Richest Model: Kathy Ireland sets world record (HD Video)
DUBLIN, Ireland--Former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girl Kathy Ireland is personally worth $350 million with a retail empire valued at $2 billion, thanks to her company Kathy Ireland worldwide, according to Forbes - setting the new world record for the Richest Model, according to World Record Academy: http://www.worldrecordacademy.com/.
Photo: Kathy Ireland has become the highest paid model in the world. (enlarge photo)
The Guinness world record for the youngest model to be listed on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list was set by Adriana Lima (Brazil) who was aged 26 years 2 days when the list was published on forbes.com. Best-known for her modelling contracts with Maybelline and Victoria's Secret (both USA), Lima was listed No. 99 with a wealth estimated at $4 million (£2 million).
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the oldest model to be listed on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, set by Heidi Klum (Germany) who was aged 34 years 13 days when the list was published on forbes.com. Klum was listed No. 84 on the list, with a wealth estimated at $8 million (£4 million).
The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girl has beaten the likes of Gisele Bundchen and Cindy Crawford to take the top spot, thanks to her company Kathy Ireland Worldwide which sells everything from ceiling fans to carpets.
Apparently, Ireland's brands sell some $2 billion worth of retail products a year. Forbes notes that this is twice as much as housewares guru Martha Stewart.
Kathy is personally worth $350 million with a retail empire valued at $2 billion, according to Forbes and Kathy praises her religious values for helping her become so successful.
Kathy's explained that her core clientele are busy mothers, but she says she doesn't like to hold store openings because they become overrun with men who want her to sign old copies of Sports Illustrated.
She explained: ''It's heroic for a busy mom to go to a store. If she goes to a retailer and she has a bad experience she's mad and rightly so. ''We've tried it, and it doesn't work.
What happens is the store gets cluttered with guys who are there with 500-year-old copies of Sports Illustrated. How does that help a busy mom? These people are just in her way.''
