Hey there! I’m John Green, and welcome to my show, Mental Floss on YouTube. Did you know that the famous singer Willie Nelson once owned a truck stop in Texas called Willie’s Place? It had a concert venue and bar but unfortunately went bankrupt in 2011. This is just one of the many interesting businesses owned by celebrities that we’re going to explore today. Let’s dive into the world of celebrity ventures and see how some of them have succeeded or lost money!
Singer Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa. He also signed Lady Gaga to his record label, which turned out to be a great financial decision for him. Akon even said, “She’s pretty much retired me.” Meanwhile, Marilyn Manson has his own brand of absinthe called Mansinthe, which won a gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
In 2007, rapper Lil’ Romeo bought a potato chip brand called Rap Snacks, known as “The Official Snack of Hip Hop.” The rock band Kiss sells all sorts of merchandise, including Kiss-themed coffins called Kiss Kaskets. When they were launched in 2001, Gene Simmons called them “the ultimate KISS collectible.”
In 2009, there were rumors that Joe Jackson and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo teamed up for commercials for the “Goalie Grill,” a grill shaped like a soccer ball. Although the commercial never aired, Jackson was a part-owner of the company that made the grill.
Bill Wyman, the former bassist of the Rolling Stones, created his own metal detector. He says, “Metal detecting is not just for enthusiasts; it’s a great way to learn about our history.”
Bon Jovi’s drummer, Tico Torres, has a line of baby clothes called Rock Star Baby, which includes cribs and strollers. Ashton Kutcher is part-owner of a venture capital firm called A-Grade Investments, which has invested in popular apps and websites like Airbnb.
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has his own line of beef jerky. Although it’s owned by Monogram Food Solutions, Foxworthy is an investor. Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar owned a successful bicycle shop in California during the nineties.
In 1989, actress Kim Basinger bought the town of Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million, hoping to turn it into a tourist spot with film studios. However, she had to sell it at a loss within five years.
Tennis star Venus Williams runs an interior decorating company in Florida called V Starr, which works on big projects like luxury condos. In 2005, actor Steven Seagal launched a line of energy drinks called Lightning Bolt.
Sylvester Stallone co-owned a company called Instone, which sold nutritional supplements, including a high-protein pudding. Unfortunately, the company closed after a legal dispute.
Radio host Rush Limbaugh sells tea called “Two If By Tea.” In 2010, actor Kevin Costner sold oil and water separation machines to BP for $16 million, although he had invested $24 million in them.
In 2011, rapper MC Hammer launched a search engine called WireDoo. Musician Carlos Santana has a line of women’s shoes sold at Macy’s, and singer Mariah Carey appeared in ads for the brand.
In 2006, actor Andrew Shue co-created a social network for moms called CafeMom. That same year, Danny DeVito made headlines for his funny appearance on The View after a night out with George Clooney.
Filmmaker Kevin Smith owns a comic book store in New Jersey called “Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.” Lastly, in 2012, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal announced a vodka brand called “Luv Shaq,” which hasn’t been released yet.
Thanks for tuning in to Mental Floss on YouTube. We appreciate your support, and remember, as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
Imagine you are a famous celebrity. What unique business would you start? Think about your interests and how they could translate into a business. Write a short paragraph describing your business idea, including the name, what it sells or offers, and why it would be successful. Share your idea with the class and discuss how it compares to the celebrity businesses mentioned in the article.
In groups, choose one of the celebrity businesses from the article. Prepare a short skit where you act out a scene involving the celebrity and their business. You could show a day in the life of running the business or a commercial for the product. Perform your skit for the class and see if they can guess which celebrity business you are portraying.
Pick two celebrity businesses from the article: one that was successful and one that failed. Research why each business had the outcome it did. Write a brief report comparing the two, focusing on factors like market demand, management, and financial decisions. Present your findings to the class, highlighting what lessons can be learned from these ventures.
Choose a celebrity from the article and design a new product they could sell. Create a poster or digital presentation that includes the product name, design, and marketing strategy. Explain why this product would be a good fit for the celebrity and how it could succeed in the market. Present your product to the class and get feedback on your idea.
Hold a class debate on the topic: “Do celebrities make better entrepreneurs?” Divide into two teams, one arguing for and the other against the statement. Use examples from the article and other known celebrity businesses to support your arguments. After the debate, discuss as a class what qualities make a successful entrepreneur, regardless of celebrity status.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is Mental Floss on YouTube, and did you know that Willie Nelson owned a truck stop in Texas called Willie’s Place? It went bankrupt in 2011, but for a few years, it was a Nelson-themed stop with a concert venue and bar. That’s the first of many businesses owned or partially owned by celebrities that I’m going to share with you today! In this video, we’ll learn about the various ways celebrities can lose money.
Singer Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa. He also signed Lady Gaga to his record label within Interscope, which has been financially beneficial for him. According to him, “She’s pretty much retired me.” Marilyn Manson owns his own brand of absinthe, known as Mansinthe, which won a gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
In 2007, rapper Lil’ Romeo bought the potato chip brand, Rap Snacks, which are marketed as “The Official Snack of Hip Hop.” The band Kiss sells a variety of merchandise, including Kiss-themed coffins, known as Kiss Kaskets. When they were introduced in 2001, Gene Simmons announced, “This is the ultimate KISS collectible.”
In 2009, there were reports that Joe Jackson and Cristiano Ronaldo collaborated on commercials for the “Goalie Grill,” a grill shaped like a soccer ball. Jackson was a partial owner of Game On Products, which produced the grill, but the commercial never aired.
Bill Wyman, the former Rolling Stones bassist, has his own patented metal detector, which is lightweight and adjustable. According to Wyman, “Metal detecting is not just for enthusiasts; it’s a great way to learn about our history.”
Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres has his own line of baby clothes called Rock Star Baby, which includes cribs and strollers. Ashton Kutcher owns one-third of a venture capital firm called A-Grade Investments, which has invested in apps and websites like Airbnb and YPlan.
Jeff Foxworthy has his own line of beef jerky, named after himself. The product is technically owned by Monogram Food Solutions, but Foxworthy is an investor. Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar owned a bicycle shop in the nineties, which was the number one independent bicycle store in California at the time.
In 1989, Kim Basinger made headlines for purchasing the town of Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million, intending to develop it into a tourist town with film studios, but she had to sell it at a significant loss within five years.
Pro tennis player Venus Williams has her own interior decorating company in Florida called V Starr, which takes on large projects like luxury condos. In 2005, Steven Seagal released a line of energy drinks called Lightning Bolt, available in two flavors.
Sylvester Stallone co-owned a company called Instone, which sold nutritional supplements, including Stallone High Protein Pudding, but the company was shut down after a legal dispute.
Rush Limbaugh sells tea named “Two If By Tea,” with the tagline: From Tea to Shining Tea. In 2010, Kevin Costner sold his oil and water separation machines to BP for an estimated $16 million, but his overall investment was around $24 million.
In 2011, MC Hammer launched a search engine called WireDoo, which aimed to provide related search results. Carlos Santana has a line of women’s footwear sold at Macy’s, and Mariah Carey starred in advertisements for the brand.
In 2006, former Melrose Place star Andrew Shue co-created a social network for moms called CafeMom. Also in 2006, Danny DeVito made headlines for his appearance on The View after a night out with George Clooney.
Kevin Smith owns a comic book store in New Jersey called “Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash,” which he purchased when he learned it was about to close. Finally, in 2012, Shaquille O’Neal announced a vodka called “Luv Shaq,” which has yet to be released.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss on YouTube, made with the help of many wonderful people. And thanks for supporting my celebrity restaurant John’s Place, which serves pizza and Diet Dr. Pepper. As we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains a respectful tone throughout.
Business – An organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities – Many students learned about how to start a small business during their social studies class.
Celebrity – A famous person, especially in entertainment or sports, who can influence public opinion and trends – The celebrity used her influence to promote a new social entrepreneurship project that helps local communities.
Venture – A new business activity or project that involves risk – The young entrepreneur decided to start a venture that focuses on eco-friendly products.
Investment – The action or process of putting money into something for profit or to achieve a social goal – The students discussed how investment in education can lead to a better future for everyone.
Entrepreneur – A person who organizes and operates a business, taking on financial risks to do so – In social studies, we learned about an entrepreneur who started a successful tech company from his garage.
Merchandise – Goods that are bought and sold, often used to promote a brand or event – The school store sells merchandise like t-shirts and mugs to support student activities.
Collaboration – The action of working with someone to produce or create something – The history project required collaboration between students to research and present their findings.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs – Our history class explored the impact of ancient civilizations on modern society.
Project – A planned piece of work that has a specific purpose, often involving research or design – For their social studies project, the students created a model of a sustainable city.
Brand – A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name – The entrepreneur worked hard to build a brand that was known for quality and innovation.
