When stars become founders — celebrity brands, investments, and ventures.
This week saw major activity in celebrity venture capital and brand partnerships, with entertainment industry leaders making significant strategic moves. Ashton Kutcher's departure from Sound Ventures to launch a new infrastructure-focused VC fund marks a pivotal shift in celebrity investing, while spirits brands doubled down on celebrity marketing partnerships.
This week's celebrity business landscape is dominated by wellness and health ventures, with major athletes pivoting toward preventative care platforms and personal care brands. Jayson Tatum's self-care line with Target and Giannis Antetokounmpo's investment in biomarker testing signal a broader trend of elite athletes moving beyond endorsements into equity stakes in health-focused companies.
The celebrity venture ecosystem shows continued momentum with AI and creator partnerships dominating headlines. This week's standout moves include MrBeast's acquisition of a fintech platform and industry-wide shifts toward long-term authentic creator collaborations over one-off endorsement deals.
This week saw major moves in creator economy infrastructure and athlete-backed consumer brands. A landmark $250 million venture from CAA signals institutional bet-making on creator businesses, while athlete-led investment funds make their first major plays in consumer goods, marking a shift toward equity-based celebrity involvement in business.
DJ Diplo and celebrity investors are backing the surging nicotine pouch market as monthly sales hit $510.5 million. MLB Players Inc. launched a partnership with Athletes First to develop player brand collaborations. Meanwhile, Steph Curry cemented his status as an athlete entrepreneur with a landmark 10-year deal with Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning.
This week's celebrity business landscape is dominated by strategic partnerships and infrastructure plays. An AI-shopping platform reveals major star-studded backing, a new celebrity-brand connection service launches, and athlete investments in automotive continue to accelerate—signaling a broader shift toward behind-the-scenes equity plays over traditional endorsements. <!-- /headline --> Celebrity investors pivot to infrastructure and B2B deals while athletes diversify beyond sports <!-- /headline -->
This week saw major celebrity investment activity across AI shopping, sports ownership, and international endorsement deals. Key highlights include a $35.5 million Series A funding round for an AI-powered shopping app backed by multiple celebrities, and significant athlete investments in automotive ventures. International expansion marked another major theme, with NBA star Stephen Curry signing a landmark 10-year deal with a Chinese sportswear company.
AI-powered shopping is attracting major celebrity capital as Phia secures $35.5M in Series A funding with backing from entertainment A-listers, while professional athletes are diversifying beyond endorsements into automotive and international sports partnerships. The week highlights a clear shift toward tech-enabled consumer apps and equity ownership for high-profile names.
This week brought major celebrity investment news with AI-shopping app Phia revealing high-profile backers in its $35.5M Series A, while NASCAR's Legacy Motor Club lined up 27 celebrity investors led by musician Darius Rucker. Meanwhile, elite athletes including Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards made significant business moves in endorsements and venture equity. <!-- /headline --> Celebrity investors fuel AI boom while athletes expand equity stakes in emerging sectors <!-- /headline -->
This week's biggest celebrity business headlines center on the intersection of sports representation and entertainment dealmaking, with a Goldman Sachs-owned agency forming an unusual partnership that could reshape how star athletes monetize beyond the field. Meanwhile, Byron Allen makes a bold move acquiring BuzzFeed for $120 million, and new data shows female athletes are dominating brand deal volume in a major shift for sports marketing. AI investments by entertainers are quietly accelerating behind the scenes.
This week's biggest celebrity business headline is James Murdoch's $300 million move to acquire nearly half of Vox Media — a stunning power play from the media heir who lost the succession battle for News Corp. On the sports side, Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' 2026 highest-paid athletes list with a record payday, while LIV Golf scrambled for up to $350 million in new investment as its Saudi sovereign wealth fund backing looks uncertain. The week also saw a flurry of NFL ownership shuffles, with Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel among new investors in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Media mogul James Murdoch made headlines this week with a stunning $300 million acquisition of nearly half of Vox Media, signaling a major pivot into independent digital publishing. Meanwhile, entertainment entrepreneur Byron Allen closed a $120 million deal to acquire BuzzFeed and take the CEO chair. With female athletes now commanding 75% of brand sponsorship deals according to new industry data, the business of celebrity and sports influence is shifting fast.
Martha Stewart makes a surprising pivot into AI with a home-management startup backed by Slow Ventures, while media mogul Byron Allen drops $120 million to acquire BuzzFeed and become its CEO. Meanwhile, OpenSponsorship's new 2026 report reveals a seismic shift in athlete brand deals, with 75% now going to female athletes as average deal sizes double.
Media mogul Byron Allen made the biggest splash of the week, scooping up BuzzFeed in a $120 million deal that puts him in the CEO chair of the struggling digital media brand. Meanwhile, a new OpenSponsorship report reveals that female athletes are now landing 75% of all brand deals — with average deal sizes doubling — signaling a seismic shift in how brands approach sports partnerships. The celebrity entrepreneur trend continues to accelerate, with actors and entertainers moving beyond endorsements to take genuine equity stakes in the businesses they back.
This week's celebrity business landscape is dominated by a major industry shift: new data shows 75% of brand deals are now flowing to female athletes, with average deal sizes doubling — a seismic change from past norms. Meanwhile, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo deepens his health-and-wellness portfolio with a shareholder stake in a longevity brand, and a fresh roundup of 2026's most-talked-about celebrity brand launches reveals fashion and wellness as the hottest categories for star entrepreneurs.
Fresh data for celebrity business moves this week is sparse, with most major outlets covering broader industry trends rather than specific star-led deals post-May 6. However, two developments stand out: Rhode — Hailey Bieber's beauty brand — has landed on TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026, signaling the maturation of creator-led beauty into a mainstream business force. Meanwhile, Ogilvy's investment in athlete talent agency Article 41 and Learfield's NIL push for women's collegiate athletes reflect a broader shift in how brands are structuring deals with sports figures.
This week's celebrity business landscape is marked by a strategic shift in how talent and capital intersect: ad agency Ogilvy made a significant investment in athlete talent platform Article 41, while the sports world saw two new dedicated funds launch within days of each other. Meanwhile, Sportico's weekly roundup confirms the deal pipeline in sports business remains robust heading into mid-May 2026.
Hailey Bieber's Rhode beauty brand earns a coveted spot on TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026 list, cementing the rise of founder-led celebrity beauty. In the sports world, two new sports investment funds launched this week, signaling continued institutional appetite for athlete-adjacent capital. Meanwhile, a new partnership platform called CHAMP is combining luxury consumer fund L Catterton with athlete-focused firm Patricof Co to bring pro athletes deeper into business ownership.
Hailey Bieber's Rhode has earned a coveted spot on TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies list, cementing the brand's status as one of the most impactful celebrity beauty ventures of 2026. Meanwhile, L Catterton and Patricof Co announced the formation of CHAMP, a new strategic partnership designed to turn elite athletes into managing partners of consumer brands. The formation of CHAMP signals a broader industry shift from endorsement deals toward deep equity ownership by sports stars.
Hailey Bieber's Rhode beauty brand earns a spot on TIME's list of the most influential companies of 2026, cementing her status as one of the most successful celebrity founders in the beauty space. Meanwhile, a new platform called CHAMP is reshaping how pro athletes turn fame into equity stakes, and the sports business world is buzzing with NBA expansion drawing fresh investor interest. This week's moves signal a maturing era of celebrity-led equity plays across beauty, sports, and consumer brands.
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