Kim Kardashian’s Skims hit a $5B valuation in its last round: how celebrity brands get that big
Goldman Sachs Alternatives led a $225M round announced Nov 12, 2025; Skims said it expected to pass $1 billion in 2025 net sales.
The tea in 3
- Skims said it raised $225M at a $5B valuation in a round led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, announced Nov 12, 2025.
- It expected to top $1 billion in 2025 net sales, about six years after its 2019 start, per Sherwood News.
- Sherwood says that may make it the most valuable celebrity-founded brand ever. That's the outlet's read, not an official ranking.
Skims, the brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, raised $225 million at a $5 billion valuation, with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leading the round, according to Sherwood News and Tech Funding News. Skims announced the round on Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025. It’s the latest funding round we could confirm as of Oct 19, 2026, so the numbers below are from then, not live.
The numbers
Sherwood says Skims expected to top $1 billion in net sales in 2025, about six years after its founding. That is the company’s expectation; final results haven’t been published. Tech Funding News adds it had 18 U.S. stores and two franchise outlets in Mexico.
Who runs it
Tech Funding News says Skims was co-founded in 2019, with Jens Grede as CEO and Kim Kardashian as chief creative officer. Kardashian called the expansion a step toward becoming a “global omnichannel retail brand,” per Sherwood.
Where the money goes
The new capital is meant for activewear and apparel, bigger retail, and international growth, per Tech Funding News. A women’s activewear collection with Nike is also mentioned. Grede has hinted that Skims “deserves” to be public, per Tech Funding News, which adds that he stressed an IPO isn’t on the immediate horizon.
How it compares
Sherwood compares Skims to other celebrity-backed deals:
- Beats by Dre was bought by Apple for $3 billion in 2014.
- Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is valued at about $2.8 billion, per the outlet.
Based on that, Sherwood says Skims “might now be the most valuable celebrity-founded brand ever.” That is the outlet’s framing. A valuation is what investors agree a company is worth in a round, not cash in the bank.
How celebrity brands get big
The famous face brings attention, but the numbers come from real sales and operators. Skims has a CEO who runs the business and a founder who drives the product and the spotlight.
Sherwood also notes searches for “skims” rose 278% week over week when a thong launched in October 2025, which shows the attention side of the machine.
What happens next
As of Oct 19, 2026 we found no newer funding round or sale for Skims. If Skims files to go public, that would be the next big number to watch.
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