Eileen Otte was born on 25th March 1922, in Great Neck, New York City USA, and was a modelling agent. In 1946, she married Gerard W. Ford, and they co-founded the Ford Model Management modelling agency based in New York, known for transforming what was an almost amateur profession into a flourishing market. She passed away in 2014.
How much was the net worth of Eileen Ford? It has been reported by authoritative sources that the overall size of her wealth was as much as $100 million, converted to the present day. Ford Model Management was the major source of Ford’s net worth.
Eileen Ford Net Worth $100 Million
To begin with, Eileen had the first contact with fashion as a model during college years, working under the Harry Conover Modelling Agency. In 1943, she completed her studies in psychology at Barnard College, then in 1944 she met Gerard Ford, who she married in November of the same year. He left for World War II, and Eileen then worked as first as a secretary for photographer Elliot Clark, then for fashion designer and reporter Tobe Coburn.
Eileen continued to work as secretary, and in order to earn extra money, began organizing some parades. From here she elaborated on the idea of creating an agency that was responsible for launching new models. In 1946 when Jerry returned, they founded the agency Ford Model Management, which set out among its interests the model’s career, advising them on contracts and working rights, which led to a remarkable growth in their customer base. The models were treated differently from other agencies, as Eileen also gave them advice on hair-styling and makeup, and felt obliged to educate them according on their moral standards. In one year the Ford Modelling Agency, better known as Ford Models, became one of the most successful companies in the US. Ford Models has set the standard of beauty for a whole generation by favouring blond women with clear eyes. The first Ford model was Jean Patchett, and qualities were also introduced by Martha Stewart, who later became one of Chanel’s faces. The Ford’s net worth rose with their success.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the birth of the agency in 1966, Jerry Ford declared to the New York Times that their models occupied 70% of jobs in New York and 30% worldwide. In 1968, “Eileen Ford’s Book of Model Beauty” book was published, containing photos and biographies of Ford’s most famous models, and beauty tips such as diets and physical exercises. Twiggy the top model icon of the 1970’s was launched by the agency, and Ford also launched such models as Ali MacGraw, Jerry Hall, Melanie Griffith, Kim Basinger and Sharon Stone.
During the 1980’s, she also collided with the competition, by losing several top models, but undertook new projects. She began organizing the Ford Models Supermodel of the World annual search, looking for new faces from all over the world, thus, in 1982, she ‘discovered’ the Danish top model Renée Simonsen.
Eileen also took a career as a writer, publishing books such as “The Beauty of the Model’s World”, “More Beautiful You in 21 Days”, and “Beauty, Now and Forever”, which brought her to win the Woman of the Year in Advertising Award in 1983. More recently Ford Models launched names like Ines Sastre, Elle Macpherson, Bar Refaeli and Paris Hilton.
In 1995, Eileen and Jerry decided to retire, leaving the agency’s management to daughter Katie Ford, in office until 2007. In 1996, Ford Models were rewarded for their photographs at the Festival of Fashion Photography, and featured in articles by American Photo Magazines and Top Model Magazine in 1997. In December 2007, Ford Models were sold to Stone Tower Equity Partners.
Finally, in the personal life of Eileen Ford, she was married to Gerard W. Ford from 1944 until his death in 2008, with whom she had four children. Eileen died on 9th July 2014 in Morristown, New Jersey, at 92, from complications related to meningioma and osteoporosis.
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