Kim Kardashian West is a talentless reality star who is famous for being famous, right? After all, in the mid-00's she was only know for two reasons (1) Working as Paris Hilton's closet organiser and (2) THAT leaked sex-tape with her then-boyfriend, Ray J.
Almost a decade on from when E! reality series Keeping up with the Kardashian's was unleashed upon the public domain, Kim K has established herself as an icon of pop culture and an international brand.
How is it then, that a selfie-loving socialite, who likes to name her children after directions, has amassed a net worth of $52.5 million, and a social media platform which totals over 150 million people across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook?
Love, like, or loathe her - Kim Kardashian's accomplishments can't go unnoticed.
When it comes to business, Kim knows what she is doing and she (literally) plays the game well. The 35-year-old star has built an empire through a plethora of products and endorsement deals.
Back in July, Forbes magazine deemed her worthy of its front cover with the headline The New Mobile Moguls and celebrated Kim's undeniable business savvy, noting how her small empire of mobile apps has made her a worldwide business mogul.
The Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app - a mobile role-playing game where you navigate the reality star's world and get advice from her on how to become a celebrity - has been downloaded 45 million times and made $160 million since its launch in June 2014, allowing Kim to dominate and capitalise the tech sphere.
Last year, Kim debuted a new emoji app, aptly titled Kimoji, which gives users access to 500-plus Kardashian-themed emoticons. The app also featured animated versions of some of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star's most viral Internet photos, including her famous crying face, a selfie she took of her reflection in a mirror, her engagement ring, and THAT Paper Magazine cover which broke the internet.
The app managed to crash Apple's App Store, and at one point, according to reports, more than 9,000 people per second were downloading the app. At that rate, Kim’s Kimoji was grossing about $1 million a minute. Isn't that a talent in itself?
Kim is master of self-promotion and when it comes to social media she is an international influencer. Who hasn’t heard of Kim Kardashian? Who doesn’t know about her?
In 2015 Kim earned the distinction of being the most-searched person in 26 different countries.
From her nude selfies and celeb feuds, to balancing champagne on her behind and shutting Taylor Swift down on Snapchat, KK is a sophisticated marketing engine and is always ready to seize an opportunity.
Whatever Kardashian-West’s motives for using social media and developing a digital platform, there’s no denying it has elevated her celebrity from reality TV star to one of the most talked about individuals in the world.
In a recent interview for the cover story of Rolling Stone, Kim said, "I believe I am so much smarter than I’m portrayed.”
She might be onto something.
Laura Delaney
