Kimora Lee Simmons built one of the most recognisable fashion empires of the early 2000s, yet her net worth is now estimated at around $80 million — a significant drop from the $200 million peak often cited at the height of her Baby Phat era. Legal battles linked to her estranged husband's global fraud conviction, seized Celsius stock worth tens of millions, and a disputed Beverly Hills mansion have cast long shadows over a fortune she spent decades constructing.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Kimora Lee Simmons' estimated net worth in 2025 is approximately $80 million, down from a reported peak of $200 million
- Baby Phat generated over $1 billion in revenue at its height; Kimora reportedly received $20 million or less when it sold in 2004
- Her estranged husband Tim Leissner pleaded guilty in 2018 to 1MDB fraud and reported to prison in February 2026
- A court ordered the forfeiture of 3.3 million Celsius shares held in Kimora's account in March 2023, estimated at $93 million
- She is currently fighting to remain in a disputed $25 million Beverly Hills mansion that she has lived in rent-free since 2020
Profile summary
Full name | Kimora Lee Perkins (née) |
Known as | Kimora Lee Simmons |
Date of birth | 4 May 1975 |
Birthplace | St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African-American and Japanese-Korean |
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
Education | University of Hartford (BA) |
Occupation | Fashion designer, model, entrepreneur, TV personality |
Years active | 1988–present |
Spouses | Russell Simmons (m. 1998; div. 2009); Tim Leissner (m. 2014; sep. 2022) |
Partner | Djimon Hounsou (2007–2012) |
Children | 5 (Ming Lee, Aoki Lee, Kenzo Lee, Wolfe Lee, Gary Lee) |
Net worth | ~$80 million (2025) |
Kimora Lee Simmons has an estimated net worth of $80 million in 2025. That figure reflects earnings from fashion design, brand endorsements, licensing deals, real estate, cosmetics and fragrance lines, television appearances, and investments.
Most recent estimates place her net worth at around $80 million. Earlier reports once suggested she had crossed the $200 million mark, especially when factoring in the peak Baby Phat era and her various investments.
The gap between those two figures is not incidental — it tells the story of how legal entanglements and complex financial disputes eroded one of fashion's most formidable fortunes.
How does Kimora Lee Simmons make her money?
Her income sources include:
- Fashion brands including Baby Phat and KLS
- Licensing of fragrance and cosmetics lines
- Reality TV and media appearances
- Book sales and product endorsements
- Jewellery and skincare collaborations
- High-end real estate investments
Income has also come from producing the Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam, her shows Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane and House of Fab, and major real-estate plays in Beverly Hills and New York.
How Baby Phat made and cost her a fortune
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In 1998, Kimora's then-husband Russell Simmons was at the helm of Phat Farm, an urban menswear brand. Kimora created a parallel women's brand, "Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons," under the umbrella of Phat Fashions.
In 2000, she was appointed president and creative director of the Baby Phat brand. By 2001, Baby Phat reported gross revenue earnings of $30 million, and by 2002, Phat Farm and Baby Phat had made a combined profit of $265 million.
Under Simmons' leadership as creative director and president, the brand brought in more than $1 billion in revenue at its peak.
Did Kimora get cheated on the Baby Phat sale?
In 2004, Russell Simmons sold Phat Fashions to the Kellwood Company for $140 million, while Kimora stayed on as president. The deal looked enormous on paper — but Kimora's share was far smaller than anyone might have expected.
In a podcast appearance on Aspire With Emma Grede, Simmons opened up about the sale of Baby Phat, saying she likely made "$20 million or less" from the deal, even though the company was sold for "100-and-something million dollars."
Simmons also said she missed the early conversations around the sale and was not aware they were happening — a woman who built something iconic, only to learn the hard way how much ownership really matters.
Does Kimora still own Baby Phat?
Yes — and she reclaimed it on her own terms. On International Women's Day 2019, Kimora Lee Simmons announced the reacquisition of Baby Phat. The brand relaunched the following summer through a collaboration with Forever 21.
She has been the sole owner of Baby Phat since 2019, and the brand now sells directly to consumers online. She shared:
"Since acquiring the label back in 2019, it's been an incredible journey of rediscovery. The collaboration with Ming and Aoki has injected fresh perspectives and energy into the brand."
The Tim Leissner scandal and its impact on her fortune
In 2014, Kimora married banker Tim Leissner. In 2018, Leissner was arrested for his involvement in a large-scale international money laundering scheme and has since been out on $20 million bail.
Leissner, a former Goldman Sachs banker, pleaded guilty in the federal 1MDB scandal — one of the largest financial corruption cases in modern history.
Leissner eventually pled guilty to money laundering and foreign bribery charges and forfeited $43.7 million, per The New York Times.
The Celsius stock dispute
One of the most damaging financial blows to Kimora's net worth came through a shared investment in an energy drink company.
As part of Leissner's plea deal, he was ordered to pay back $43.7 million, and he used 3.3 million shares of Celsius Holdings — owned by Kimora and Russell Simmons — to cover his bond and legal expenses.
The government ordered the seizure of these shares. In March 2023, the court ordered the forfeiture of all rights and interest in 3.3 million Celsius shares held in Kimora's bank account. The seized shares were estimated to be worth $93 million.
Kimora's team responded, stating: "This is an ill-advised attempt by Russell to use the legal system to access funds he is in no way entitled to, and which his own legal team confirms Russell did not pay for."
Kimora Lee Simmons' house situation
Source: Getty Images
The disputed $25 million Beverly Hills mansion
Simmons has been living in a $25 million Beverly Hills mansion that Tim Leissner purchased using money siphoned from Malaysia's 1MDB fund. Leissner bought the seven-bedroom estate at 25 Beverly Park Circle in 2017 using money he later admitted was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
Simmons is not alleged to be involved in the fraud.
According to the New York Post, Simmons has not made a single mortgage or rent payment during the five years she was living at 25 Beverly Park Circle. As part of the sale-leaseback deal, Leissner and Simmons were to pay $67,000 a month to continue living in the property — yet Simmons has lived there since November 2020 without paying a dime.
Simmons has claimed the property was sold without her consent, alleging that her signature on a Keyway resolution to authorise the sale was procured through misrepresentation and abuse of trust by Leissner.
Despite the legal drama surrounding her, she continues filming her show at the property.
Previous real estate losses
Real estate has not always been kind to Kimora's balance sheet either. Although a Beverly Hills residence was first advertised for $33.5 million, it was sold for $16.5 million in 2017. Kimora and Tim also sold another home in January 2021 and suffered a loss of $9 million on that transaction.
Did Kimora Lee Simmons have a yacht?
Kimora has lived lavishly and that lifestyle has been well documented — but there is no verified record of a yacht in her personal name. Several luxury assets tied to the 1MDB corruption case — including yachts, private jets, jewellery, and artworks — have been linked to the broader scandal that ensnared Tim Leissner. None of the verified court or news sources specifically attribute yacht ownership to Kimora herself.
Latest news
Simmons' estranged husband Tim Leissner reported to federal prison in February 2026, intensifying the ongoing civil fight over who actually owns the Beverly Hills house.
As of February 2026, Kimora is digging in at the seven-bedroom estate, even as a years-long civil fight over who actually owns it heats back up in a local courtroom. At stake is a roughly $25 million property that Leissner is accused of buying with funds tied to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, with fresh court activity putting questions over possession and title back on the front burner.
Legal proceedings involving Leissner's criminal case and a dispute over Celsius stock are ongoing, with a trial scheduled for January 2026.
On the career front, Kimora is currently starring in Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane (2025–present), a revival of her original E! reality series. She said:
"It's like a chapter two of life. I do think things go in a cycle — it's not just cliché. I'm living it."
FAQs
- What is Kimora Lee Simmons' net worth in 2025? Her net worth is estimated at approximately $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth and multiple entertainment outlets — down from an earlier reported peak of around $200 million.
- Does Kimora Lee Simmons still own Baby Phat? Yes. She reacquired the brand in 2019 and has been its sole owner since then, running it alongside her daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons.
- What happened to Kimora Lee Simmons' fortune? A combination of factors eroded her wealth: receiving an estimated $20 million or less from the 2004 Baby Phat sale, the government seizure of ~$93 million in Celsius stock tied to Tim Leissner's fraud case, and real estate losses exceeding $25 million across multiple properties.
- Did Kimora Lee Simmons have a yacht? No verified sources confirm personal yacht ownership by Kimora. Yachts appear among the 1MDB-linked luxury assets associated with Tim Leissner, but are not attributed to Kimora specifically.
- What is Kimora Lee Simmons' house situation? She has been living rent-free since 2020 in a disputed $25 million Beverly Hills mansion at 25 Beverly Park Circle, which her estranged husband Tim Leissner purchased using funds later tied to the 1MDB fraud. She is fighting in court to remain in the property.
- Who is Tim Leissner? Tim Leissner is a former Goldman Sachs banker who pleaded guilty in 2018 to money laundering and foreign bribery charges connected to the 1MDB scandal. He reported to federal prison in February 2026.
- What is Kimora Lee Simmons' main source of income today? Her primary income streams include Baby Phat sales and licensing, fragrance and cosmetics deals, her E! reality series Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane, brand endorsements, and real estate investments.
- How much did Baby Phat make at its peak? Under Kimora's leadership, Baby Phat generated more than $1 billion in revenue at its peak in the early 2000s, making it one of the defining urban fashion brands of that era.
Tuko.co.ke also highlighted facts about Christina Milian’s estimated $6–$8 million net worth and the music, acting and business ventures behind her fortune.
From hit songs such as “Dip It Low” to co-founding Beignet Box and Viva Diva Wines, Milian has built a career across several industries. Now living in Paris with her husband and three children, she continues to balance entrepreneurship with life in the spotlight.
Source: TUKO.co.ke