On April 22, 2023, Lionel Richie's daughter, Sofia Richie and the mysterious Elliot Grainge tied the knot in the South of France. Prior to the viral wedding, the former had been away from the limelight.
The last time she made headlines was due to her controversial relationship with Scott Disick. The two started dated in 2017 when Sofia was 19 and the latter was 34.
A year into their romance, Lionel told the Daily Telegraph that he'd "continue to be my cheerful self and move on" as he "didn't really know what to think" about the couple. "When you're 19, you know everything. Is it going to be for life? I don't know," he said at that time.
The musician also reflected: "When you hang around the reality world, who knows what you are really doing? This is a well-oiled machine, the Kardashian machine [...] I told Sofia I will have no opinion."
These days, everyone's praising the celebrity offspring for her "rebrand," which the Hello hitmaker surely approves. But what does Sofia really do? Here's how she's amassed her current $8 million net worth.
How Did Sofia Richie Get Famous?
Many assume that Sofia only got famous for dating Scott. But she was already a model by the time they first met. She started modeling at the age of 14 and was even featured in Teen Vogue. The next year, she landed her first contract with Mary Grace Swim. In 2014, she signed with Select Model Management, a London-based agency.
In 2016, she made headlines for "getting in between" Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber. At just 17, Sofia started dating the then-22-year-old Baby singer. "If you guys are really fans you wouldn't be so mean to people like that," Justin wrote in a post, defending his then-girlfriend.
Selena infamously replied: "If you can't handle the hate then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol – it should be special between you two only. Don't be mad at your fans. They love you." Two years later, Sofia got involved in the Scott's whole co-parenting drama with Kourtney Kardashian.
Scott later revealed in the final season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that he broke up with Sofia after she'd given him an ultimatum, saying: "You have to choose me or Kourtney." Apparently, she'd also told the father of three: "I don't want to share you as a boyfriend with Kourtney."
He then said in an interview in the show: "I'm never going to give up my relationship with Kourtney and the co-parenting we have. Nothing in a million years will be worth what we have."
Why Is Everyone Talking About Sofia Richie's Rebrand?
After Sofia's "old money" wedding, fans were quick to praise the 24-year-old bride for her "rebrand" — from wearing chic haute couture to her "stealth wealth" social media presence. Netizens even called her the "IT girl" of the moment.
Not long after her wedding snaps went viral on the internet, Kylie Jenner seemingly pulled an "attempted rebrand" as well. Fans were quick to accuse the reality star of copying Sofia. The KUWTK subreddit even had fans discussing if Kris Jenner had thought of revamping her daughter's style.
One said, "probably not Sofia will be talked about for like a week and even that's a stretch. Kylie and Kendall are 'It girls' in their own right and are way more popular than Sofia so it's not like they need to try to be old money in order to gain attraction."
But it seems like the consensus on Sofia's hit style is that it's just a misinterpretation of the "old money aesthetic" that's become a TikTok fixation. "The 'Old money look' doesn't matter unless you actually have the money to back it up," a Redditor wrote.
"This whole tiktok aesthetic obsession is so damn weird. Old money this old money that. We have no clue at the end of the day who has a massive trust fund."
How Does Sofia Richie Make Money?
Speaking of massive trust funds, Sofia has actually been making her own money through modeling, as well as social media. She reportedly got paid $100,000 just for posting a photo of herself wearing a pair of Uggs while lounging on a staircase. She's also had other Instagram endorsement deals, TV appearances, and a clothing line with Missguided.
In October 2022, Sofia got a job as Beauty Director for cosmetics brand, Nudestix. "I'm thrilled to join the Nudestix family and bring the brand into its next exciting stage of life," she said in a statement to WWD back then.
"I've always been a fan of the brand's practical, yet powerful approach to beauty and skin care, so to be a part of a brand that I authentically use in my everyday life and be a part of its future development is exciting."
Her net worth has gone up from $4 million in 2019 to $8 million. Sofia's husband also has a net worth of $10 million. He is the founder of 10K Projects, an independent Los Angeles-based record label. His father, Lucian Grainge is the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. He's worth $50 million, which is a tenth of Lionel's fortune.
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