Perhaps it’s difficult today to find a more popular family clan than the Kardashian family. However, it’s essential not to forget that all their wealth, connections, and media presence owe themselves to one woman. Interestingly, she didn’t possess any of these advantages. She lacked a formal education and didn’t have a model’s looks. So, how did Kris Jenner manage to become the most influential head of the famous family and stop counting pennies until the next paycheck? You’ll find out with us in the next few minutes.
Kris Jenner
«I always knew I would be rich. The question of how I would become rich was the second one,» confessed the head of the Kardashian family in one of the episodes of the reality show. It all began quite ordinary. Kris Jenner (Houghton in her maiden name) was born in San Diego. Her father left his wife and daughter when she was 7 years old. To help her struggling mother, Kris began working as a donut seller and a cleaner when she was only 12.
Even in her youth, the brunette realized that school grades and, especially, college would not help her in life. So she set her sights on a successful marriage, believing it could bring significant dividends. From the age of 16, Kris started looking for a suitable candidate. The first option was professional golfer Cesar Sanudo. He wasn’t a «golden boy,» but he had $2 million to his name and a house for rent in Beverly Hills. It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But not for our heroine.
Kris had no intention of marrying the first person she met. Cesar was just a ticket to a better life for her. Soon, she had the opportunity to meet the future father of her children. Of course, we’re talking about lawyer Robert Kardashian. According to the official version, they met on a plane, where Houghton worked as a flight attendant. However, in reality, it was much more pragmatic. The future Jenner attended a horse race, knowing that Kardashian loved them.
It’s worth noting that Robert was one of Beverly Hills’ most eligible bachelors. Marrying him automatically equated to a golden ticket. However, Robert noticed Kris as just a temporary plaything. It seemed like everyone was fine with the situation for a while. But soon enough, Sanudo, who had no intention of tolerating his beloved’s infidelity, caught them.
The first successful marriage
According to the customs of the time, Robert was expected to marry a young woman after such an incident. However, Robert had placed all his bets on a union with Priscilla Presley. Fortunately for Kris, Elvis’s ex-wife had no intentions of becoming a submissive housewife. And, of course, she expressed her feelings directly to Robert. He had no choice but to think about his former lover.
For the next three years, Kris couldn’t boast of much besides the status of being the «girlfriend» of one of Beverly Hills’ most eligible bachelors. It’s not surprising since Kardashian had no intentions of spending his resources on a «backup plan.» Having a girlfriend didn’t stop him from seeking a more advantageous match. However, at some point, he gave in and proposed to Miss Houghton.
After gaining access to her legal husband’s finances, Kris Kardashian bought herself a new Mercedes, several Chanel dresses, and even Chopard watches the next day. With the births of Kourtney and Kim, she insisted on purchasing a 6,500 square-foot mansion. The neighborhood was, of course, prestigious. The mansion itself had tennis courts, a guest house, and even a swimming pool.
Soon, their mansion became the center of Hollywood’s social life. With her husband’s permission, Kris started throwing parties. Making up for lost time, the lawyer’s wife didn’t hesitate to undergo plastic surgeries, and she was barely recognizable afterward. However, Robert suspected his spouse of infidelity. Furthermore, he believed that Khloe might not be his biological daughter. Still, he never went through with a DNA test.
New Husband — New Opportunities for Enrichment
After the birth of Robert Jr., Kris stopped hiding her affairs from her husband altogether. She started a romance with football player Todd Waterman. The head of the family wasn’t going to tolerate either his wife’s blatant infidelity or the fact that she was spending his money on some athlete. Consequently, they divorced, and Kris’s credit cards were immediately frozen.
«I had nothing. One day I went to the market. My credit card didn’t work. I thought, ‘I can’t even buy tomatoes,'» the socialite confessed in an interview later. Surprisingly, another party she organized, this time by barter, saved her from this situation. It was at that party that Kris managed to meet Olympic champion Bruce Jenner. They got married in 1991.
«We took Bruce’s gold medal, dusted it off, put it in a frame in his office, and it became our motivation. We wanted to be champions again,» Kris said. The family went on to do commercial endorsements, promote products, and Bruce resumed public appearances. Kris was accumulating wealth once again. Meanwhile, she gave birth to two daughters with the athlete.
It seemed like the money would keep flowing through the name and face of her new husband. However, Kris Jenner wouldn’t be herself if she didn’t seize a new opportunity to make money. So when a friend suggested that she should do a reality show, she immediately agreed. «I couldn’t have imagined that my family and my home would one day become an entertainment empire,» she remarked. It’s worth noting that the reality show about the Jenner family not only became a mega-hit but also topped television ratings for 14 years.
Money, status and popularity.
In 2015, Kris Jenner divorced Bruce, who would later come out as transgender and transition to Caitlyn Jenner. Caitlyn published memoirs in which she claimed that Kris knew about her desire to transition. However, Kris brushed it off, suggesting that Caitlyn, a decathlete, was making it up.
Meanwhile, the Kardashian family business allowed for the production and launch of various branded products, including clothing, cosmetics, and even vitamins. Kris helps her children with their ventures and receives a 10% share of the earnings from each product, TV show, or project. In total, this has allowed her to accumulate a bank balance of $230 million.
Kris Jenner invests her earned money in real estate and her own children. She knows that wealth needs to be carefully preserved for unforeseen circumstances. In her home, Kris Jenner even hung a painting with a motivating message: «It’s hard being a god, but we’ll manage.» But is everything really as wonderful in the life of one of the most influential women?
Kris’s sister, Karen Houghton, believes that Kris Jenner’s workaholic tendencies can be explained quite simply. Behind closed doors, the socialite is deeply unhappy. However, confirming this is not that easy. For over four years, the 67-year-old entrepreneur has been in a relationship with 39-year-old Corey Gamble. Kris Jenner herself doesn’t seem like an unhappy woman; she has achieved wealth, status, and popularity, just as she wanted.