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SHE’S been slammed as the ultimate nepo-baby and fangirl, who married her celebrity crush and then spent years riding off his coattails.
But Hailey Bieber got the last laugh this week, after revealing that her massively successful make-up brand, Rhode, has now been sold to e.l.f Beauty…for a whopping $1bn.
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Meanwhile, her husband Justin Bieber seems to be digging himself into an even bigger hole, as he continues his downward spiral – amid rumours that he’s squandered millions of his own fortune in recent years.
Now, the gulf between them seems to be wider than ever.
And with Hailey, 28, all set to take on “an even bigger role” as part of her brand’s acquisition, it looks like the power dynamic has switched between them for good.
She’s now officially the breadwinner, and it’s Justin who’s riding off Hailey’s coattails.
READ MORE ON HAILEY BIEBER
Taking to Instagram to announce the deal this week, the beauty icon told her followers: “When I launched Rhode in 2022, I always had big dreams for the company and the most important thing for me is to keep bringing Rhode to more spaces, places and faces globally.”
She added that she felt “invigorated, excited and even more ready than ever” to assume her new role as Chief Creative Officer, Head of Innovation of Rhode, and strategic advisor to e.l.f. Beauty.”
Hailey’s done this on her own…she’s now outshining Justin
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede
Speaking exclusively to the Sun, brand and culture expert Nick Ede tells us that Hailey’s brand sale is a master stroke – elevating her to the big leagues.
And what’s even more impressive is that – unlike her BFF Kylie Jenner – she didn’t have a reality TV show or sisters with millions of followers behind her to bolster her brand.
“Hailey hasn’t had the power of a TV show like the Kardashians, or Rihanna with her music before launching her brand, Fenty,” says Nick.
“She’s done this really on her own. Obviously, she’s become more famous because of her husband, but she’s now outshining him in every way.”
Troubled Justin Bieber gives fans a peek inside his night as he skips Met Gala & leaves Hailey to attend big event alone
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He adds that – unlike some celebrities who put their names to a business, but then check out – Hailey’s been heavily involved in every facet of making Rhode a success.
And even though she’s now struck gold, she’s staying committed to growing the business.
Nick explains: “Hailey’s not just taking the cheque and leaving. She still wants to be at the helm of the brand, be innovative, and talk to her customers online.
“And with e.l.f. Beauty, they can expand it globally, because a lot of high street shoppers might not actually know about the brand [yet]. This is a very exciting time for her.”
Different paths
It’s certainly a surprising outcome for the Biebers – considering where they both stood in the pecking order when they got married in 2018.
Back then, Justin was at the height of his global fame and fortune, having reportedly amassed a fortune of up to $500m.
Meanwhile, Hailey was wealthy thanks to her family connections – her father is the The Usual Suspects star Stephen Baldwin – and her credentials as an LA influencer and model, but she hadn’t quite made it to the big leagues.
Their early years of marriage were spent travelling around the world for Justin’s career – with Hailey playing the role of loyal and dutiful wife.
However, the balance first started to shift in 2022, when Hailey launched her beauty brand during COVID lockdown.
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She’s said she was heavily influenced by her mother, model Kennya Baldwin, who had long taught her about the importance of a good skincare routine.
As one of Instagram’s most popular influencers – with a following of 55m – Hailey, who shares nine-month-old son Jack with Justin, leveraged the power of social media.
She duly came up with products that her Gen Z followers couldn’t get enough of and couldn’t wait to share – including her viral phone case that holds her signature lip gloss.
Her range also includes skin milks, peptide lip tints, cleansers and moisturisers, which have all been praised highly by skincare experts across the board.
Authentic ambassador
Nick tells us that the strength of her brand – ever since she launched it three years ago – has been in its authenticity.
Just like Victoria Beckham with her own beauty brand, Hailey has spotlit all the products herself, proving to be its greatest asset and ambassador.
“Hailey promotes the products on social media herself,” he says. “That makes people feel they have their friends recommending things to them.
“Plus, what’s great about her [as the face of the brand] is she’s elegant.
“She’s absolutely gorgeous, and pretty natural in many ways compared to other stars we see today who’ve had so many surgeries.
“She’s stylish, sophisticated and is an elegant brand ambassador and entrepreneur.”
Ironically, just as Hailey’s star started to ascend three years ago with the creation of her brand, Justin’s career began to nosedive.
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In September 2022, the former child star cancelled the remainder of his “Justice” tour following a rare diagnosis of Type 2 Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which is a facial paralysis disease.
This meant he lost out on an estimated $90m in earnings from the tour, and he was also left owing more than $20m to the tour’s promoter, AEG, which he paid thanks to a loan from his then manager, Scooter Braun.
Then, a year later, Justin was forced to sell his entire music catalogue for $200m to cover mounting debts.
Obviously, this kept him in the lap of luxury, but – in the past few years – insiders have said he’s burning money, without bringing any more in.
Blowing his fortune
The 31 year old hasn’t released new music in three years, and he’s recently caused concern with his incoherent messages online and dishevelled appearance.
There’s been some speculation that Justin’s increasingly unhinged behaviour, which includes posing with drug paraphernalia online, is linked to his former mentor P Diddy’s arrest and ongoing trial.
But this has been rubbished by Justin’s spokesperson, who said earlier this month that “Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims”.
He’ll spend $300,000 at the Nobu at Coachella
Bieber insider
Nevertheless, general consensus is that Justin is on a downward spiral – and his fortune is reportedly more at risk than ever, as he continues to spend thousands of dollars.
Speaking last month, an insider reported that Justin had blown millions on his birthday celebrations in March.
“He’s flying in all his friends on private jets to his birthday party, putting it all over Instagram,” they said.
“He’ll spend $300,000 at the Nobu at Coachella. [Meanwhile] he hasn’t worked in a really long time.”
What’s more, the troubled singer is also reportedly spending thousands of dollars on his pastor, Judah Smith, who runs the controversial Churchome – a non-denominational church beloved by Beverly Hills celebrities.
According to one source, “Justin started to add Judah to the boards of his businesses – he is buying him $300,000 Rolexes and all this kind of stuff. Everyone around Justin is a part of this church.”
Separate lives
With Justin’s very lavish, seemingly unhinged lifestyle, it seems as if the couple could use this billion-dollar boost more than ever.
But it’s safe to say that Hailey’s new deal comes with certain strings attached.
While Justin has been unravelling in public, Hailey is known for being a very clean-cut, responsible businesswoman and influencer – and that’s sure to be the expectations placed upon her moving forwards as the brand’s Chief Creative Officer.
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What’s more, the deal is actually comprised of $800m paid in cash and stock, and $200m based on the future growth of the brand over the next three years.
With that in mind, Hailey will be focused on making sure the brand continues to soar.
To that end, she’ll have to do everything possible to make sure that her husband – who was once her path to higher status – doesn’t end up becoming a liability.
In recent weeks, the pair have stepped out independently. Last weekend, Hailey hit the town with her friends, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, at an LA fashion party.
This followed her recent solo jaunts to the Miami F1 Grand Prix and the Met Gala.
She also landed her first ever solo cover for US Vogue this month – having previously posed for the publication alongside Justin in 2019.
I think we’ll see an even bigger rise for Hailey…This is her time
Nick Ede
The implication is that, at least in the public eye, she’s ready to do things alone and she’s proving to be all the more popular for it.
Rumours have swiftly spread that their marriage is in crisis, as the pair are clearly living very different lives.
But, for the moment at least, they continue to be a united front – with Hailey recently insisting in her Vogue interview that they’re still as committed as ever.
As Nick tells us, whatever might be going on for Justin right now, this really is Hailey’s moment. And if she plays her cards right, it could only be the beginning for the beauty mogul.
“I think we’ll see an even bigger rise for Hailey,” he says.
“Whether that’s her getting her own docuseries, or being the new judge on something like Shark Tank [the US version of Dragons Den], or being an investor in other brands and build them up. This is her time.”
As for Justin, he showed his support for Hailey’s career milestone this week by reposting her Instagram message announcing Rhode’s acquisition.
But behind the scenes, it’s fair to say that the die has now been cast – and while Justin was the bigger earner in the past, his wife’s now bringing home the bacon.
Whether he cleans up his act, and manages to stay in the lap of luxury, remains to be seen.
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