The world has been introduced to thousands of beautiful models throughout the past century, but some of them have made a bigger impact—and a bigger paycheck—than others.
In 2022, Kendall Jenner was the highest-paid model in the world, with over 292 million Instagram followers and an estimated annual income of $40 million. While not yet the richest model in the world, her high income means she’s expected to climb the list.
These are the world’s 32 richest female models and their estimated net worth right now:
32. Irina Shayk – $25 million
Irina Shayk is a Russian model best known for her runway work. Shayk has worked with brands like Victoria’s Secret, Guess, and Lacoste and even posed nude on GQ.
Self-made millionaire Irina Shayk built her fortune from modeling (Credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock)
Perhaps her biggest achievement as a model was becoming the first Russian model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
“I am,” she told Vanity Fair in 2013 when asked if she’s a good investor. ” She admitted to collecting money and Hermès Birkin bags.
“And a lot of people say, Oh, models are not very smart, but when you see the business side, we are. You have to invest the money in a certain thing, because, you know, at 40, I want to enjoy my life. So I do a lot of investments. Apartments back in Russia and New York. It’s a good thing to do.”
Irina Shayk owns several properties in Russia in the United States (Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / WENN)
“No. I think it’s a little bit risky,” she said about investing in stocks. “And I’m Russian, and I think I would take the safest road: real estate. Because real estate in New York is growing day by day, especially in areas in the West Village and uptown. So I prefer to invest my money in real estate because you can never go wrong with that.”
31. Bella Hadid – $25 million
Bella Hadid is an American model who comes from a very famous family. Her mother, Yolanda Hadid, and her sister, Gigi Hadid, are also featured on this list.
One of the most successful models in the world, Bella Hadid’s earnings come from her modeling work, brand endorsements, and social media presence.
Although she came from a rich and famous family, Bella Hadid made a name for herself in the modeling industry, appearing on many magazine covers and runway shows (Credit: FashionStock / Shutterstock)
Of Arab and Dutch descent, Bella Hadid has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Dior, Chanel, Versace, and Balmain. She has also appeared in several high-profile fashion magazines, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle.
Hadid is a muse for Marc Jacobs and has walked the runway for the brand multiple times. She has also walked the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show four times,
30. Candice Swanepoel – $25 million
Candice Swanepoel is one of the most recognized Victoria’s Secret models and has walked the runway for some of the biggest fashion brands in the world.
Born in Mooi River, South Africa, in 1988, she started modeling at the age of 15 and quickly became one of the most in-demand models in the industry.
South African model Candice Swanepoel has been appearing on Forbes’ “The World’s Top-Earning Models” list since 2010 (Credit: FashionStock / Shutterstock)
She’s also one of the few Victoria’s Secret models who’s had the honor of wearing the Fantasy Bra in the bygone fashion show.
29. Joan Smalls – $26 million
Appearing in five Victoria’s Secret Fashion shows from 2011 through 2015, Joan Smalls became the first Latina model to represent Estée Lauder in 2015. She has been a spokesmodel for the brand ever since.
Joan Smalls was born in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 1988. Her father is of African-Virgin Islander and Irish descent, and her mother is Puerto Rican of Spanish, Taino, and Indian descent. Smalls began modeling at the age of 16, and she quickly rose to fame.
Wealthy Puerto Rican model Joan Smalls attends Michael Rubin’s 2022 Fanatics Super Bowl Party on February 12, 2022, in Culver City, California (Credit: DFree / Shutterstock)
“I’ve always had a struggle trying to get a hair campaign. It’s mind-boggling. I’ve been on options. And they dropped me at the last minute and the excuse was, we were afraid to try something new. And by new they meant, we’ve never shot a black girl,” Joan Smalls said during a Business of Fashion panel in December 2016 about racial injustice in the fashion industry.
28. Gigi Hadid – $30 million
Bella Hadid‘s sister Gigi Hadid has been modeling since she was a teenager.
She was the first of the sisters to choose to follow in their mother’s footsteps, and she is currently another one of the highest-paid models in the world, having worked for brands like Versace and Tommy Hilfiger.
Richer than her sister Bella, Gigi Hadid has made 35 appearances on international Vogue magazine covers and was named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council in 2016 (Credit: FashionStock / Shutterstock)
She’s also walked on many high fashion runways, like Tom Ford and Max Mara, and has also been featured in Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
27. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – $30 million
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is another well-paid high-fashion model. From a farm community in England, she began modeling at age 15 and has since traveled the world thanks to her career.
Jason Statham’s supermodel girlfriend, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, is also known for appearing in the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the 2015 movie Mad Max Fury Road (Credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock)
Of English and Jewish descent, her credits include work for Burberry, Godiva, Victoria’s Secret, and Prada.
26. Doutzen Kroes – $35 million
Many of the highest-paid models in the world have been featured on Victoria’s Secret runway, and Doutzen Kroes is one of them.
Originally from the Netherlands, Kroes initially wanted to become a speed skater, just as her parents were in their youth. Still, after sending photos of herself to a modeling agency, her career path changed.
Doutzen Kroes was born on January 23, 1985 in Eastermar, Tytsjerksteradiel, Friesland, Netherlands. She is of Dutch and Frisian descent. Frisian is a Germanic ethnic group that is native to the province of Friesland in the Netherlands.
Dubbed the Helen of Troy of advertising, Doutzen Kroes makes the most of her money from her earnings as a supermodel (Credit: FashionStock / Shutterstock)
Kroes has been on some of the most notable magazine covers in the world, and she’s an advocate for size inclusion on the runway.
25. Karlie Kloss – $40 million
Karlie Kloss is an American model known for her signature runway walk. Like many models on this list, she has walked for Victoria’s Secret and posed for high-fashion brands like Gucci and Valentino.
Karlie Kloss was born on August 3, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois. She is of German, Danish, Bohemian Czech, and possibly Polish descent.
Karlie Kloss started modeling at the age of 13, gracing magazine covers and several catwalks for major fashion labels (Credit: FashionStock / Shutterstock)
She’s also well known for becoming the host of Project Runway when Heidi Klum left and has even started her own effort to empower more young women to learn how to code.
24. Christy Turlington – $40 million
Model Christy Turlington has been on hundreds of magazine covers and featured in many music videos for famous artists like Duran Duran and George Michael.
Christy Turlington was born on January 2, 1969, in Walnut Creek, California. She is of English, Salvadoran, and distant Honduran descent.
A world-renowned supermodel of the ’80s and ’90s, Christy Turlington has also forayed into filmmaking and has been actively involved in charity works (Credit: DFree / Shutterstock)
She’s also been seen in ad campaigns for famous brands like Donna Karan, Michael Kors, and Prada.
23. Rachel Hunter – $40 million
Rachel Hunter is a model from New Zealand who parlayed her modeling career into one in the entertainment industry.
The stunner hosted Rachel Hunter’s Tour of Beauty on Imagination Television and was a judge on New Zealand’s Got Talent for a year.
Rachel Hunter started modeling at 16 and has since graced the cover of several major fashion magazines, including Sports Illustrated, which brought her global success (Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock)
Hunter has been featured in both Italian and Australian Vogue, was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and was featured in Playboy.
22. Linda Evangelista – $40 million
Canadian model Linda Evangelista was incredibly popular in the ‘90s and is part of the group dubbed the first supermodels.
A Canadian model of Italian descent. She was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, on May 10, 1965. Her parents, Marisa and Tomaso “Tom” Evangelista, emigrated from Italy to Canada.
Regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time, Linda Evangelista has been featured on over 700 magazine covers and holds the record for her multiple appearances on the cover of Vogue Italia (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)
Evangelista has modeled for Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, John Paul Gaultier, and Oscar de la Renta, just to name a few. She also became famous for claiming that she and other models “don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.”
21. Yolanda Hadid – $45 million
Before her daughters were modeling, Yolanda Hadid was famous for her own career. The Dutch model signed with Eileen Ford, the owner of Ford Models, at just 16 years old, and continued modeling until marrying and having children.
Of Dutch descent, she was born Yolanda van den Herik on January 11, 1964, in Papendrecht, South Holland, Netherlands.
Before her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Gigi and Bella Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, was considered a top model (Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)
20. Cara Delevingne – $50 million
Cara Jocelyn Delevingne is an English model, actress, and singer known for her iconic bushy eyebrows and bold red lips.
Cara Jocelyn Delevingne was born on August 12, 1992, in Hammersmith, London, England. She is of English, Ashkenazi Jewish, Welsh, Dutch, German, French, Scottish, distant Irish, and Jersey [Channel Islander] descent.
Cara Delevingne in a black Vivienne Westwood Red Label Fall 2015 dress at the Elle Style Awards 2015 at Sky Garden @ The Walkie Talkie Tower on February 24, 2015, in London (Credit: Cubankite / Shutterstock)
She has starred in movies such as The Face of an Angel (2014), Her Smell (2018), Anna Karenina (2012), Paper Towns (2015), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), Suicide Squad (2016), and Kids in Love (2016).
Britain’s top-earning model for several years, her romantic relationships include Jaden Smith (2021), Ashley Frangipane (2020), Margaret Qualley (2020), Ashley Benson (2018 – 2020), St. Vincent (2014 – 2016), Michelle Rodriguez (2014), and Rita Ora (2011 – 2013).
19. Melania Trump – $50 million
Melania Trump is best known for being the wife of someone rich and famous, former president and billionaire Donald Trump, but she had the opportunity to become his wife by achieving success through her modeling career.
Melania Trump (née Knauss) was born on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Slovenia). She is of Slovenian descent.
She may be the wife of former president Donald Trump, but Melania Trump has made a fortune from modeling and several businesses, including her jewelry collection, skincare line, and property investments (Credit: Mark Reinstein / Shutterstock)
The Slovenian beauty began modeling when she was just five years old, and some of her credits include covering Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vanity Fair.
18. Natalia Vodianova – $50 million
Natalia Vodianova is a Russian model who turned from a life of poverty to a life of riches after being discovered by a modeling scout when she was just 15.
Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova was born on February 28, 1982, in Gorky, RSFSR, USSR (now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). She is of Russian and Mordvin descent.
From rags to riches, Natalia Vodianova grew up in a poor district of Nizhny Novgorod but is now one of the top-earning models in the world (Credit: Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock)
Vodianova moved to Paris to begin her career in earnest and has since walked in hundreds of runway shows for fashion houses such as Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel, among many, many others.
17. Twiggy Lesley Lawson – $50 million
Dame Lesley Lawson DBE (née Hornby), known mononymously as Twiggy, is an English model who became famous in the ‘60s for her signature look. Her small frame and pixie haircut defined the aesthetic of her generation.
She was born Lesley Hornby on September 19, 1949, in Willesden, Middlesex, England. She is of English descent.
After her many successful years as a model, Leigh Lawson’s wife, Twiggy Lesley Lawson, made a successful career in acting (Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock)
16. Kendall Jenner – $60 million
She might be more well-known for being a part of one of the world’s most famous families than for her modeling work, but Kendall Jenner has made a fortune and earned a career for herself on her own merit.
Kendall Nicole Jenner was born on November 3, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. She is of English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, German, Welsh, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, remote Jersey Channel Islander and Cornish descent.
Kendall Jenner is currently the highest-paid model in the world, making bank from various endorsement deals and her family’s reality show (Credit: Sky Cinema / Shutterstock)
Jenner has been featured on Victoria’s Secret runway, and she’s also walked in many high-fashion shows and been the face of many advertising campaigns. Jenner is also known for attending the Met Gala every year with various designers.
15. Miranda Kerr – $60 million
Born in Australia, Miranda Kerr has had lots of success working with brands like Betsey Johnson and Roberto Cavalli and modeling for Vogue Australia.
Miranda May Kerr was born on April 20, 1983, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She is of English, Scottish, French, and Irish descent.
Miranda Kerr rose to fame as the first Australian Victoria’s Secret Angel and was once featured on Forbes’ list of highest-paid models (Credit: Lev Radin / Shutterstock)
She was the first Australian woman to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel and was once one of the highest-earning models in the world.
14. Brigitte Bardot – $65 million
Brigitte Bardot is one of the most famous French models ever. She is famous for her acting career as well, but she began as a model, posing on the cover of Elle magazine at just age 15. Nowadays, the French beauty lives a very private life.
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris, France on September 28, 1934. She is of French and distant German descent.
A famous model and actress, Brigitte Bardot was one of the best-known sex symbols of the late ’50s and ’60s (Credit: 360b / Shutterstock)
13. Claudia Schiffer – $70 million
German model Claudia Schiffer has been on more magazine covers than any other model in the world. Fans have seen her on the covers of Vogue, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Elle, and Cosmopolitan, among others.
Claudia Schiffer was born on August 25, 1970, in Rheinberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is of German descent.
Claudia Schiffer holds the record for the model with the most magazine covers and her modeling helped several brands gain worldwide recognition (Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock)
She’s walked for houses like Versace and Louis Vuitton and starred in ads for Revlon and Dom Perignon. Schiffer is known in pop culture for her modeling work and has appeared in movies like Zoolander and Love Actually.
12. Kate Moss – $70 million
Kate Moss is one of the most famous supermodels in the world and one of the highest-earning of all time.
The British beauty began her career as a teenager and was known for her differing look from the famous models at the time she rose to prominence, as she is much shorter than other models and quite thin, even by model standards.
One of the top richest supermodels, Kate Moss makes her fortune not just from being a supermodel but also from being a contributing fashion editor for British Vogue and from her fashion and perfume lines (Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock)
Kate Moss was born on January 16, 1974, in Croydon, Surrey, England. She is of English descent.
11. Naomi Campbell – $80 million
Naomi Campbell is a British model who is best known for walking the runway. She has posed for hundreds of magazine covers and broke barriers as the first black model to be on the cover of three separate magazines: Time and the French and British editions of Vogue. Campbell is one of the first-ever supermodels.
Naomi Elaine Campbell was born on May 22, 1970, in Lambeth, London, England. She is of Jamaican descent, and her paternal grandmother was of Chinese or partial Chinese descent.
Thanks to her modeling career, acting gigs, and perfume line, Naomi Campbell remains one of the world’s richest models ever (Credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock)
10. Alessandra Ambrosio – $80 million
Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio has been modeling since she was a preteen and grew to prominence after being selected as a finalist in the Elite Model Look competition in Brazil.
Alessandra Corine Maria Ambrósio was born on April 11, 1981, in Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She is of Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and some Polish descent.
Alessandra Ambrosio makes her wealth mainly from modeling for huge brands and from a few acting roles (Credit: DFree / Shutterstock)
Since then, she’s been on the cover of many magazines and has been featured in Victoria’s Secret fashion show, one year wearing a costume made of only candy.
9. Tyra Banks – $90 million
Tyra Banks is one of the most famous and recognizable models in the world. She began modeling when she was in high school and has since been on magazine covers and runways.
Tyra Lynne Banks was born on December 4, 1973, in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, United States. She is of African-American descent.
Tyra Banks has amassed a hefty net worth from appearing on major runways, magazine covers, and television shows, including America’s Next Top Model, and from her own production company, Bankable Productions (Credit: Jamie Lamor Thompson / Shutterstock)
She was the first black woman to be featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, as well as GQ, and she became even more famous when she hosted the popular television show America’s Next Top Model.
Tyra Banks shows off her feet at the 2011 Do Something Awards (Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)
The bombshell also criticized the expectations of models to maintain unrealistic body weights.
According to Forbes, she earned $30m during a 12-month period as America’s Next Top Model host and creator. Sarah Hartshorne, a former ANTM contestant, alleged on Twitter that she and others were paid $40 a day while competing on the show.
Tyra Banks was reportedly paid $30m during a 12-month period as America’s Next Top Model host and creator (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)
“The fact that girls on ANTM were getting paid $40 an episode and Tyra and the judges were making BANK, is kinda sick,” a user wrote, to which Sarah responded, “$40 an episode and we had to pay for food.”
8. Adriana Lima – $95 million
Brazilian model Adriana Lima is best known for her work with Victoria’s Secret.
She was an Angel for 18 years – longer than any other model for the brand – and has also walked the runway for Vera Wang, Valentino, and Christian Dior, to name a few designers.
Adriana Lima was born on June 12, 1981, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She is of Brazilian descent, with Portuguese, Indigenous, Swiss, African, and Japanese ancestry.
Adriana Lima was the longest-serving Victoria’s Secret Angel, having walked the runway for 19 years (Credit: FashionStock / Shutterstock)
Some fans will recognize her, too, from starring in various Super Bowl advertisements.
7. Elle Macpherson – $95 million
Elle Macpherson is an Australian supermodel who rose to fame in the ‘80s. Her plan was to model for a bit while she earned money to attend law school, but after achieving unprecedented success, she continued on the path of modeling.
Eleanor Nancy Gow, better known by her stage name Elle Macpherson, was born on March 29, 1964, in Killara, New South Wales, Australia. She is of Scottish descent and may also have some other European ancestry.
Elle Macpherson holds the record for most Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers, with five, and she makes most of her fortune from modeling and several business ventures (Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock)
Macpherson holds the nickname given to her by Time magazine: The Body. She has been featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition five times – more than any other model.
6. Christie Brinkley – $100 million
Christie Brinkley has been a famous model since the ‘70s when she rose to prominence after appearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and becoming the face of CoverGirl.
Christie Lee Hudson, better known as Christie Brinkley, was born on February 2, 1954, in Monroe, Michigan, U.S. She is of German, Irish, English, and Scottish descent.
Aside from being a successful supermodel, Christie Brinkley is also a successful businesswoman, with a skincare line, hair extension line, eyewear line, and some real estate investments in the Hamptons (Credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock)
An American model, Brinkley was discovered in Paris while she was studying, and she has since posed for hundreds of magazine covers. She has been photographed in over 30 countries around the world.
5. Heidi Klum – $160 million
Heidi Klum is a German model who shot to fame after appearing on the covers of various fashion magazines. She was a prominent feature for Victoria’s Secret for over ten years and is well known for hosting Project Runway.
Heidi Klum was born on June 1, 1973, in Bergisch Gladbach, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Cologne Bonn Region, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is of German descent.
Heidi Klum has accumulated most of her wealth from modeling, endorsement deals, jewelry, clothing and beauty lines, and from producing shows (Credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock)
Klum is also known in pop culture for always having an amazing Halloween costume and hosting an incredibly over-the-top Halloween party.
4. Iman – $200 million
Iman has been modeling for decades. She’s worked with very prominent photographers like Annie Leibowitz.
Much of Iman’s net worth comes from her late husband David Bowie’s fortune, but she has earned millions and millions of dollars, as well as her career and reputation, in her own right through her skill as a model.
Iman is an entrepreneur, actress, and high-end model who has worked with a number of top designers and photographers (Credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock)
Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid was born on July 25, 1955, in Mogadiscio, Trust Territory of Somaliland (under Italian administration). She is of Somali descent.
3. Cindy Crawford – $400 million
Cindy Crawford is one of the most famous models in the world and has been ranked in multiple publications as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her career spans decades, and she is also one of the first women to be dubbed a supermodel.
One of the most established supermodels, Cindy Crawford’s fortune comes from her work as a model, her beauty line, and her furniture line (Credit: DFree / Shutterstock)
Cynthia Ann Crawford was born on February 20, 1966, in DeKalb, Illinois, U.S. She is of English, one-eighth Danish, as well as Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, German, distant Irish and Welsh, remote French and Jersey Channel Islander descent.
In an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? aired in 2013, Crawford said, “I always just say I’m an America mutt because I know all of my grandparents were born here, and I’m pretty sure all of my great-grandparents were too. I’m just like, ‘We’re Midwestern potato-eating people.'”
“I guess it would be cool to have some person that was historically relevant, but the main thing for me is just having that sense of connection to history,” she added.
I grew up in DeKalb, Illinois which is about 60 miles west of Chicago and people think it’s suburban but it’s not. It’s small town Illinois and it was a great place to grow up. I consider myself to be the kind of Midwestern neighbour girl, I kind of made my career on that so I’m sticking with that story, that’s how I see myself.
Her net worth is combined with her husband’s, but she still is worth about $200 million on her own, thanks to her unbelievable success as a model.
2. Gisele Bundchen – $400 million
Brazilian Gisele Bundchen is an incredibly famous supermodel all over the world who speaks multiple languages and has done nearly every type of modeling possible.
Gisele Caroline Bündchen was born on July 20, 1980, in Três de Maio, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She is of German descent.
She was a model for Victoria’s Secret, walked the runway, starred in ad campaigns, and was the face of various brands.
While she married the wealthy NFL quarterback Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen amassed a high net worth on her own through her modeling career, topping Forbes’ annual highest-paid models’ list for eight consecutive years (Credit: Sky Cinema / Shutterstock)
Bundchen was also married to a very famous and wealthy man, Tom Brady, who just announced his retirement from the NFL, but she is worth $400 million all on her own, thanks to her success as a supermodel.
1. Kathy Ireland – $500 million
The richest supermodel in the world is Kathy Ireland. She’s acquired her half-billion-dollar fortune by appearing on magazine covers, becoming an actress, and delving into various entrepreneurial projects.
Kathy Ireland was born on March 20, 1963, in Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States. Her father, John Ireland, was an English-born accountant, and her mother, Barbara Ireland (née Jones), was a homemaker of Norwegian descent.
“I was living in Paris and it was really a hard time,” she told Fox News about becoming a Christian and trying to start different businesses.
Kathy Ireland and her partner Tony Dovolani participated in the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars (Credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock)
“I know it might sound glamorous, but I was alone modeling. It wasn’t my plan, but I recognized it as an opportunity. I could save money for college or start a business. I just barely finished high school and I had no technology or distractions.”
“If something would have taken off earlier, the modeling career wouldn’t have gone on for so long,” she said about failing several times before she finally succeeded.
The ’80s and ’90s supermodel Kathy Ireland is a self-made millionaire whose fortune comes from her licensing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, home-furnishings line, fashion and jewelry line, and shipping container business (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)
Ireland is a very hard worker and a very philanthropic woman as well. One of the richest self-made women in the U.S., she is the founder and CEO of the lifestyle company Kathy Ireland Worldwide.