Lizzo is riding high off of her success.
And according to an interview she gave to the Wall Street Journal, she has Missy Elliott to thank for that — in a manner of speaking.
“Missy Elliott gave me really great advice. A lot of really good advice, all the time, but namely when we were doing the ‘Tempo’ music video,” she said to the outlet. “I just kept shrinking myself, literally, because she’s 5’2” and I’m 5’9”. She was like, ‘Quit doing that. Don’t ever shrink yourself on your set. This is your music video. You are the star. Whenever that s—t is yours, don’t ever make yourself smaller for other people.’ And I took that across the board. Don’t shrink yourself in a literal way to make people comfortable, don’t shrink yourself creatively. Don’t limit yourself as a businesswoman. Don’t shrink yourself when you’re standing up for yourself in your personal life, in your relationships with people.”
One thing’s for sure: Lizzo (born Melissa Viviane Jefferson) isn’t going to shrink herself in the business world. With an estimated net worth of $12 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth) and a slow but steady increase in smart business moves outside of the music industry, it’s clear that her reign as mogul is just getting started.
“I can go off of fumes because of my rock background and just playing shows and staying up all night, going to the studio. Now that I’m trying to be a multi-empire mogul, I should get more rest. So I try to get like six hours,” she also said, according to the outlet.
Let’s take a look at all the ways Lizzo is building her empire.
Editorial note: The net worth listed in this piece is a speculative estimate drawn from a variety of online sources.
Music Career
Lizzo’s biggest success, of course, has come from her musical career. According to Billboard, she’s had a lot of chart success — including two Top 10 hits (with “Good as Hell” being a top-seller) and two albums in the “Tastemaker” category. Her album, “Cuz I Love You,” has spent 28 weeks on the Tastemaker charts.
Amazon First-Look Deal
In August 2020, AfroTech reported that Lizzo signed a first-look deal with the streaming giant, Amazon. Our report confirmed that she’d been in the process of developing a television series.
Partnership with Dove
In April 2021, AfroTech reported that Lizzo secured a partnership with Dove in the hopes of pushing forward a “body positive” message. Our report confirmed that the singer “bared it all” for the unique ad campaign.
Hydrow Investment
In September 2021, AfroTech reported that Lizzo was one of the investors in the startup fitness app Hydrow.
Logitech Partnership
As AfroTech previously reported, Lizzo teamed up with tech brand Logitech to release her new single back in January 2022. Our report confirmed that the partnership with Lizzo also allowed the brand to diversify its reach.
Philanthropy
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, AfroTech reported that Lizzo was instrumental in “giving back” to the community at large. Our report revealed that she helped guide a 30-minute calming meditation to keep people centered during a time of crisis.
Real Estate
In October 2020, Vogue sat down with Lizzo for their “73 Questions” segment, which you can see above. In the segment, she gave a tour of her home in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, CA.
Yitty
In 2022, Lizzo launched a shapewear line called Yitty that’s reportedly been five years in the making, according to In Touch.
“This shapewear line took five years,” Lizzo said, the outlet reports.
She continued: “I was taking so many meetings with companies, and they did not believe in my vision of shapewear. They were like, ‘Well, nobody’s really doing shapewear. So you wanna do lingerie or … ’ and I’m like, ‘No guys, listen. Shapewear is the future. And we need to revolutionize it.’”
