Celebrity Business Moves — 2026-05-04
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.
Celebrity Business Moves — 2026-05-04
Hailey Bieber — Rhode Named to TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026
- The Move: Rhode, Hailey Bieber's direct-to-consumer beauty brand, was named to TIME's annual list of the world's most influential companies for 2026.
- Details: Bieber serves as founder and chief creative officer. The brand has grown rapidly since its launch, becoming a standout in the celebrity beauty space. TIME photographed Bieber at OBB Studios in Hollywood for the feature.
- Why It Matters: The TIME recognition places Rhode in elite company alongside global brands and signals that celebrity-founded beauty labels — when paired with genuine creative vision — can achieve mainstream institutional credibility, not just influencer buzz.
- Smart or Risky?: Very smart. Rhode has consistently differentiated itself with tightly edited product launches and a strong aesthetic identity. Making the TIME list is a validation that transcends marketing and attracts retail partners, investors, and talent.
L Catterton & Patricof Co — Launch of CHAMP, a New Athlete-Equity Partnership Platform
- The Move: Luxury-focused private equity firm L Catterton and sports investment firm Patricof Co announced the formation of CHAMP (Champion Athlete Managing Partner), a new strategic partnership designed to help professional athletes take meaningful equity stakes in consumer brands.
- Details: CHAMP combines L Catterton's deep consumer brand expertise and portfolio with Patricof Co's athlete-relationship infrastructure. The platform is specifically structured to move beyond traditional endorsement deals toward genuine ownership.
- Why It Matters: This is a structural shift in how athletes monetize their brand power. Rather than one-off endorsements, CHAMP gives athletes a framework to become real equity partners — potentially transforming the economics of sports celebrity over the next decade.
- Smart or Risky?: Smart for both sides. Athletes get upside beyond flat fees; brands get authentic, committed ambassadors with skin in the game. The risk is deal curation — not every athlete-brand pairing will work.
NBA — Expansion Teams Drawing New Investor Interest
- The Move: According to Sports Business Journal's closing bell report from April 27, the NBA is drawing interested bidders for prospective expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle.
- Details: Investor interest is intensifying around both markets. The expansion push reflects broader appetite among high-net-worth and celebrity-adjacent investors to get into professional sports ownership as asset values continue to climb.
- Why It Matters: NBA franchises have become one of the most coveted alternative assets in the world. Both Las Vegas and Seattle represent major untapped markets, and competition for ownership stakes is expected to be fierce.
- Smart or Risky?: Historically, buying into NBA expansion has been a strong long-term play. The risk is the premium price of entry and uncertainty around league approval timelines.
Brand Launches & Expansions
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Hailey Bieber — Rhode (beauty): A DTC skincare and cosmetics brand founded and led by Bieber as chief creative officer. Rhode targets the premium millennial/Gen-Z beauty consumer with a minimalist aesthetic and tightly curated product drops. Its TIME 100 Most Influential Companies recognition in 2026 marks a major inflection point for the brand's mainstream credibility.
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Vogue Business Funding Tracker — Hello Klean: Though not celebrity-founded, this water filtration brand (co-founded by Karlee Zhang and Omer Ozener in 2020) is tracked in the Vogue Business funding ecosystem, generating $14.7M in 2025 revenue and projecting $27M for 2026 — illustrating the consumer wellness vertical that many celebrity investors are now eyeing.
Investments & Deals
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L Catterton partnered with Patricof Co to form CHAMP: The new platform connects pro athletes with consumer brand equity opportunities, marking a significant structural evolution beyond traditional endorsement economics. The partnership leverages L Catterton's portfolio of premium consumer brands and Patricof Co's athlete network.
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Learfield (college sports multimedia rights): Sports Business Journal reported that Learfield is finalizing a majority sale to private equity firm TPG, in a deal framed as a full reinvention of the business — reflecting continued PE appetite for sports media rights infrastructure as a long-term growth asset.
Sports Stars in Business
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Pro Athlete Ecosystem — CHAMP Platform: The newly formed CHAMP partnership (L Catterton + Patricof Co) is explicitly designed to channel professional athletes into equity roles within consumer brands — a structural upgrade from one-time endorsement checks to genuine business ownership. This week's announcement sets the stage for a wave of athlete-brand equity deals expected to follow.
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NBA Expansion Investors: Sports Business Journal reported April 27 that serious bidders are circling prospective NBA expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle. Sports franchise ownership has become a key vehicle for celebrities and ultra-high-net-worth individuals to diversify wealth into appreciating assets, with teams across major leagues posting record valuations.
Analysis: What's Trending
- Beauty remains the hottest celebrity equity sector. Rhode's TIME 100 Most Influential Companies placement confirms that the celebrity beauty brand era is maturing — the market is rewarding founders with genuine creative vision and brand consistency over mere name recognition.
- Equity over endorsement is the new playbook. The launch of CHAMP by L Catterton and Patricof Co formalizes what many athletes and their advisors have been moving toward informally: structured equity participation in consumer brands, rather than flat-fee sponsorships that expire.
- Sports ownership is becoming the ultimate celebrity asset. From NBA expansion interest to private equity plays in college sports rights (Learfield/TPG), the sports business infrastructure is drawing celebrity-adjacent capital at every level — ownership stakes, media rights, and fan experience.
- Institutional validation is the new milestone. Whether it's a TIME list placement or a PE partnership announcement, the most meaningful celebrity business moves this week are being ratified by legacy institutions — signaling that the celebrity-entrepreneur category has earned serious credibility in the mainstream business world.
What to Watch Next
- Rhode's next product launch: With TIME 100 recognition in hand, Hailey Bieber's team is well-positioned to announce a major retail expansion or new product category. Watch for moves into fragrance or body care, which would follow the playbook of other successful celebrity beauty founders.
- CHAMP's first deals: The L Catterton / Patricof Co platform is brand new — its first athlete-brand equity pairings will be closely watched as a signal of how ambitious (or conservative) the platform's deal strategy will be.
- NBA expansion franchise awards: As investor interest in Las Vegas and Seattle heats up, any formal announcement of ownership group selections could trigger a wave of celebrity co-investor news, similar to what has accompanied recent NFL and NBA ownership rounds.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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