Hollywood Star Jessica Alba appears on the cover of the June issue of Forbes Magazine, which centres on the richest self-made women in America. The 34 year old Fantastic Four and Sin City star has an estimated $200M fortune thanks to the runaway success of the Honest Company, which she co-founded in 2012.
The Honest Company, which started out as a small line of organic, eco-friendly, child safe household products like detergents, shampoos, and diapers is now a full blown lifestyle phenomenon. It now sells bags, clothes, and a soon to be launched feminine care line.
The Forbes article outlines Honest's meteoric rise in detail. In 2012, the company posted revenues of $10 million. Last year Honest cracked $150 million. For the current fiscal year, financial analysts are predicting upwards of $250 million in revenues.
The company is currently valued at around $1 billion. Which means Alba, who owns an estimated 20% of Honest, has a personal fortune hovering around $200 million. This makes Alba one of the highest earning female entertainment personalities in America, surpassed only by mega stars like Beyonce Knowles, Judge Judy, Oprah, and Madonna. Forbes points out that Alba is unique in that she amassed her fortune in an industry completely unrelated to her core field of acting.
Alba, who got her start in Hollywood on the James Cameron produced TV series Dark Angel, said she got the idea for Honest when she was pregnant with her first child in 2008. When researching on household products that would be safe for her new born, she quickly realized that none of the current offerings on the market met her criteria.
She was shocked at the amount of harmful chemicals present in simple household products. So she together with her business partners Christopher Gavigan, Brian Lee, and Sean Kane decided to start Honest which Forbes says sells parents the idea of 'Peace of Mind'.
