What is Kimora Lee Simmons' net worth? The fashion icon reveals money she spent on phone bills as a 13-year-old model living overseas

As per Celebrity Net Worth, Kimora Lee Simmons has amassed a net worth of $80 million. Simmons' fortune comes from her modelling career, which began when she was 13, her fashion line, Baby Phat, her reality television show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, and other ventures.

In an exclusive interview with People, published on May 5, Simmons revealed her phone bill during her teen modeling days in the late '80s and early '90s. Speaking alongside her daughter, Ming Lee Simmons, Kimora revealed,

"I was running up a phone ill. My phone bill - this is crazy - my phone bill was like $5000 a month because back then that was when it was real long-distance."

Kimora then recalled the days of the past, saying,

"You didn't have calling plans and the Wi-Fi. We didn't have that. You had a collect call. You could either pay for it yourself on your credit card or bill it to someone else. I remember being like, 'Where's my mom?"

Karl Lagerfeld noticed her and asked her to model for Chanel, which kick-started her modeling career. The model recalled that Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, once told her that what they did was now illegal. Simmons was referring to the Child Model Act, which was passed in 2013, to protect teen models.

More about Kimora Lee Simmons' wealth

Kimora Lee Simmons went on to marry Russell Simmons in 1998, the head of the urban menswear brand Phat Farm. He created a women's brand named Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons with Kimora as the designer.

She was appointed the President and Creative Director of the brand in 2000, and in 2001, the brand had a gross revenue of $30 million. Before the Kellwood Company acquired Phat Fashions in 2004 for $140 million, the brand had combined profits of $265 million.

She also built the Simmons Jewelry Company and partnered with Sanrio Ltd. in 2006 to launch the Kimora Lee Simmons for Hello Kitty line. In 2006, she partnered with Sephora and Macy's to launch her independent cosmetics line, KLS Cosmetics.

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In 2011, the model went on to partner with Swiss skincare company Makari de Suisse to launch anti-aging skincare for multi-ethnic women. In 2012, she went on to become the President and Creative Director of the personalized shopping website, JustFab. She also hosted the One World Music Beat in 1998 and the talk show Life and Style in 2004.

Her other projects include her 2006 book, Fabulosity: What It Is and How To Get It, along with appearances on music videos for artists including Ginuwine, Usher, and Jay-Z.

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