Source: Harper’s BAZAAR
The glitzy glamor of runway and fashion photoshoots is arguably just window dressing for these highest paid models of all time. After all, they have been dazzling the world and representing some of the biggest brands for years on end.
Whether they’re still active on the scene or retired, these icons are powerhouse brands, commanding staggering fees for their appearances and endorsements.
Our list of the highest-paid fashion models of all time encompasses the timeless elegance of catwalk beauty, as well as emerging social media stars. What we’ve noticed among the highest paid models is that many of them are influential trend-setters on their own, and perhaps even cultural icons.
Let’s learn more about them!
Who Are The 10 Highest Paid Models of All Time?
Modeling is a highly competitive career, and so are the salaries. Nearly a third of these best paid fashion stars have a net worth of $40 million or higher!
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Even beyond the top 5 highest paid fashion icons above, the majority of the models on our list earned over $20 million.
Surprisingly, it’s not high fashion that pays the most. In fact, all the models on this list are perhaps best known for their Victoria’s Secret gigs.
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Let’s see how much these models made as VS Angels, and what other fashion shows they’ve been in.
10. Liu Wen ($18 million)
Opening up our ranking is 36-year-old Chinese model Liu Wen. Many regard her as China’s first supermodel.
And indeed, Liu had many ‘firsts’ beside that – she was the first Chinese Victoria Secret Model, the first East Asian Estee Lauder spokesperson, and the first Asian person to appear on the cover of the French Vogue in 2024.
In 2014, Liu was the first person to ever pose with an Apple Watch. In addition to Apple, she worked with many other brands, including Calvin Klein, Diesel, Roberto Cavalli, and Chanel Beauty, for which she is the global ambassador.
She is still highly active on the catwalk, having closed Prada’s 2023 fall show in February last year. As one of the highest paid models in the world, Liu’s income amounts to $18 million per year, as of 2023/2024.
9. Joan Smalls ($19 million)
This 35-year-old model and TV personality’s rise to prominence began in 2010 when she was chosen for Givenchy’s Haute Couture show. The Puerto Rican icon has modeled for the French brand ever since, as well as for other couture and ready-to-wear labels.
Her resume includes Gucci, Prada, Tom Ford, YSL, and Versace. She also worked with many high-end eyewear brands and was the first Latina face of Estee Lauder.
Joan Smalls at the Victoria’s Secret show in Paris, 2016 Source: Belfast Telegraph
In addition to modeling, Smalls works as the World’s First Global Fashion Innovator for the W Hotels, and was a co-host on several TV shows, including MTV’s fashion series House of Style, and the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
She also works with Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization that supports children suffering from medical challenges.
Smalls earned approximately $19 million in 2023, according to L’Officie and Paywizard.
8. Bella Hadid ($19 million)
Bella Hadid started her career with Flynn Skye when she was sixteen and has since appeared at many major fashion events like the New York Fashion Week, Tom Ford’s Fall/Winter 2015 show, Metiers d’Art in Rome, and Samsung’s tech and fashion Look Book.
In 2022, she won the Model of the Year Award from the British Fashion Council. The 27-year-old model has worked with many prominent fashion and lifestyle brands, including Givenchy, Mugler, Jil Sander, and Chanel.
As of 2023, she’s earning approximately $19 million per year as a model.
7. Gigi Hadid ($29 million)
Like her younger sister Bella, Gigi Hadid is unsurprisingly among the highest-paid supermodels in the world. The 29-year-old star started modeling much earlier, though.
Her first campaign was for Baby Guess, when she was just two years old. As an adult, she had three Guess campaigns, since returning to modeling in 2011 after finishing school.
Like Bella, Gigi appeared in the New York Fashion Week and won the Model of the Year Award from the British Fashion Council six years before her sister.
Gigi Hadid has worked with brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Max Mara, Valentino, and Reebok. She was also on several TV shows like MasterChef and Next in Fashion.
Hadid makes $29 million per year as of 2023, as per information by L’Officiel and WageIndicator.
6. Adriana Lima ($30 million)
42-year-old Adriana Lima began her career at the age of 15 by winning Ford Models’ “Supermodel of Brazil” competition. Since then, she’s become one of the most successful catwalk models of all time, and the most valuable Victoria’s Secret Angel, as of 2017.
Source: Statista
Lima was the face of several brands’ campaigns throughout her career, including Telecom Italia, Mavi Jeans, Donna Karan, and Miu Miu. It’s therefore no surprise she’s also among the most recognized names among fashion enthusiasts even after decades of modeling.
This Brazilian supermodel remains one of the highest-paid models of all time, but also has one of the highest net worths among supermodels, amounting to $95 million.
Adriana Lima at the 2013 Victoria’s Secret show Source: Observer
Lima walked for Victoria’s Secret 18 times, and her final walk was in 2018. She was also the Global Fan Ambassador for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She still participates in occasional modeling campaigns and is paid $30 million as a model as of 2023/2024.
5. Cara Delevingne ($31 million)
Cara Delevingne is the most recognized UK fashion icon to date, so it’s no surprise she’s also among the highest paid models. As of 2019, she was the most followed UK fashion influencer on Instagram, even surpassing Victoria Beckham by a long margin.
Source: Statista
The 31-year-old British model does more than just fashion; she’s also started her acting career and stars in Only Murders in the Building and Cabaret.
Like Gigi Hadid, she started modeling very young, at the age of ten, with a first gig for Vogue Italia. She debuted at the 2011 London Fashion Week for Burberry and continued modeling until a hiatus in 2016, when she decided to move onto acting.
Cara Delevingne at the TopShop Unique fashion show, 2014 Source: The Evening Standard
Like the Hadids, she won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards twice. Delevingne worked with a number of brands during her modeling days, including Rimmel, Tag Heuer, Burberry, and Chanel.
As of March 2024, you can spot Delevingne at the London West End where she’s starring in Cabaret. She still models occasionally and is making $31 million per year.
4. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley ($32 million)
Another English model on our list is the 37-year-old Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. The Victoria’s Secret Angel and the star of Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) began her career at 16 with a commercial for Levi’s Jeans.
A year later, she debuted on the catwalk in New York and joined Victoria’s Secret in 2006. Since then, she’s been on the covers of numerous magazines including Harper’s Bazaar. Huntington-Whiteley has also been a model for Miss Sixty, Prada, and Giles Deacon.
She’s engaged to the eighth highest-paid actor of 2023, Jason Statham. As a model, Huntington-Whiteley is making $32 million per year, as of 2023.
3. Chrissy Teigen ($39 million)
The 38-year-old model debuted in 2010 in Sports Illustrated and has since enjoyed a career as a swimsuit model and designer. In 2014, she featured on the magazine’s 50th-anniversary cover alongside Nina Agdal and Lily Aldridge.
Chrissy Teigen in Sports Illustrated, 2024 Source: People
So far, Teigen modeled for brands like TRESemme, UGG, and XOXO. Beyond modeling, she’s also made TV appearances on multiple shows starting in 2007, and even authored several cookbooks.
She was a judge on America’s Next Top Model in 2015, and co-hosted FABLife throughout 2015–2016. She also broke into voice acting in 2018, being the voice for multiple characters like Crystal (Hotel Transylvania 3) and Lucy Suwan (Mulligan).
And in 2016, Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook, ‘Cravings,’ became an instant hit and the #1 best seller on USA Today. We can safely say Chrissy Teigen is a triple threat.
As a model, she makes approximately $39 million per year in 2023/2024.
2. Gisele Bündchen ($40 million)
Gisele Bündchen is the second Brazilian superstar on our list, as well as the second best paid model to date. The 43-year-old style icon was discovered in Brazil and made her catwalk debut in the New York Fashion Week in 1996.
Despite not having the smoothest start in fashion, Bündchen had a longstanding modeling career and retired from the runway in 2015 after 20 successful years as a supermodel.
Before she said goodbye to the runway, Gisele Bündchen built up a resume of over 2,000 magazine covers, 800 shows, and 500 campaigns. She’s also a published author and designer, and has several acting credits to her name.
Given her many accomplishments, it’s no surprise Gisele Bündchen is one of the richest models in the world, with a net worth of $400 million. As a model, she earned $40 million per year.
1. Kendall Jenner ($45 million)
Of the world’s highest paid models of all time, Kendal Jenner made the top of the list last year. Though she was first known as simply one of the Kardashians, Kendall has actually been modeling since she was 13 with her first gig for Forever 21.
Source: Statista
By the time she started her modeling career, she’d already made several TV appearances in Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Her ties to the Kardashians also have her labeled as one of the biggest ‘nepo babies’ in fashion alongside her sister Kylie.
Kendall’s catwalk debut was during the 2013 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, for Sherri Hill. Since then, Jenner has worked with numerous brands including Marc Jacobs, Chanel, W Korea, and La Perla, to name a few.
Kendall Jenner at the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Source: Teen Vogue
She’s currently one of the most-followed Instagram influencers and makes $45 million a year as a model, as of 2023. Surprisingly, despite being the highest earning model, she doesn’t have the highest net worth among supermodels. That title belongs to Kathy Ireland.
How Much Does Kendall Jenner Make?
Although Kendall Jenner’s wealth pales in comparison to that of her sister, billionaire Kylie Jenner, the fashion icon amassed a sizable fortune of $45 million through her modeling endeavors.
Celebrity Net Worth even reports that she’s worth more than that in 2024, placing her wealth at $60 million. Moreover, we previously reported that she charges $1.29 million per Instagram post, so she seems to have multiple streams of income contributing to her growing fortune.
How Much Did Gisele Bündchen Make as a Model?
Gisele Bundchen’s net worth amounts to $400 million, making her one of the richest models of all time. Before her retirement from catwalk in 2015, she was making $40 million as a model.
Who’s The Most Successful Male Model of All Time?
Although the biggest standouts in modeling are women, plenty of male models made a name for themselves. Among them, David Gandy is the highest paid male model and one of the best known fashion icons right now, even featuring in the BoF 500.
David Gandy by Conor Clinch, 2013 Source: Wikimedia Commons
According to online pop culture magazine The Richest, David Gandy has a net worth of $15 million as of 2023, which makes him the wealthiest male model in the world.
Throughout his 15 years in the industry, he walked the runway for many renowned designers, including Hugo Boss and Carolina Herrera. His good looks and impressive physique have truly changed the industry as a whole, even influencing male body trends in fashion down the line.
The lead D&G model started his career in 21 after winning a modeling contest, and has enjoyed years of success with the brand since. Due to his muscular build, many menswear companies had to change their approach during the time when being thin was ‘in.’
Runway Conclusions
These stunning and stylish women have been the face of the fashion industry for many years. Although some of them are now retired, they’re still seriously powerful brands and influencers in their respective spheres.
We hope you found this guide to the highest-earning models of all time useful, and we look forward to seeing the new generation of models hit the runway. Who do you think will be the most successful in the future?
References
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