Forget perfume lines and fashion collabs — some of your favorite celebrities are pulling the strings behind billion-dollar companies you use every day, and you'd never know it. In 2025, the line between Hollywood and Silicon Valley is blurrier than ever — and some stars are choosing to stay silent investors in high-growth startups, gaming platforms, food tech, and more.
Here’s a look behind the glam — into the world of celebrity stealth wealth.
1. Ashton Kutcher – Tech Venture King
You might know him from That ‘70s Show, but Ashton Kutcher is also a co-founder of A-Grade Investments, which helped fund:
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Uber
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Airbnb
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Spotify
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Warby Parker
Estimated Portfolio Worth (2025): Over $2 billion
While Kutcher is publicly known in tech circles, his true business moves are mostly kept quiet. Many of the startups he's in have NDAs and low-profile board roles.
2. Will.i.am – AI & Hardware Visionary
Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am owns equity and patents in AI hardware and software firms, including:
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A stealth-mode voice AI company used in smart cars
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Collaboration with Honeywell for smart masks
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Investments in augmented reality lenses
He's even part of a London-based robotics startup that hasn’t publicly acknowledged him — but funding documents prove otherwise.
3. Gisele Bündchen – Green Tech Silent Partner
While she’s known for eco-activism, Gisele is a major silent investor in a California-based sustainable battery tech startup. The company is working on long-duration storage for off-grid solar power.
Why secret? She wants the tech to stand on its own, not tied to her name or brand image.
4. Jay-Z – VC Power Broker (Behind the Curtain)
Jay-Z’s known for Roc Nation and Tidal, but he also quietly owns shares in multiple blockchain companies, biotech firms, and insurance tech startups.
Through Marcy Venture Partners, he’s a silent board advisor for:
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Ethos Life (Insurtech)
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Spatial Labs (Metaverse-ready hardware)
Jay-Z’s motto? “I’m not a businessman — I’m a business, man.”
5. Serena Williams – Startup Whisperer
Serena’s VC firm, Serena Ventures, has backed 80+ startups. But what’s not often reported is that she:
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Owns a major chunk of a femtech company now used in over 50 hospitals worldwide
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Has equity in a stealth-mode nutrition logistics startup serving the school lunch industry in the U.S.
She rarely advertises these — letting the impact, not the name, do the talking.
Why This Matters
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They’re diversifying smartly – not just spending on luxury but building lasting empires.
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It shifts the celeb narrative – from fame to financial foresight.
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It inspires Gen Z & Millennials – who are now blending creative and business aspirations.
Final Take
These celebs aren’t just faces on billboards — they’re forces behind billion-dollar revolutions. So next time you order an Uber, wear AR glasses, or try a new health app, remember:
A celebrity might just be one of the reasons it even exists.
