15 Foods And Drink Brands That Are Surprisingly Owned By Celebs

Considering how much money they make, it’s not exactly surprising that some stars are looking for some productive ways to spend it… and probably even make more of it in the long run. Thanks to their hefty bank accounts, celebrities don’t need to have a business degree in order to own or co-own their own businesses, and we can’t really blame them for taking advantage of that. You probably already know about some really famous brands that A-listers have created, like Khloé Kardashian’s Good American denim line and Jessica Alba’s The Honest Co. But you may not have realized just how many celebs own food and drink brands.

There’s actually a surprising amount of major food and drink brands out there that are owned by stars. It seems like the food industry is the best way to make a little extra money! While some celebs realize the best way to get more publicity is by adding their name to branding, others stay more in the background.

1. This Saves Lives was started by Kristen Bell.

Kristen Bell is a co-owner of the brand, along with friends and fellow actors Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell, and Ravi Patel. Bell started the granola bar company when she learned about childhood malnutrition in Third World Countries. For every bar sold, the company donates food to impoverished children in Haiti and South Africa. Pretty awesome!

2. Food Stirs was created by Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar started Food Stirs, which is all about organic baking goods, with friends Galit Laibow and Greg Fleishman. They were inspired by baking with their own kids, and they wanted a way to make the activity more natural and accessible, so they started making their own stuff and Food Stirs was born.

3. Ryan Reynolds is a part owner of Aviation Gin.

Ryan Reynolds didn’t start Aviation Gin, but he did take over ownership of the company in 2018. Reynolds has said that although he’s the owner, he’s not in charge of everything. He wanted to get involved because he feels like gin is becoming “cool” again with the millennial audience, and so he jumped in there.

4. Jaden and Will Smith founded Just Water.

At 10 years old, Jaden Smith noticed a lot of garbage and plastic in the ocean while surfing, and was so upset by it that he insisted his family do something to help with the pollution. This led to Just Water, which is an eco-friendly bottled water company that was founded by Jaden and his dad, Will Smith. The packages are made almost entirely from renewable resources, like plastic derived from sugarcane. The Smiths waited a few years to reveal that the brand had celebrity backing so that it could grow on its own.

5. Bethenny Frankel is behind Skinnygirl.

The reality star has been the owner of Skinnygirl for years now, which is a food and lifestyle empire. Skinnygirl started off with just cocktails (like Skinnygirl margarita mix) and then expanded to include snacks, salad dressing, and popcorn. Frankel recently announced that she would be selling part of the company to someone who could “build a brand to a stratosphere that I don’t even understand.” She’s staying on as owner with creative control and is still the face of the brand.

6. 22 Days Nutrition was started by Beyoncé and Jay Z.

It’s no secret that Beyoncé and Jay Z have been pushing a vegan diet on fans for a while now, as both a way to stay healthy and to help the environment. In 2018, they announced their plant-based lifestyle company, 22 Days Nutrition, which is a line of organic food like protein bars and powders, as well as a vegan meal delivery service. 22 Days Nutrition aims to make eating healthy and vegan easy and affordable.

7. Vita Coco has two celebrity owners: Madonna and Rihanna.

A lot of celebrities have invested in Vita Coco, a popular coconut water brand, but none more than Madonna, who put in 1.5 million dollars in 2010, making her basically a part-owner. In 2011, Rihanna joined in on the investing. Other celebrities have also chipped in, helping to make the coconut water trend last extra long.

8. Virginia Black Whiskey is Drake’s brand.

Drake launched his own liquor, Virginia Black Whiskey, in 2016. In 2018, he announced that he would be making the brand public so that investors could help “redefine whiskey.” The whiskey brand broke the record for largest first-day sales in Ontario when it was first released back in September 2016.

9. Jennifer Garner owns Once Upon A Farm.

Jennifer Garner is one of the co-founders of baby food company Once Upon A Farm. She was inspired to help start the company while trying to feed her kids fresh, organic fruits and veggies that came from local farmers. The food is for all kids and the pouches only use fruits and veggies with no sugar, preservatives, or other ingredients you can’t pronounce.

10. Diddy is heavily involved with Ciroc Vodka.

Diddy didn’t start Ciroc, but in 2007, he became a part owner when he formed a deal with the parent company, Diageo. They developed their premium Ciroc vodka together so Diddy would get a 50/50 share of the profits. In terms of celebrity alcohol deals, this one sounds pretty sweet.

11. Marilyn Manson is the owner of Mansinthe.

It’s probably not too shocking to hear that Marilyn Manson owns an absinthe brand. It’s called Mansinthe, and theartwork is actually a self-portrait watercolor painting done by Manson. It’s also apparently really good: it was awarded the Gold Medal Winner at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirit Competition.

12. Casamigos Tequila is owned by George Clooney.

George Clooney is another star who has invested in the world of alcohol. Clooney and two friends — one of them is Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s husband — founded Casamigos Tequila, which is one of the fastest-growing tequila brands in the world, by accident back in 2013. Clooney and Gerber came up with the idea while hanging out in Mexico and searching for the perfect tequila. They wanted one that, according to Gerber’s statement to Business Insider, “Didn’t burn going down, that was super smooth, and had the right flavor profile. One that we didn’t have to mix — typically we drink it straight or on the rocks — that we could drink all day long and not be hungover in the morning.”

13. Happy Family has Demi Moore as an owner.

Demi Moore, who has three kids of her own (Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah Willis), was an early investor in the Happy Family organic baby food brand. She didn’t exactly come up with it and she doesn’t totally own it, but she definitely played a small part in the brand! The more you know!

14. Armand de Brignac is Jay Z’s champagne.

Is it really that shocking that Jay Z also owns a luxury champagne brand? Jay got involved with Armand de Brignac financially back when it first came out, which helped boost his net worth to $520 million. The champagne is $300 per bottle, but with Jay’s name, it became hugely popular.

15. Sugarpova is owned by Maria Sharapova.

Who knew that tennis legend Maria Sharapova owned a candy brand? Honestly, we would have imagined her owning some sort of health food brand instead. But, the star created Sugarpova, a line of candies, “to offer an accessible bit of luxury interpreting classic candies in her own signature style.” Apparently, she has a huge sweet tooth!