Many celebrities have moved on from the world of acting and presenting to the world of business. Their stories are a testament to what passion, hard work and vision can help create. They have become successful entrepreneurs and clearly made a mark.
We aren’t talking about celebrities who merely endorsed a product or lent their name to it. We are talking about famous faces who dedicated time to the cause, learnt new skills, and overcame various obstacles.
Here, we look at six inspirational celebrities who are entrepreneurs and have made a big difference.
Ben Francis – The Garage Beginnings of Gymshark
Ben Francis started Gymshark from a garage in Bromsgrove in 2012. He dropped out of Aston University and used his savings to buy a sewing machine. The first products were fitness supplements and simple T-shirts.
Sales grew fast thanks to social media and fitness trends. By 2020, Gymshark attracted a major investment that valued it at over £1 billion. Ben kept a majority stake and stayed as CEO. Today, the business is in 131 countries and is worth around $1.45 billion, making Ben a billionaire by age 30
Sara Davies – Crafting Success
Sara Davies came up with “The Enveloper” while studying at York University in 2005. She made and sold the crafting tool from halls of residence. It caught attention on shopping channels. Crafter’s Companion grew into a £25 million turnover business.
Sara joined Dragons’ Den and later became Avon’s Chief Inspiration Officer. She proves that a simple idea, done right, can snowball.
Susie Ma – Beauty Built on Belief
Susie Ma appeared on The Apprentice in 2011. Lord Sugar backed her with £250,000 to launch a natural skincare line called Tropic. Within ten years, Tropic reached more than £90 million in annual revenue.
Susie later bought back Lord Sugar’s shares, giving her full control again. She shows how knowing your audience, people who want cleaner beauty, can pay off.
Spencer Matthews – A New Take on Spirits
Best known from Made in Chelsea, Spencer Matthews launched CleanCo in 2020. It’s a range of non-alcoholic spirits and mixers. He started the brand after deciding to reduce his own drinking when his first child was born.
Today CleanCo is sold in many UK supermarkets. His journey highlights how a personal change can become a business opportunity.
Tej Lalvani – Supplements with Heart
Tej Lalvani became a familiar face on Dragons’ Den in 2017. But he was already running Vitabiotics, a supplement brand founded by his father.
Tej grew the company into a global business, earning a personal net worth of around £390 million before he left TV in 2021 to concentrate on the business and his young family.
Victoria Beckham – Style from Pop Star to Designer
Victoria Beckham shot to fame in the pop group Spice Girls. She parlayed her name and interest in fashion into her own label in 2008.
Her designs have won awards and can be found in upmarket retailers like Harrods, Saks and Neiman Marcus. The label now generates £60m in sales a year, and she is one of the UK’s most successful celebrity designers.
Idris Elba – Acting, Beats and Business
Idris Elba has worked across a range of genres. He’s built a career of roles in shows such as The Wire and films like Mandela and Beasts of No Nation. But outside of acting, he has plunged into business with true intent. In 2020, he co-founded Porte Noire, a wine label that started with a champagne produced in France.
In 2024, he partnered with Maison Ferrand and released Porte Noire Cognac, thereby expanding his brand. He was meticulous, as he was involved in practically everything from picking the perfect quality grapes to designing the bottle. The cognac quickie became popular owing to its wonderful quality and bold style.
Lessons These Celebs Can Teach
These celebrity ventures cover fitness clothing, skincare, mixers, vitamins, fashion and drinks. Each one started with a problem these stars wanted to solve. Ben didn’t like gym wear. Sara found a craft-tools gap. Susie saw a call for natural skincare. Victoria had her eye on fashion. Idris wanted drinks with style.
What links them all is genuine effort. Each founder put time into product design, production, marketing and customer service. They stuck with their plans even when things got hectic. Many invested in learning about running a factory, managing stock, or hiring a team.
They also used media wisely. Gymshark’s Instagram model helped it grow fast. Sara became a TV figure and used that visibility. Susie tapped into The Apprentice halo effect. Idris used his media presence to introduce Sine. All of this helped them spread the word.
Why It Matters Beyond Fame
Celebrity connections attract attention. But a big name won’t hide a weak product. These ventures stand on their own. That’s why they still run years later, with loyal customers and solid sales.
They also shape industries. Gymshark shifted how people see fitness wear. Tropic moved the market towards eco-friendly beauty. CleanCo sparked more interest in alcohol-free drinks. Victoria helped cement London’s place in fashion.
Final Thoughts
Celebrities frequently use their fame to connect with fans. But they also revealed real business sense. They didn’t just slap their names on a product, but they sat in boardrooms, encountered setbacks and overcame them. That is the essence of entrepreneurship.
Their stories are a reminder that business isn’t a side hustle. It involves creativity, tenacity and a genuine willingness to address a real need. It’s a T-shirt, a jar of skin cream or a dram of bourbon, but they have found something they care about. Then they built it from the ground up while still in the spotlight.
