Kylie Jenner

Template:Infobox person

Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American businesswoman, media personality, and socialite who is the founder and owner of the cosmetics company Kylie Cosmetics. She first rose to fame as a cast member on the E! reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007–2021), which documented the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian–Jenner family, and later appeared in its successor, The Kardashians (2022–present), on Hulu. In 2015, at the age of 18, Jenner launched her own cosmetics line, initially called Kylie Lip Kits, which she subsequently rebranded as Kylie Cosmetics in 2016. The company grew rapidly, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and eventually leading to a landmark deal in November 2019 in which global beauty conglomerate Coty Inc. acquired a 51 percent stake in the brand for US$600 million, valuing the company at approximately US$1.2 billion.

Jenner's business portfolio has expanded well beyond cosmetics. She has launched Kylie Skin, a skincare brand; Kylie Baby, a line of baby care products; Khy, a fashion label established in 2023; and Sprinter, a canned cocktail brand introduced in 2024. As one of the most-followed individuals on Instagram, with over 400 million followers, she has leveraged her massive social media presence into one of the most commercially influential personal brands in the world. Forbes controversially named her the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2019, a designation that was later revoked in 2020 after the magazine accused Jenner and her team of inflating financial figures. As of 2025, her net worth is estimated at approximately US$710 million, making her one of the wealthiest members of the Kardashian–Jenner family and one of the most commercially successful celebrity entrepreneurs in history. Jenner is the youngest daughter of former Olympic decathlete Caitlyn Jenner and television personality and business executive Kris Jenner.

Early life and family background

Family origins and the Kardashian–Jenner dynasty

Kylie Kristen Jenner was born on August 10, 1997, in Los Angeles, California, into what would become one of the most famous and commercially influential families in American popular culture. Her mother, Kris Jenner (née Houghton, formerly Kardashian), is a television personality, socialite, and business manager who has been widely credited as the architect of the Kardashian–Jenner family's media empire, earning her the informal title of "momager" — a portmanteau of "mom" and "manager." Her father, Caitlyn Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner), is a former Olympic decathlon champion who won the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, becoming one of the most celebrated athletes in American history and appearing on the front of the Wheaties cereal box as a symbol of athletic excellence.

Kylie is the youngest of six children from her mother's two marriages. From Kris's first marriage to the late attorney Robert Kardashian — who gained national prominence as a member of O. J. Simpson's defense team during the infamous 1995 murder trial — Kylie has four older half-siblings: Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian. From Caitlyn Jenner's previous relationships, Kylie has four additional older half-siblings: Burt Jenner, Cassandra Marino (née Jenner), Brandon Jenner, and Brody Jenner. Her full sister, Kendall Jenner, who is approximately two years her senior, would go on to become one of the world's highest-paid supermodels. The combined family's vast network of relationships, businesses, and public personas would become the foundation for one of the most lucrative media empires in entertainment history.

The Kardashian–Jenner family's rise to prominence had already begun before Kylie's birth, but it was the October 2007 premiere of Keeping Up with the Kardashians — the E! reality television series conceived by Ryan Seacrest and produced by his company — that catapulted the entire family to unprecedented levels of fame. The show, which chronicled the daily lives, relationships, and business ventures of the extended family, premiered when Kylie was just ten years old, meaning that she grew up almost entirely in the public eye, with cameras documenting her childhood, adolescence, and eventual transition into adulthood.

Childhood and education

Growing up in the affluent gated community of Hidden Hills, in the western San Fernando Valley, Kylie experienced a childhood that was simultaneously privileged and extraordinarily unconventional. The family's sprawling mansion served as both a private residence and a de facto television studio, with E! camera crews regularly present to film the reality show. Kylie has spoken in interviews about the unusual experience of growing up with cameras constantly present, noting that she sometimes struggled to distinguish between her on-screen persona and her authentic self.

Jenner attended Sierra Canyon School, a prestigious private institution in Chatsworth, California, known for its rigorous academics and competitive athletic programs. At Sierra Canyon, she was a member of the cheerleading team and participated in school plays and community theatrical productions. However, the demands of filming Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its numerous spin-offs, combined with the growing public attention directed at the Kardashian–Jenner family, made it increasingly difficult for Jenner to maintain a normal school experience. By 2012, at the age of 14, Jenner made the decision to leave traditional schooling behind. She transitioned to a home-education program, enrolling in Laurel Springs School, an accredited distance-learning institution based in Ojai, California. She completed her high school diploma through this program in July 2015, at the age of 17.

Jenner's parents divorced in 2015, the same year that Caitlyn Jenner publicly came out as a transgender woman in a widely covered 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, followed by a Vanity Fair cover story photographed by Annie Leibovitz. The transition generated enormous public attention and became one of the most significant cultural moments of the decade. Kylie has publicly expressed support for her father's transition, though she has also acknowledged in interviews that the process was emotionally complex for the family.

Early influences and entrepreneurial instincts

Long before she launched her own cosmetics empire, Jenner displayed an entrepreneurial sensibility that was nurtured by her family's business-oriented culture. Her mother, Kris Jenner, had established herself as one of the most astute business managers in the entertainment industry, negotiating lucrative deals for each of her children and turning the family's collective fame into a diversified portfolio of revenue streams. Growing up in this environment, Kylie absorbed lessons about branding, negotiation, and the commercial value of personal celebrity from an early age.

In interviews, Jenner has cited her older half-sister Kim Kardashian as a particularly significant influence on her understanding of how to leverage social media and personal branding for commercial gain. Kim's pioneering use of platforms like Instagram to promote products, negotiate endorsement deals, and build direct-to-consumer businesses provided a template that Kylie would later refine and, in some respects, surpass. Jenner has also spoken about the influence of her mother's business philosophy, which emphasized the importance of controlling one's own brand narrative and diversifying income streams rather than relying on any single source of revenue.

Career

2007–2014: Early career and brand collaborations

Jenner's career in the public eye began at the age of ten, when she first appeared alongside her family on Keeping Up with the Kardashians in October 2007. Although she was initially a peripheral figure on the show — the youngest member of a large and charismatic family — her on-screen presence grew over the years as she transitioned from childhood into adolescence and then early adulthood. The show, which ran for 20 seasons across nearly 15 years on E!, became one of the most successful reality television franchises in history, spawning numerous spin-offs and generating billions of dollars in advertising revenue and related commercial activity.

In 2011, at the age of 13, Jenner and her sister Kendall were featured in Seventeen magazine as "Style Stars of the Year" and were subsequently named the magazine's "Style Ambassadors." This early fashion industry recognition set the stage for a series of brand collaborations that would mark Jenner's initial forays into the world of business. In 2012, the Jenner sisters collaborated with PacSun, the California-based teen retailer, to launch the "Kendall & Kylie" clothing line. The collection, which featured casual contemporary clothing aimed at the teen and young adult demographic, represented one of the first instances of the Jenner sisters translating their television fame into a standalone commercial venture. The line proved commercially successful and continued for several seasons.

In 2013, the sisters launched a jewelry collection called "Metal Haven by Kendall & Kylie" in partnership with Pascal Mouawad's Glamhouse. The following year, they expanded their collaborative efforts with a shoe and handbag line for Steve Madden's Madden Girl label. In June 2015, the Jenner sisters launched their "Kendall + Kylie" clothing line with British fashion retailer Topshop, further expanding their retail presence into international markets.

Throughout this period, Jenner also pursued individual endorsement deals. In October 2014, she launched a line of hair extensions called "Kylie Hair Kouture" through a partnership with Bellami Hair. In March 2015, she became the brand ambassador for Nip + Fab, a British skincare company. She also formed a partnership with the nail polish brand Sinful Colors, launching a 20-piece collection in 2016.

In 2014, Time listed the Jenner sisters among the most influential teenagers in the world, citing their significant impact on youth culture and social media trends. This recognition underscored the degree to which Kylie had, by her late teens, established herself as a cultural figure in her own right, distinct from the broader Kardashian–Jenner family brand.

The co-authored novel

In 2014, the Jenner sisters co-authored (with ghostwriter Maya Sloan) a dystopian science fiction novel titled Rebels: City of Indra: The Story of Lex and Livia, published by Karen Hunter Publishing. The novel, which depicted two twin girls navigating a futuristic biosphere assembled from the remnants of Earth, received mostly negative reviews from critics and sold only approximately 13,000 copies in its first four months. The project attracted particular criticism when Sloan acknowledged that the Jenner sisters had provided only a two-page outline, with Sloan handling the actual writing. The sisters' creative director, Elizabeth Killmond-Roman, later clarified that the Jenners had participated in numerous video calls with Sloan to discuss the content. A sequel, Time of the Twins, followed in 2016.

2015–2018: Founding of Kylie Cosmetics

The pivotal moment in Jenner's transformation from reality television personality to business mogul came in 2015, driven in large part by a cultural phenomenon centered on her physical appearance. In May 2015, during an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jenner publicly admitted to having received lip augmentation through dermal fillers. Prior to this admission, she had attributed her noticeably fuller lips to the strategic use of lip liner and over-lining techniques. The speculation surrounding her lips had already generated enormous public interest and media coverage, culminating in the viral "Kylie Jenner Challenge," in which individuals attempted to replicate the appearance of fuller lips by suctioning their mouths into small glasses — a practice that medical professionals warned could cause bruising and tissue damage.

Recognizing the commercial potential of the intense public interest in her lips, Jenner announced in August 2015 that she would be launching her first cosmetics product: a lip kit consisting of a matching liquid lipstick and lip liner, branded as the "Kylie Lip Kit." The initial run of 15,000 units was released on November 30, 2015, priced at US$29 per kit, and sold out within seconds. The overwhelming demand crashed the company's website and generated enormous media coverage, establishing Kylie Lip Kits as one of the most successful product launches in the beauty industry's recent history.

In February 2016, buoyed by the phenomenal success of the initial launch, Jenner rebranded the venture as Kylie Cosmetics and dramatically expanded production, increasing the number of available kits from 15,000 to 500,000 units. The company expanded its product range beyond lip kits to include eyeshadow palettes, blushes, highlighters, concealers, and other cosmetics. Jenner served as the company's founder, creative director, and primary brand ambassador, personally selecting product colors, designing packaging, and promoting each new release through her social media channels.

The business model that Jenner and her team developed was remarkably efficient. Kylie Cosmetics initially operated almost entirely as a direct-to-consumer brand, selling products exclusively through its website. The company outsourced all manufacturing to Seed Beauty, a private-label cosmetics manufacturer based in Oxnard, California, founded by siblings Laura and John Nelson. This asset-light model allowed Kylie Cosmetics to maintain exceptionally high profit margins — some industry analysts estimated gross margins of 60 to 70 percent — while keeping overhead costs minimal. At its peak, the company operated with a staff of only approximately a dozen full-time employees.

In June 2017, Jenner was placed at number 59 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, having earned approximately US$41 million in the preceding twelve months. At 19 years old, she was the youngest person ever to appear on the list. That same year, she launched her own spin-off reality series, Life of Kylie, which premiered on E! in August 2017 and provided a closer look at her personal life and business activities.

Throughout 2017 and 2018, Jenner expanded Kylie Cosmetics through a series of collaborative collections with family members, including the "Koko Kollection" with half-sister Khloé Kardashian, a joint venture with Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty, and a Mother's Day collection called "Kris Cosmetics" in collaboration with her mother. These family-themed collaborations proved commercially successful and reinforced the brand's connection to the broader Kardashian–Jenner cultural phenomenon.

By the end of 2018, Kylie Cosmetics had launched a mobile app, expanded its retail presence through a partnership with Ulta Beauty, and established itself as one of the most commercially successful celebrity-founded beauty brands in history. The company reportedly generated approximately US$360 million in revenue in 2018, though this figure would later become the subject of significant controversy.

2019: Forbes controversy and the Coty deal

"Self-made billionaire" designation

In August 2018, Jenner appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine, with the publication estimating her net worth at US$900 million and describing her as being "on the verge" of becoming the youngest self-made billionaire in history. In March 2019, Forbes officially declared Jenner the world's youngest self-made billionaire at age 21, surpassing Mark Zuckerberg, who had achieved billionaire status at age 23.

The designation immediately sparked widespread public debate and criticism. Critics argued that the term "self-made" was fundamentally misleading when applied to someone who had been born into extraordinary fame and privilege, with access to the Kardashian–Jenner family's vast network of media contacts, business relationships, and financial resources. Journalists and commentators wrote extensively about the implications of the designation for broader conversations about wealth distribution, class mobility, and the nature of entrepreneurship. Supporters, including Kim Kardashian and socialite Paris Hilton, argued that Jenner had genuinely built her cosmetics business through her own initiative, creativity, and social media acumen, and that the criticism reflected a double standard applied to young women in business.

Coty acquisition

On November 18, 2019, global beauty conglomerate Coty Inc. — the parent company of brands including CoverGirl, OPI, Rimmel, and Clairol — announced that it had acquired a 51 percent stake in Kylie Cosmetics for US$600 million, valuing the overall company at approximately US$1.2 billion. Under the terms of the deal, Jenner retained a 44 percent ownership stake (with her mother, Kris Jenner, holding the remaining approximately five percent as the family's business manager) and continued to serve as the brand's creative lead and public face. Coty assumed responsibility for manufacturing, distribution, product development, and international expansion.

The deal represented one of the largest acquisitions of a celebrity-founded beauty brand in history and appeared to cement Jenner's status as one of the most successful young entrepreneurs of her generation. However, the transaction would soon become the subject of intense scrutiny.

Forbes retraction

In May 2020, Forbes published a detailed investigative article accusing Jenner and her team of having "spun a web of lies" to inflate the financial performance of Kylie Cosmetics and exaggerate Jenner's net worth. The magazine reported that newly available public filings from Coty — which, as a publicly traded company, was required to disclose financial details about its acquisitions — revealed significant discrepancies between the financial information that Jenner's team had privately provided to Forbes journalists and the actual figures disclosed to Coty's shareholders.

Specifically, Forbes alleged that Kylie Cosmetics had generated approximately US$177 million in net revenues in the twelve months preceding the Coty deal — substantially less than the US$360 million figure that had been previously reported. The magazine also alleged that tax returns provided by Jenner's team appeared to have been fabricated or materially altered. Forbes officially revoked Jenner's billionaire status, revising her estimated net worth downward to approximately US$700 million.

Jenner responded forcefully, posting a series of tweets in which she wrote: "What am I even waking up to? I thought this was a reputable site... All I see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. I've never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. Period." Her attorney, Michael Kump, demanded a retraction from Forbes, calling the magazine's accusations "unequivocally false." Forbes stood by its reporting, stating that its "extensively-reported investigation was triggered by newly-filed documents that revealed glaring discrepancies between information privately supplied to journalists and information publicly supplied to shareholders."

The controversy had significant implications for Coty as well. In the six months following the acquisition announcement, Coty's stock price declined by approximately 60 percent, driven in part by investor concerns that the company had significantly overpaid for Kylie Cosmetics. In 2020, a Coty shareholder filed a lawsuit alleging that the company's board had failed in its fiduciary duties by approving the acquisition at an inflated valuation.

2019–2021: Expansion into skincare, baby products, and swimwear

Despite the Forbes controversy, Jenner continued to expand her business portfolio. In May 2019, she launched Kylie Skin, a skincare brand offering products including face washes, scrubs, moisturizers, and makeup-removing wipes. The launch was met with mixed reviews, with some beauty industry observers praising the products' accessibility and price points while others questioned the formulations and suggested that the brand was capitalizing on Jenner's celebrity rather than offering genuinely innovative skincare solutions.

In September 2019, Jenner served as the makeup artistic director for Balmain's Spring 2020 runway show at Paris Fashion Week, launching a capsule makeup collection in collaboration with the French fashion house. This marked the first time Jenner had collaborated on a cosmetics collection with a partner outside her immediate family circle, and it signaled her ambition to establish credibility within the high-fashion world.

In October 2019, Jenner inadvertently created a viral internet sensation when footage of her singing "rise and shine" to her daughter Stormi circulated on social media. The clip became a widespread meme, and the hashtag #RiseandShine accumulated over one billion views on TikTok, becoming one of the platform's fastest-growing hashtag trends. Jenner filed trademark applications for the phrase, seeking protection for use in both cosmetics and clothing categories, though the applications attracted criticism from those who argued that a common everyday expression should not be eligible for trademark protection.

In September 2021, Jenner launched Kylie Baby, a line of baby-care products including shampoos, conditioners, and body lotions. The brand was positioned as gentle, vegan, and free of potentially harmful chemicals, targeting the growing market for premium baby-care products.

In August 2021, Jenner launched Kylie Swim, a swimwear line. However, the launch was widely regarded as a commercial misstep, with customers and social media commentators criticizing the products for poor quality, impractical designs, and inadequate construction. Reviewers noted issues including see-through fabric, inconsistent sizing, and designs that seemed oriented more toward Instagram photography than actual use in water.

2022–present: The Kardashians, Khy, Sprinter, and continued expansion

In April 2022, following the conclusion of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2021, Jenner and her family launched a new reality series, The Kardashians, on Hulu (available on Disney+ internationally). The show, which features the same core family members in a format similar to its predecessor, has continued for multiple seasons, providing Jenner with an ongoing television platform.

In January 2022, Jenner became the first woman to reach 300 million followers on Instagram, surpassing the previous record held by singer Ariana Grande. As of 2025, she maintains over 400 million followers on the platform, making her one of the five most-followed accounts in the world.

In 2023, Jenner launched Khy (pronounced "kai"), a fashion brand developed in collaboration with French fashion designer Antonin Tron and his label Namilia. The brand, which offers contemporary clothing and accessories at accessible price points, reportedly generated US$1 million in sales within its first hour of availability. Khy represents Jenner's most significant standalone fashion venture, distinct from her earlier collaborative lines with Kendall.

In 2024, Jenner entered the beverage industry with the launch of Sprinter, a line of canned vodka soda cocktails available in flavors including black cherry, peach, grapefruit, and lime. The brand entered a rapidly growing market for celebrity-backed alcoholic beverages, competing with products from other high-profile entrepreneurs and celebrities.

As of 2025, Kylie Cosmetics operates as part of Coty's Prestige beauty portfolio alongside brands including Burberry, Gucci, and Marc Jacobs. The brand has expanded significantly from its direct-to-consumer origins to global retail distribution in over 50 countries, available through retailers including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, and Harrods. In mid-2025, Jenner launched the "King Kylie" 10-Year Anniversary Collection, celebrating a decade since the original Kylie Lip Kit. The brand generates an estimated US$250 million to US$400 million in annual revenue, though precise figures are difficult to determine as Coty does not separately report Kylie Cosmetics' financial results.

Jenner is also set to make her feature film acting debut in The Moment, a film produced by pop musician Charli XCX and Studio365, which was announced in 2024.

Business philosophy and brand strategy

The social media–first model

Jenner's approach to business has been widely studied and analyzed by marketing professionals, business academics, and industry observers. Her central innovation was the recognition that a massive, engaged social media following could serve as a direct substitute for traditional marketing, advertising, and retail distribution channels. Rather than spending millions on television commercials, print advertisements, and retail placement fees — the standard approach in the cosmetics industry — Jenner was able to launch and promote products through her own Instagram, Snapchat, and later TikTok accounts, reaching hundreds of millions of consumers at essentially zero marginal cost.

This approach was particularly effective in the cosmetics industry, where product discovery and purchase decisions are heavily influenced by visual content, peer recommendations, and celebrity endorsements. Jenner's ability to generate enormous consumer interest through social media posts — including product teasers, application tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content — allowed Kylie Cosmetics to achieve levels of brand awareness and consumer demand that would typically require tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in traditional marketing expenditure.

The direct-to-consumer model, combined with outsourced manufacturing through Seed Beauty, allowed Kylie Cosmetics to operate with minimal overhead while maintaining high profit margins. Industry analysts estimated that the company's gross margins exceeded 60 percent at its peak, compared to an industry average of approximately 40 to 50 percent for prestige beauty brands. The lean operational structure also allowed for rapid product development and iteration, with new product launches occurring on a near-monthly basis during the brand's peak growth period.

Brand identity and cultural positioning

Jenner has positioned her brands at the intersection of celebrity culture, social media influence, and accessible luxury. Kylie Cosmetics products are generally priced in the "masstige" range — premium enough to convey exclusivity and desirability, but affordable enough to be accessible to a broad consumer base, particularly younger consumers who represent the core demographic. The brand's aesthetic, which emphasizes bold colors, dramatic packaging, and a provocative, confident tone, reflects Jenner's personal style and resonates with the visual culture of Instagram and TikTok.

The strategy of incorporating family members into product collaborations — including collections with Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kris — has served both to generate additional consumer interest and to reinforce the brand's connection to the Kardashian–Jenner family's broader cultural influence. Each collaborative collection launch functions as both a commercial event and a media event, generating coverage across entertainment, fashion, and business media outlets.

Influence on the beauty industry

Jenner's success with Kylie Cosmetics is widely credited with accelerating several significant trends in the cosmetics industry. Her demonstration that a celebrity with a large social media following could launch a beauty brand with minimal capital investment and achieve rapid commercial success inspired a wave of celebrity-founded beauty brands, including Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez, Goop by Gwyneth Paltrow, r.e.m. beauty by Ariana Grande, and dozens of others. The direct-to-consumer model that Kylie Cosmetics pioneered has become a standard approach for new beauty brand launches.

Jenner's influence also contributed to a broader shift in the cosmetics industry's approach to marketing and distribution, with established brands increasing their investment in social media marketing, influencer partnerships, and direct-to-consumer sales channels. The traditional model of building a beauty brand through department store retail placement and print advertising has been significantly disrupted by the social media–first approach that Jenner helped to popularize.

Endorsements and collaborations

Throughout her career, Jenner has maintained an extensive portfolio of brand endorsement deals and collaborative partnerships. In 2013, she and Kendall earned US$100,000 each for endorsing OPI's Nicole by OPI nail lacquer line. In 2016, she was announced as the face of Puma, joining rapper Rae Sremmurd as the brand's ambassador. In 2017, she became the face of a special-edition Beats Headphones collection created in collaboration between Apple Inc. and Balmain. She also collaborated with Melbourne-based sunglasses brand Quay Australia on a line of sunglasses.

In 2018, Jenner endorsed Calvin Klein alongside her sisters and signed a deal with Adidas to serve as their brand ambassador. She also endorsed hair vitamin brand SugarBearHair, Waist Gang Society waist trainers, subscription beauty box Boxycharm, detox tea Fit Tea, and fast-fashion retailer Fashion Nova. In 2018 and 2019, Jenner reportedly earned US$1 million to US$1.2 million per sponsored Instagram post, making her one of the highest-paid individuals on the platform.

One of Jenner's most notable and controversial endorsements was a 2017 advertisement for Pepsi that featured her sister Kendall. While Kylie was not directly involved in the advertisement, the broader Jenner family's relationship with major corporate brands illustrates the extensive commercial ecosystem that surrounds the family.

Controversies

Forbes billionaire status controversy

The most significant business controversy of Jenner's career centers on the Forbes billionaire designation and subsequent retraction, detailed above. The episode raised serious questions about the reliability of self-reported financial data in celebrity wealth estimates and about the relationship between media organizations and the celebrities they cover. The controversy also highlighted the broader challenges of valuing private companies, particularly those that are heavily dependent on a single individual's personal brand and social media presence.

"Self-made" debate

The use of the term "self-made" to describe Jenner sparked a broader cultural conversation about privilege, opportunity, and the nature of entrepreneurship. Critics argued that Jenner's access to her family's wealth, fame, and business infrastructure — including the management expertise of Kris Jenner, the family's extensive media platform, and the pre-existing audience of millions that the reality show provided — meant that she had enjoyed advantages that were fundamentally unavailable to genuinely self-made entrepreneurs. Supporters countered that Jenner had identified a market opportunity, created a product that consumers wanted, and built a successful business, and that her family background, while advantageous, did not diminish the legitimate business decisions and creative contributions she had made.

Dictionary.com responded to the debate by tweeting the definition of "self-made," further illustrating the degree to which the controversy had permeated mainstream cultural discourse.

Kylie Minogue trademark dispute

In 2015, Jenner filed a U.S. trademark application seeking to register the name "Kylie" for use in advertising and endorsement services. The application was opposed by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue, who had been professionally known simply as "Kylie" for decades and had existing trademark registrations for the name. In February 2017, Minogue prevailed in the legal dispute, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denying Jenner's application. Minogue later described the dispute as "just business," noting that she bore no personal animosity toward Jenner.

Intellectual property and design allegations

Jenner and Kylie Cosmetics have faced multiple allegations of copying or appropriating the creative work of other artists and designers. In January 2017, makeup artist Vlada Haggarty publicly accused Jenner of stealing the aesthetic of her dripping gloss lip art and golden fingertip designs for Kylie Cosmetics promotional materials and product imagery. Jenner subsequently credited Haggarty on social media, and an undisclosed settlement was reached.

British painter Sara Pope filed a lawsuit against Jenner and NBCUniversal for the unauthorized use of a neon lip logo that bore a striking resemblance to Pope's famous artwork "Temptation Neon." The image had been used to promote Life of Kylie. TMZ reported that the production art had been created by a third-party designer.

In 2020, Seed Beauty, the company that had manufactured Kylie Cosmetics products since the brand's inception, filed a lawsuit against Coty and Kylie Cosmetics, alleging that Coty had used the US$600 million acquisition as a subterfuge to gain access to Seed Beauty's proprietary trade secrets and manufacturing processes.

The fashion brand Khy has also faced accusations of copying designs from other fashion labels, though Jenner's team has denied these allegations.

Labor practices

In June 2020, amid the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports emerged that factory workers in Bangladesh who had produced garments for the "Kendall + Kylie" fashion line had not been paid for completed work. The nonprofit organization Remake alleged that Global Brands Group (GBG), identified as the manufacturer, had withheld payments from workers. In response, the Jenner sisters stated that their brand was owned by a separate entity, 3072541 Canada Inc., and that while they had previously worked with CAA-GBG in a "sales and business development capacity only," they did not have a current relationship with GBG. The response was criticized by labor advocates who argued that the Jenner sisters bore moral responsibility for the treatment of workers in their supply chain regardless of the corporate structure.

GoFundMe controversy

In March 2023, Jenner faced public backlash after sharing a GoFundMe campaign on her Instagram account for makeup artist Samuel Rauda, who had been seriously injured in a car accident. Critics noted that Jenner — whose net worth exceeded US$700 million — donated only US$5,000 to the campaign while asking her hundreds of millions of followers to contribute, prompting accusations of tone-deafness regarding wealth inequality.

WAP music video controversy

In August 2020, Jenner's cameo appearance in the music video for "WAP" by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion generated a public petition, which gathered over 65,000 signatures, requesting that her appearance be edited out of the video. The petition's supporters argued that Jenner's inclusion was incongruous with the video's celebration of Black female sexuality and accused the Kardashian–Jenner family of cultural appropriation.

Pepsi advertisement (2017)

While not directly involving Kylie, a 2017 Pepsi advertisement featuring her sister Kendall generated significant controversy for appearing to trivialize Black Lives Matter protests by depicting Kendall resolving tensions between protesters and police by offering a can of Pepsi. The advertisement was widely condemned and quickly pulled, though the backlash extended to the broader Kardashian–Jenner brand.

Met Gala incident

In 2024, a model who worked as a greeter at the Met Gala publicly claimed he was fired from the event because he had gone viral in the background of Kylie Jenner's photos the previous year. The model alleged that Jenner had requested he maintain a distance of approximately five steps from her and that he was subsequently accused of attempting to "upstage" her.

Personal life

Relationships

Jenner's personal life has been extensively documented in the media, both through the family's reality television shows and through the extensive paparazzi and tabloid coverage that accompanies the Kardashian–Jenner family.

In her early teens, Jenner briefly dated Australian singer Cody Simpson in 2011. In August 2014, shortly after her 17th birthday, she began a relationship with rapper Tyga (Michael Ray Stevenson), though the relationship was not publicly acknowledged until she turned 18 in 2015 due to the age difference. Tyga had ended his engagement to Blac Chyna, the mother of his son, shortly before beginning the relationship with Jenner, leading to a protracted and very public feud between Jenner and Blac Chyna that played out across social media and on the family's television shows. Jenner appeared in two of Tyga's music videos, "Stimulated" and "Dope'd Up," during their relationship. They broke up in April 2017.

Travis Scott

In April 2017, shortly after her breakup with Tyga, Jenner began a relationship with rapper and producer Travis Scott (Jacques Bermon Webster II). The couple were first spotted together at the Coachella music festival. On February 1, 2018, Jenner gave birth to their daughter, Stormi Webster. Jenner had kept her pregnancy almost entirely secret from the public, declining to be photographed during the later months of her pregnancy and not confirming the birth until she released a video announcement on social media. The announcement, an 11-minute video titled "To Our Daughter," documented the pregnancy and delivery and was viewed over 80 million times within its first 24 hours.

Jenner appeared in the music video for Travis Scott's single "Stop Trying to Be God" from his album Astroworld in 2018. The couple's relationship was frequently featured on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and on their respective social media accounts.

Jenner and Scott separated in September 2019 but continued to co-parent Stormi. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they quarantined together for the sake of their daughter and eventually rekindled their relationship. In September 2021, Jenner confirmed that she and Scott were expecting their second child. Their son, Aire Webster, was born on February 2, 2022. The child was initially named Wolf Webster, but Jenner later announced that the family had changed his name, eventually revealing the name Aire.

In January 2023, it was reported that Jenner and Scott had once again separated. The couple maintained a co-parenting relationship focused on their two children.

In November 2021, Jenner's relationship with Travis Scott was impacted by the Astroworld Festival crowd crush, a mass-casualty event at Scott's Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas, in which ten people died and hundreds were injured. While Jenner was in attendance at the festival, she was not directly implicated in the legal proceedings that followed. The tragedy, however, cast a significant shadow over both Scott's career and Jenner's public image by association.

Timothée Chalamet

In April 2023, Jenner began a relationship with French-American actor Timothée Chalamet, star of films including Call Me by Your Name, Dune, and Wonka. The couple made their first public appearance together at a Beyoncé concert in Los Angeles in September 2023 and subsequently attended the Golden Globe Awards together in January 2024. The relationship has been characterized as more private than Jenner's previous high-profile relationships, though the couple has been photographed together at various events, including fashion shows and film premieres.

By 2025, reports indicated that Chalamet had developed a warm relationship with Jenner's children, Stormi and Aire, and that the couple's relationship was "the strongest it has ever been." Chalamet reportedly celebrated holidays with Jenner's family and has been described as thoughtful and engaged with her children.

Children

Jenner has two children with Travis Scott:

Stormi Webster (born February 1, 2018) — Jenner's first child, whose birth was announced through a social media video that became one of the most-viewed announcements in internet history. Stormi has been featured prominently on Jenner's social media accounts and in several Kylie Cosmetics marketing campaigns, including a Valentine's Day collection named after her.

Aire Webster (born February 2, 2022) — Jenner's second child, initially named Wolf Webster before the family changed his name. Aire has been featured less prominently in public than his sister, though Jenner has shared selected photographs and videos on social media.

Real estate

Jenner has assembled a significant real estate portfolio, valued at over US$80 million, concentrated primarily in the greater Los Angeles area.

In 2016, at the age of 19, Jenner purchased a 7,000-square-foot Cape Cod-style estate in Hidden Hills for approximately US$6 million. The property featured six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a home theater, wine cellar, four-car garage, and an expansive primary suite with a walk-in closet. Several months later, she purchased the adjacent property for US$4.5 million, reportedly intending to use it as an office.

In October 2018, Jenner and Travis Scott jointly purchased a 9,700-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills for US$13.45 million. The property featured seven bedrooms, ten bathrooms, and panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin.

In April 2020, Jenner acquired a 15,350-square-foot ultra-modern estate in Holmby Hills — one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Los Angeles — for US$36.5 million. The single-story residence features seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and was designed in a contemporary architectural style.

Jenner's most ambitious real estate project is a custom-built compound on a five-acre lot in Hidden Hills that she purchased in 2020 for US$15 million. The property, previously owned by pop singer Miley Cyrus, is being developed to include an 18,000-square-foot main residence, a 12-car subterranean garage, a guesthouse, a security post, a swimming pool, a sports court, and an underground emergency bunker.

Jenner also owns properties in Palm Springs, California, and has invested in additional real estate assets.

Hobbies and interests

Beyond her business activities, Jenner is known for her interest in fashion and interior design, frequently showcasing her wardrobe and home decor on social media. She is also known as an avid car collector, with a collection that has included luxury and exotic vehicles such as a Rolls-Royce Wraith, a Ferrari 488 Spider, a Lamborghini Aventador, a Bugatti Chiron (purchased for approximately US$3 million), multiple Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons, and Range Rovers.

Jenner has expressed interest in cooking and has shared recipes and cooking content on her social media platforms. She maintains close friendships with several celebrities, including model Anastasia Karanikolaou (known as Stassie) and socialite Yris Palmer.

Philanthropy

Despite criticism that her charitable giving is insufficient relative to her wealth, Jenner has made several notable philanthropic contributions. In 2016, she launched a special-edition Kylie Lip Kit called "Smile," donating 100 percent of the proceeds — approximately US$500,000 — to Smile Train, a charity that funds corrective surgery for children born with cleft lips and palates. Through her ongoing partnership with Smile Train, Jenner has funded surgeries for over 1,800 children. She also traveled to Peru with the organization, which was documented on Life of Kylie.

In 2017, following the death of her then-friend Jordyn Woods' father from cancer, Jenner donated US$10,000 to help cover memorial costs. Later that year, on her birthday, she announced she had donated US$500,000 from sales of her Birthday Collection to Teen Cancer America, an organization that helps hospitals develop specialized units for teenagers undergoing cancer treatment.

In September 2019, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jenner donated US$750,000 to Nest of Love, a feminist organization in Florida dedicated to mentoring young women and supporting low-income children.

In January 2020, Jenner contributed US$1 million to organizations working to combat the devastating Australian bushfires. In March 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenner, her mother, and Coty donated over 6,000 pounds of hand sanitizer to Southern California hospitals. Jenner also donated an additional US$1 million to purchase face masks, face shields, and other protective equipment for healthcare workers.

Jenner has auctioned personal clothing through her eBay account, with proceeds benefiting the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She has also participated in various charity events, including bowling fundraisers for the Robin Hood Foundation and celebrity kickball games organized by singer Chris Brown.

The Kardashian–Jenner family maintains the Kardashian Jenner Family Foundation, a registered nonprofit organization, though detailed information about the foundation's grant-making activities has been limited in public filings.

Social media influence and cultural impact

Instagram dominance

Jenner's social media presence is among the most significant of any individual in the world. With over 400 million followers on Instagram as of 2025, she is consistently ranked among the top five most-followed accounts on the platform. Her Instagram posts routinely generate millions of likes and tens of thousands of comments, and her story views reach audiences comparable to those of major television broadcasts.

The commercial value of Jenner's social media following is difficult to overstate. Each Instagram post functions simultaneously as personal content, brand promotion, and advertising inventory. Jenner's ability to drive consumer interest and purchasing behavior through social media has been documented in numerous studies and industry analyses. In 2018, a single tweet by Jenner expressing dissatisfaction with Snapchat's redesign was credited with causing a US$1.3 billion decline in Snap Inc.'s market capitalization, illustrating the extraordinary market-moving power of her social media statements.

Influence on beauty standards

Jenner's public persona, particularly her full lips and carefully curated aesthetic, has had a documented impact on beauty standards and cosmetic procedure trends. Following her admission of having received lip fillers, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported a significant increase in demand for lip augmentation procedures, particularly among women under 30. The trend was widely attributed, at least in part, to what media outlets termed the "Kylie Jenner effect."

This influence has been a subject of both admiration and criticism. Supporters credit Jenner with normalizing conversations about cosmetic procedures and reducing the stigma associated with aesthetic enhancements. Critics argue that her influence has promoted unrealistic beauty standards, particularly among young and impressionable followers, and has contributed to a culture of body dissatisfaction and appearance-related anxiety.

Cultural impact

Jenner's career trajectory — from reality television child star to self-branded beauty mogul — has been analyzed as a case study in the evolution of celebrity, entrepreneurship, and media in the digital age. Business school professors and marketing experts have studied the Kylie Cosmetics business model as an example of how personal brand equity can be monetized through direct-to-consumer commerce. The company's rapid growth and eventual sale to Coty demonstrated both the enormous potential and the significant limitations of celebrity-driven businesses.

Jenner's influence extends beyond the beauty industry. Her fashion choices, lifestyle content, and personal milestones — from pregnancy announcements to relationship revelations — consistently generate enormous media coverage and public discussion, shaping trends in fashion, naming conventions, and consumer behavior. She has been cited as one of the most influential figures in popular culture of the 2010s and early 2020s.

Awards and recognition

Forbes Celebrity 100 (2017) — youngest person ever listed
Forbes list of 100 Richest Self-Made Women (2020)
Time magazine's Most Influential Teens (2014, 2015, with Kendall Jenner)
First woman to reach 300 million Instagram followers (January 2022)
Youngest member of the Kardashian–Jenner family to establish a billion-dollar brand valuation
Multiple Teen Choice Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Kids' Choice Awards nominations

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007–2021	Keeping Up with the Kardashians	Herself	Main cast, 20 seasons
2017	Life of Kylie	Herself	Main cast, 1 season
2022–present	The Kardashians	Herself	Main cast
2012	America's Next Top Model	Herself	Guest appearance

References

External links