The Top 3 Stars in the News

Oprah Winfrey  (USA) – Stars are finding that their traditional leverage channels are changing. Oprah Winfrey has rolled with the changes, shifting her focus from her Oprah Winfrey Show (which ended this year) to OWN – The Oprah Winfrey Network. This is the trend with many of the top Stars, who are extending their brand beyond the media which made them a household name. Oprah is now worth $2.7 billion, and is the richest self-made woman in the world.

Ashton Kutcher (USA) – A tireless self-promoter, Ashton Kutcher has leveraged his brand beyond his media celebrity to become a successful angel investor. He is pioneering a new genre of young stars who are no longer relying on the media for their paycheck. His self-promoted campaign to become the first twitter account with 1 million followers succeeded in giving his company, Katalyst Media, in the spotlight. He’s now an investor in tech start-ups Airbnb, Foursquare and Flip, and leverages his brand to attract extra attention to them. He has a net worth of over $140 million.

Al Gore (USA) – The US Political System is designed to favor Star profiles. Stars have reached the Presidency every year since Roosevelt (This is the opposite of China, that consistently puts Lord profiles in the top spot). What do Star politicians do when they leave politics? Al Gore has used his brand to continue to promote his ‘Inconvenient Truth’ mission of saving the environment. This is making him money as he goes. He heads climate change investments at famous VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, is an Apple Board Director and Google Advisor, and has a net worth of over $100 million.“As the world economy moves deeper into Winter Season, the smart Star profile entrepreneurs are diversifying and seeking to ride waves in new media and new ways to leverage their brand. The collapse of old media channels with accelerate as Stars migrate to new media, bringing their audiences with them.” – Roger James Hamilton