watch that belonged to the late First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She purchased the accessory anonymously in 2017 at a private auction for $379,500 at a New York-based auction.
Kardashian wore the watch to her meeting with President Donald Trump when she lobbied for the release of former inmate Alice Johnson, who was serving a life sentence at the time without the possibility of parole. The SKKN founder told Vogue, "It gave me some power: Let's get in there and get this done!" The trip to the White House was worth it for Kardashian, because Johnson was ultimately granted clemency, and later pardoned by former President Donald Trump.
Designer trash cans for Kim K
Even Kim Kardashian's trash cans scream wealthy. The internet had a field day in 2018 when "The Kardashians" star revealed on Snapchat that her waste bins were adorned with Louis Vuitton logos. While it's not clear whether the designer brand specially commissioned trash bins for the reality TV icon, fans couldn't help but comment on the over-the-top waste situation. "Why are Kim Kardashian's trash cans dressed better than I am???" one user wrote. "I mean, we can all agree that @KimKardashian 's insta @LouisVuitton trash cans are someone's #DIY, right?" quipped another user.
The infamous waste bins were on display in a fashion spread by Odda Magazine featuring Kardashian posing lazily by the waste bins, dressed in a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel. Apparently, nothing says luxury like stepping outside to take your trash to its Louis Vuitton waste bin. Whatever makes you happy, Kimberly.