Born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid on 25 July 1955, Iman is a fashion model, entrepreneur and actress best known as being a pioneer in the field of ethnic cosmetics. She was married to English singer David Bowie until his passing, and many people also recognize her charitable works which she is involved in all over the world.
So, how rich is Iman? What’s her net worth? Iman is a very wealthy woman, having a net worth of more than $100 million as of early 2016. According to sources, she has earned her riches mostly from her career as a fashion model, gracing many fashion magazines. She also has her own cosmetic firm that she started in 1994. Today, the firm is estimated to return annual revenues of millions of dollars.
Iman Net Worth $100 Million
Iman came from a humble background. She was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, but then moved to Nairobi in search of opportunities. It was here that she was discovered by the famous photographer, Peter Beard, who followed her on the streets after recognising how beautiful she was. On approaching her, Beard asked if he could take a picture of her. She accepted under the condition that she would be paid $8,000, which was the cost of her entire college tuition. The photographer agreed and took her photos back to New York City, leaking information that he had discovered an “African Beauty.” The pictures were received well, and Beard persuaded Iman to move to the US, where throughout the ’80s she graced various magazine covers, including Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Iman succeeded in her new home as a super model, working with notable photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton. Her net worth grew considerably.
After years of modeling, Iman finally realized that she could succeed as an entrepreneur too, and increase her net worth. She went ahead and started a cosmetic company, which focuses on women’s shades that are hard to find. In 2012, she signed her fellow Somali designers Idyl Mohallim and Ayaan to be her brand ambassadors, and as of 2018, the firm remains among the top Wallgreens website’s foundation brands.
In 2007, Iman was approached by Home Shopping Network’s CEO, who asked her to create an innovative clothing design line. Her first collection, inspired by her modeling career and childhood in Africa, introduced embroidered caftans commonly referred to as ‘Global Chic Collection.’ Today, it’s one of the best selling items on the network among over 200 jewelry and fashion brands. Of course her net worth has benefited considerably from her business.
As an actress, Iman has appeared twice in the TV series ‘Miami Vice.’ She has also been featured in other TV shows such as the 1985 ‘Back in the World,’ 1988 ‘Love at First Sight,’ and ‘In the Heat of the Night.’ She also spent almost two years hosting ‘Project Runway Canada,’ a fashion-themed show by Bravo TV. On film, she has been featured in ‘The Human Factor,’ ‘Out of Africa,’ ‘No Way Out,’ ‘Surrender,’ ‘Lies of the Twins,’ ‘House Party 2’ and ‘Exit to Eden.’ She has also appeared in a video game by Microsoft known as ‘Omikron: The Nomad Soul.’ These have also added to her net worth.
When it comes to awards, Iman has had a successful career as both a model and an actress, and so received the Fashion Icon Lifetime Achievement Award given by the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) in June 2010.
In her personal life, Iman married a Hilton executive and young Somali entrepreneur when she was just 18. A few years later, the marriage ended, and she moved to the US to pursue her modeling career. She married Spencer Haywood, a basketball player, in 1977, with whom she has a daughter, but in 1987 the two divorced, after which Iman met famed singer/musician David Bowie, and married him in 1992; he died on 10 January 2016, leaving her and a daughter named Alexandria Zahra. She now divides her time between New York and London
Iman is a philanthropist, including also being offered an opportunity to head a program called ‘Keep a Child Alive’ which she accepted, and is a Save the Children ambassador among many other charitable works.
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