- LIFESTYLE-
Celebrities and START UPS
BY JAMES HALPERN
Sometimes being an Oscar winning actor or internation
Wikimedia Commons
Wikipedia
Leonardo DiCaprio In 2011, acclaimed actor DiCaprio led a $ 4 million investment round in Mobli, a Tel Aviv-based photo sharing app maker. DiCaprio came on as an adviser to assist with branding and marketing, as well as to help the company gain access to other celebrities, VentureBeat reported. More star power soon arrived: Actor Tobey Maguire and athletes Lance Armstrong and Serena Williams also have invested in the company. Mobli, however, has yet to mount a major challenge to its popular competitor, Instagram.
Madonna After reportedly drinking Vita Coco coconut water every day while on tour, Madonna invested $ 1.5 million in the brand in 2010. Other investors included her manager Guy Oseary, actors Matthew McConaughey and Demi Moore, and Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis. The investment appears to be paying off. Coconut water’ s popularity has been soaring in recent years, and Vita Coco has an estimated 40 percent market share in the United States. The brand is sold in 30 countries worldwide and did $ 421.1 million in global retail sales last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
- 38- FALL / WINTER 2016- ISSUE IV