Justin
Timberlake
Status:
Singer, Actor
Age: 31
HQ: Los Angeles, CA
Investments:
Stipple, Myspace, Dekko
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| Is
this life imitating art? A former boy-band
heartthrob, Timberlake won acclaim for his
role in The Social Network as Napster
co-founder Sean Parker. Timberlake must have
really tapped into Parker's investment mojo,
as he is now an investor in technology startups
Stipple, Myspace, and Dekko. Stipple, a service
that lets users label and monetize their photographs,
garnered $2 million in its first round of
funding from Timberlake and other investors.
While Myspace is an also-ran, social network
that Timberlake is looking to keep afloat,
Dekko is a startup developing smartphone software
that places digital content into the real
world. |
Ashton
Kutcher
Status:
Actor, Producer
Age: 34
HQ:
Los Angeles, CA
Investments:
Foursquare, GroupMe, Hipmunk, Chegg, Flipboard,
Milk, Tinychat, Fab.com, Path, Airbnb, Optimizely,
Blekko, WarbyParker
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| Although
he played a dimmed-bulb Michael Kelso in the
TV series That 70s Show, Kutcher is
an illuminating source when it comes to making
investments. A keen eye when it comes to technology
startups, this actor has funded some well-known
companies, including the mobile social network
Foursquare, and the photo sharing application,
Path. Kutcher not only provides capital, but
also provides "creative assistance."
With Path, he suggested ways to let users
comment and give feedback on each other's
photos. Kutcher is so devoted to the tech/entrepreneurial
space that he co-founded A-Grade Investments
in 2011 with Yucaipa Companies' billionaire,
Ron Burkle, and Israeli music producer and
talent agent, Guy Oseary. A-Grade is actively
looking for VC deals. |
Kanye
West
Status:
Producer, Musician, Songwriter
Age: 34
HQ:
New York, NY
Investments:
Turntable.fm |
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| Kanye
West is adding investor to his already lengthy
list of achievements. West began his trek
to success by producing catchy tracks for
artists including Alicia Keys and Ludacris.
West is currently managing his label, GOOD
music, and climbing the charts with hits of
his own. In 2011, the singer songwriter invested
in the $7.5 million Turntable.fm financing
round. Turntable.fm is a music social media
site that combines free streaming music with
chat rooms allowing users to vote and earn
DJ points. Valued at $37.5 million, the music
start-up has over 300,000 users, and recently
signed licensing agreements with the top artist
publishing representatives. |
Lady
Gaga
Status:
Producer, Musician, Songwriter, Dancer
Age:
26
HQ:
New
York, NY
Investments:
Backplane, Turntable.fm
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| Known
for her eccentric attire and sometimes controversial
performances, Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina
Germanotta) has played her part in the investment
world on more than one occasion. Like Kanye
West, Gaga invested in the Turntable.fm music
start-up and contributed to the firm's $7.5
million financing round. Previously, the singer
also worked with former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt,
to invest in the $1 million funding for the
social platform Backplane. Backplane, founded
by Gaga's business manager Troy Carter, seeks
to unite individuals worldwide based on their
interests and affinities. Gaga's interest
in Backplane emerged after meeting with former
Apple CEO, Steve Jobs. She has a 20% stake
in the company. |
Drew
Bledsoe
Status:
Football player (retired)
Age:
40
HQ:
Bend, OR
Investments:
IdleAir, Echosphere Technologies, Montana
Ski Company |
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Now retired, NFL pro Drew Bledsoe is quarterbacking
his own investment group, Bledsoe Capital
Group. Founded shortly after his retirement
from the NFL in 2007, Bledsoe's operation
is focused on funding investments in Real
Estate, Luxury Products and Services, Emerging
Technology, and Entertainment. The group receives
hundreds of proposals, but its primary mission
statement is "doing good while doing
well." Investments include Montana Ski
Company (which produces skis manufactured
from sustainable Montana hardwoods using low-toxic
resins), and IdleAir (which provides truck
drivers an alternative to idling their engines
during rest periods). Additional Bledsoe ventures
include a winery and a specialty coffee roasting
company. |
Madonna
Status:
Producer, Singer, Actress
Age:
53
HQ:
New York, NY
Investments:
Vita Coco, Hard Candy Fitness |
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| Quite
the influential woman in the music industry,
Madonna is not a virgin to startup ventures.
The all-time, top-selling female recording
artist's love of coconut water led her to
invest about $1.5 million in Vita Coco, an
all-natural, nutrient-packed drink available
at select grocers and retailers. A guru for
a healthy lifestyle, Madonna (alongside manager
Guy Oseary and New Evolution Ventures Chairman,
Mark Mastrov) is also opening a second Hard
Candy Fitness Center is Moscow, Russia. The
first Hard Candy Fitness Center opened in
Mexico City in late 2010, which included a
visit from the Material Girl. |
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Steve
Young
Status: Football player (retired)
Age:
50
HQ:
San Jose, CA
Investment Firm:
Huntsman
Gay Global Capital
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| Steve
Young can't be accused of sitting on the bench
following his NFL career. Having won a record
six passing titles, former 49ers quarterback
Young is now distributing funds instead of
a football. Besides his role as a Monday
Night Football analyst, Young serves as
a managing partner and co-founder at Huntsman
Gay Global Capital. Young helped the Private
Equity investor raise $1.1 billion for its
first fund, which invests in middle market
companies across a wide range of industries.
Additionally, Young received his Juris Doctor
(J.D.) from the Brigham Young University Law
School, and sat on the board of Foundry Networks
before it was acquired by Brocade Communications
Systems in 2008. |
Leonardo
DiCaprio
Status: Actor, Producer
Age:
37
HQ:
Los Angeles, CA
Investments:
Mobli |
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| Although
onscreen this actor went down with one of
the mightiest ships, Leonardo DiCaprio's acting
and business career still remain afloat. Known
for his boyish good looks, DiCaprio has been
acting since the age of 14. As photogenic
as DiCaprio is, it comes as no surprise that
he would take an interest in the startup,
Mobli. A social media play, Mobli users can
experience one another's photos and videos
in real time. Having been a lead contributor
in the $4 million round of funding, DiCaprio
will also play a role in marketing for Mobli.
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David
Robinson
Status: Basketball player (retired)
Age:
46
HQ:
San Antonio, TX
Investment
Firm:
Admiral Capital Group |
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| David
"The Admiral" Robinson is successfully
steering his business ship these days. Regarded
as one of the best centers in NBA history,
Robinson partnered with Daniel Bassichis (formerly
of Goldman Sachs) to form the Admiral Capital
Group. Founded after his retirement from the
NBA in 2008, Admiral Capital is a private
equity firm that invests in opportunities
looking to provide both financial and social
returns, with a focus in the real estate and
hospitality industry. The company has invested
in Centerplate, a food service company. Robinson
originally dribbled his ball in the investment
court to create a source of funding for The
Carver Academy, a non-profit, private school
in San Antonio that serves children from pre-kindergarten
through grade six. |
Dan
Quayle
Status: Politician, Jurist, 44th Vice President
of the U.S.
Age:
65
HQ:
Paradise Valley, AZ
Investment
Firm:
Cerberus Global Investments |
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| "Veep"
during the George H.W. Bush presidency, Dan
Quayle is known to be one of the more active
former Vice Presidents. Don't let his public
image as an intellectual light-weight, prone
to factual slip-ups and misspellings, fool
you. In 2000, Quayle joined the advisory team
at Cerberus Global Investments, a leading
private equity firm, with approximately $23
billion under management. Now a Co-Chairman,
Quayle is using his political creds to help
Cerberus land international deals. It was
Quayle that helped Cerberus close a controlling
stake in Japan's Nippon Credit Bank (now Aozora
Bank, Ltd.). He is also President of Quayle
& Associates and serves on the boards
of directors of IAP Worldewide Services, Inc.,
and K2, Inc. |
Ryan
Seacrest
Status: TV Host, Radio Personality, Producer
Age:
37
HQ:
Los Angeles, CA
Investment
Firm:
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment |
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| Stepping
beyond hosting American Idol, Seacrest
has upped the ante on his career hand with
the Ryan Seacrest Production company, producing
shows that air mainly on E! and MTV. Recently,
Seacrest joined the largest U.S. radio company
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, which
is committing $300 million to work with Ryan
Seacrest Productions. The broadcast impresario
is teaming up with the two private equity
firms that own Clear Channel, Thomas H. Lee
Partners and Bain Capital, to identify new
investments and acquisitions. |
Magic
Johnson
Status: Basketball player (retired)
Age:
52
HQ:
Los Angeles, CA and Detroit, MI
Investment
Firms:
Detroit Venture Partners, Canyon-Johnson Urban
Fund, Yucaipa Johnson Corporate Initiatives
Growth |
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| One
of the 50 Greatest Players in the NBA, Earvin
"Magic" Johnson Jr.'s achievements
include nine NBA Finals appearances and twelve
All-Star games. Proving that he can score
more than just baskets, Johnson joined the
VC firm Detroit Venture Partners in 2011 alongside
Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert, ePrize
founder Josh Linkner, and investor Brian Hermelin.
Detroit Venture invests primarily in digital
media, mobile application development, e-commerce
and social networking companies. Johnson also
is a partner in real estate firm Canyon-Johnson
Urban Fund, which has nearly $1 billion to
invest, and private equity firm Yucaipa Johnson
Corporate Initiatives Growth Fund, which has
close to $400 million to invest. |
Michael
J. Fox
Status: Actor, Producer, Author
Age:
50
HQ:
New York, NY
Investment
Firm:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation |
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| Michael
J. Fox rocked us out as Marty McFly with his
rendition of "Johnny B Good" in
the Back to the Future trilogy, and
despite depicting a young Republican in Family
Ties, Fox has been quite the activist.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
in 1991, he began seeking a cure. This led
him to create the Michael J. Fox Foundation
in 2001, which funds researchers and scientists
with projects geared toward Parkinson's disease.
The foundation is currently investing in Sapiens,
a medical device startup, whose goal is to
deliver superior brain stimulation therapies.
To date, the Michael J. Fox Foundation is
the largest private funder of Parkinson's
disease research in the world, investing upwards
of $179 million. |
Steve
Nash
Status: Basketball player
Age:
38
HQ:
New York, NY (offseason) and Phoenix, AZ (during
the season)
Investment
Firm:
Consigliere |
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| This
South-African born athlete excelled at soccer
and rugby, however it was basketball where
Stephen Nash found his calling. Named by ESPN
in 2006 as the ninth greatest NBA point guard
of all time, Nash can handle more than just
a basketball. The all-star has formed the
Steve Nash Foundation, which funds projects
and creates opportunities for children affected
by poverty, abuse, or neglect. The Suns player
also has joined the VC world. Together with
Deutsch advertising agency executive, Michael
Duda, Nash co-founded New York based VC firm
Consigliere in 2010. Italian for "advisor,"
Consigliere started with $20 million, and
invests mostly in seed-stage and early round
consumer-focused companies. |
Troy
Carter
Status: Chairman and CEO, Coalition Media
Group
Age:
Late 30s
HQ:
Los Angeles, CA
Investments:
Backplane, Bre.ad, Tinychat, Lumier, Turntable.fm |
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| With
an ear for music, Troy Carter also has a knack
for investing as well. Having worked with
some of hip-hop's biggest artists including
Will Smith, Sean "Diddy" Combs,
and Nelly, Carter has established some hefty
ties in the entertainment industry. Atom Factory,
his management company that formed in 2010,
now has pop star Lady Gaga on its roster.
Gaga invested in Carter's company, social
media platform Backplane. Carter's preference
for social media and technology startups,
has prompted additional investments in the
video chat site Tinychat, and personal billboard
and link shortening site Bre.ad. |
Troy
Aikman
Status: Football player (retired)
Age:
45
HQ:
Dallas, TX
Investment
Firms:
Direct Development, Bledsoe Capital Group |
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| Footballer,
Troy Aikman, was the number one overall draft
pick in 1989 and played twelve consecutive
seasons as quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys.
Although he turned down Dancing with the
Stars, Aikman can still be seen on television
as a sportscaster for Fox Network. To keep
this retiree even more occupied, Aikman has
gotten behind Direct Development and the Bledsoe
Capital Group. Aikman is a principal owner
of Direct Development, a retail real estate
development and investment firm. Backing up
another ex-Cowboy, Drew Bledsoe, Aikman invested
in the Bledsoe Capital Group's fund in 2009. |
MC
Hammer
Status: Rapper, Actor
Age:
50
HQ:
Tracy, CA
Investments:
WireDoo, DanceJam |
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| MC
Hammer was a big enough idol in the eighties
and nineties to make parachute pants a staple
item in everyone's wardrobe, but does he have
enough zest to make Wiredoo a more popular
search engine than Google? The first hip hop
artist to achieve diamond status for an album
MC Hammer, Stanley Kirk Burrell announced
the development of the new search engine aimed
to surpass Google and Bing on "deep search"
and relational topics. Still its beta stage,
Wiredoo doesn't yet seem to be position to
"outhammer" Google. In any case
if we don't get the chance to "wiredoo"
something, at least we'll have had the opportunity
to watch others get down hammer style, thanks
to MC Hammer investing in DanceJam, a video
sharing site. |
Selena
Gomez
Status: Singer, Actress
Age:
19
HQ:
Los Angeles, CA
Investments:
Postcard on the Run |
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| Not
many know that Selena Gomez began her career
singing next to everyone's favorite purple
dinousaur. Moving from Barney and Friends
to the World of Disney, Gomez became a star
in the television series Wizards of Waverly
Place. Wanting to shed her Mickey Mouse
image, Gomez is participating in projects
outside of the "magic kingdom."
In 2009, and at the age of 17, she became
UNICEF's youngest ambassador. Gomez is following
in the steps of other celebrities choosing
tech startups to invest in. Just last year,
Gomez participated in the $750,000 funding
round for start-up Postcard on the Run, a
mobile app where users can send real postcards
to any address on a mobile device. For an
extra cost, you can even add a scratch and
sniff feature to the postcard. |
Sean
Combs
Status: Producer, Rapper, Actor
Age:
42
HQ:
Alpine, NJ
Investments:
Tinychat |
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| Though
he's gained notoriety for a employing a variety
of stage names, Sean Jean Combs has unquestionably
made a name for himself as a formidable entrepreneur.
With two restaurants, a clothing line, and
a record company, it comes as no surprise
that in 2011 Combs was named as the richest
hip hop figure by Forbes. With an estimated
net worth of $500 million, this rapper had
no qualms with providing seed money to a New
York startup company. Tinychat, an online
video chat network that lets users instantly
connect with old and new friends, received
funding from Combs in its $1.5 million venture
round. |
Bono
Status: Musician
Age:
51
HQ:
Dublin, Ireland
Investments:
Elevation Partners, Dropbox |
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| Often
seen sporting a nifty par of shades, Bono
is the front man of Dublin-based rock band
U2. Born Paul Hewson, Bono is a managing director
and co-founder of Elevation Partners, a Silicon
Valley based VC firm. Elevation was once criticized
as being one of the "worst investors
in America" due to a stream of bad investments.
Now, however, the company seems to be flourishing
with stakes in Yelp and Facebook. Bono's firm
owns a 1.5% stake in the number one social
media site, valued at approximately $1 billion.
Apart from his investments made with Elevation,
Bono has also invested in the file sharing
service Dropbox. The company raised $250 million
in its Series B funding and is now valued
at $4 billion. |
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