Kathy Ireland Is The Richest Model In The World With $2 Billion Retail Empire (PHOTOS)

While model Gisele Bundchen makes a staggering amount of money ($45 million over the course of a year, in fact), there's another supermodel who's taking in even more bank than the Brazilian stunner: Kathy Ireland.

With a net worth of $350 million dollars, Kathy makes an additional $2 billion dollars off her retail empire, according to a new profile in Forbes magazine.

Which means that Ireland has even surpassed rumored billionaire Jessica Simpson in revenue. Dang! Get it, Kathy.

Ireland, 48, started in modeling at age 17, setting herself on the fast path to become one of the '80s most popular supermodels. Starting in 1984, she graced the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for a whopping 13 consecutive years.

After launching a line of socks that became a smash hit at Kmart in the early '90s, Ireland expanded her brand, which is now sold around the world and includes apparel, area rugs, wedding dresses, ceiling fans, carpeting, wigs, futons, jewelry and office furniture. In addition, she's taped fitness videos, worked as an actress and written six books.

Which isn't to say that Kathy stays out of the Hollywood spotlight entirely. She attended the 2010 Oscars, looking gorgeous in a black dress on the red carpet. But still, she mostly shies away from the cameras: girl's got a business to run.

Click over to Forbes to read more about Kathy's swimsuit modeling background.

See more of the highest earning models in the world...

Comments

[SkreetGil1]

07:15 PM on 02/26/2012

I have never seen anything Kathy Ireland has done.

Where does she sell her stuff?

I'm going to have to google it.

Who knew?

[Flying Sparkz1]

06:51 PM on 02/26/2012

Tax the rich, please.

[katieandtom]

01:04 PM on 02/28/2012

get a job

[Flying Sparkz1]

01:55 PM on 02/28/2012

How many people with jobs are rich?

[sparkybrown7877]

04:29 PM on 02/26/2012

Wow, beauty and brains all together, good for her.

[ptrgamb]

01:48 PM on 02/26/2012

She's not making her fortune as a "model"

[mspat44417]

01:27 PM on 02/26/2012

And does anyone really care....probably not....and if you do really care then somethings wrong with you...This article is just a space filler...

[sparkybrown7877]

04:31 PM on 02/26/2012

lol, and you filled up your "empty space" reading the article and posting, ain't that something?

[mspat44417]

05:24 PM on 02/26/2012

hahahah that's so funny..You can go back under your rock now

[Lightwins]

01:06 PM on 02/26/2012

Good for her! It's inspiring to read about successful business women. The models who are making money on their looks alone are not inspiring, however.

[jamdacapri]

12:47 PM on 02/26/2012

Amazing!are they that rich?i mean Supermodels.

[Billebones]

11:19 AM on 02/26/2012

What an amount of money to amass just for being lucky enough to be born as they are and really doing nothing to benefit anyone but themselves. What a f**ed up world we live in me me me and the hell with you

[katieandtom]

01:05 PM on 02/28/2012

i would say that she must be one smart businesswoman and you are bitter. get a job.

[dododoers]

10:11 AM on 02/26/2012

Sick, Disgusting,!!!!!!!!Why in the world would someone pay 45mil for someone to walk down a runway looking ugly. Most models are ugle to start with.

[ojduval]

11:25 AM on 02/26/2012

I'm going to take a wild stab at the fact that your not exactly pleasant to look at yourself... Models sell stuff that's why they are valuable...

[jewel31]

04:39 PM on 02/26/2012

Lmao! Models are ugly? Linda Evangelista, Giselle, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, etc. are not ugly women. Something tells me you are either a jealous woman or a bitter man. Grow up.

[twincam72]

01:55 PM on 02/27/2012

One of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in the past fifty years was Stephanie Seymour of Victoria's Secrets. Now compare her to that horse on two legs, Giselle. Her face is shockingly unattractive compared to Stephanie, Christy and many other models. If all you ever saw of her was a facial photo in an album, you wouldn't look at her twice. Cindy Crawford was -- hands down -- the most overrated supermodel in history. You can find women right now and every day lying on Southern California beaches that are ten times better looking than she ever was. The fact of the matter is this: while there are no 'ugly' women posing as models, there are a lot of them that are simply not remarkable. On the other hand, I've seen 'unknown' women in television commercials that are far more attractive that some 'name' models.

[Ayesha Khan]

10:04 AM on 02/26/2012

Wow!!!!!!! Fabulous what a lovely lady, and the Red Dress is a total knock out, she looks beautiful in that one. I love to see beautiful people. She is making such good amount of money that's really super, and the way she has maintained herself is excellent, writing books also. Not much models use their brains as they think that looks are every thing, but this dame seems to have both, Beauty and Brains--A Titanic Combination, Good Luck !!!!!!!!!!

[sparkybrown7877]

04:32 PM on 02/26/2012

The stunning lady in red is Giselle, the brazilian model, she is really very pretty!

[[e-mail]]

09:35 AM on 02/26/2012

Supermodels billionaires? Jessica Simpson too? Sure signs that the dollar is getting worthless!

[lordgamble]

10:17 AM on 02/26/2012

You try running a successful fashion company, Ireland is the epitome of having "Beauty and Brains". She also is a mother, married long time to the children's father and he is her partner in the business as well. Why try to drag down success? Envious?

[StevieTheK]

10:40 AM on 02/26/2012

she really is smart. I remember earlier in her career when she first toyed with transitioning from modeling to movies/acting. Her voice was about an octave higher than most women's, making her sound silly. She pursued the business side of fashion and has done great with it. Good for her.

[[e-mail]]

10:10 PM on 02/28/2012

im not trying to drag down success.it was meant as a joke.but to address your comment.what does being a mother married a long time to the childens father have to do with running a successful company? is it a prerequisite? lighten up dude.

[kalklaw16]

09:06 AM on 02/26/2012

LUCKY!!!!!!!!

[glitterik]

08:55 AM on 02/26/2012

Who CARES??

[karen lyons kalmenson]

07:31 AM on 02/26/2012

smart lady!!!

[Richcrafter]

11:51 PM on 02/25/2012

And she keeps her biznez to her self! Rock on! make that $$$$$$$$$!