What is Linda Evangelista's net worth?
Linda Evangelista is an extremely successful Canadian supermodel who has a net worth of $40 million. Linda Evangelista was one of the most famous supermodels in the 90s. She has been featured on more than 700 magazine covers, and was the longtime muse of photographer Steven Meisel. After retiring in 1998, Evangelista made a comeback in 2001.
Evangelista's rise to prominence was meteoric. Discovered at a young age, she moved to New York City, where she quickly became a favorite of top designers and photographers. Her career took a significant turn when she famously cut her hair short, leading to the iconic quote, "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day." This moment not only redefined her career but also became a defining moment in fashion history, illustrating her influence.
She graced countless magazine covers, including Vogue, and became a muse for designers like Gianni Versace and Karl Lagerfeld. Evangelista's ability to constantly reinvent her image kept her at the forefront of the fashion world. Her chameleon-like quality made her a favorite on runways and in high-fashion campaigns.
Beyond modeling, Evangelista ventured into acting and activism. She became involved in various philanthropic efforts, using her fame to raise awareness and funds for causes she believed in.
Earnings
During the 1990s, Linda was one of the highest-paid and most-popular super models on the planet.
In the 1980s Linda famously proclaimed that she would not get out of bed for less than $10,000 for the day. In the 1990s she earned $25,000 per day. At her peak she regularly earned $5-8 million per year. In 1994 she signed a multi-year deal with Clairol that paid $5 million per year. In 1996 she landed a $7.75 million contract with Yardley of London.
Real Estate
In 1997 Linda paid $5.7 million for a penthouse apartment in a Manhattan building called The Spears. The 4,000-square-foot unit has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Linda listed this apartment for sale in May 2024 for $9.45 million.
(Photo by Toni Anne Barson Archive/WireImage)
Early Life
Linda Evangelista was born on May 10, 1965 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada as the second of three children of working-class Italian immigrants. Her mother, Marisa, was a bookkeeper, while her father, Tomaso, worked for General Motors. At the age of 12, Evangelista took a self-improvement course at a modeling school. As a teen, she went to Denis Morris Catholic High School, and began modeling on the local level. In 1981, Evangelista participated in the Miss Teen Niagara beauty pageant, where she caught the attention of a representative from Elite Model Management.
Career Beginnings
Upon signing with Elite Model Management in 1984, Evangelista moved to New York City. The company subsequently moved her to Paris, where she established her international fashion modeling career at the age of 19. In November of 1984, Evangelista graced her first major magazine cover, for L'Officiel. She went on to appear on the covers and in the pages of myriad global publications, including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Allure, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Elle.
Evangelista continued her prolific run in 1985, when she began working with Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld. She subsequently modeled for a plethora of fashion brands, including Versace, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Donna Karan, and Oscar de la Renta, among many others. In 1986, Evangelista began perhaps her most famous collaboration yet with photographer Steven Meisel, to whom she became a muse.
Career as Supermodel, 1989-1998
Evangelista launched into the stratosphere as a supermodel in 1989, when she cut her hair short and was photographed by Peter Lindbergh. Although her gamine haircut was not initially received well by the fashion industry, it soon became a hot new fashion trend dubbed "The Linda." Following this, Evangelista was considered one of the top five supermodels in the world; she was joined by Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Tatjana Patitz on the iconic cover of the January 1990 issue of British Vogue. Later that year, Evangelista made waves in an interview when she said of models, "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day." The same year, she had her hair dyed platinum blonde, and then bright red, causing the fashion industry to label her a chameleon.
In the early 90s, Evangelista became known for her appearances on billboards in Times Square promoting the fashion brand Kenar; the ads were done in conjunction with the Ads Against AIDS campaign to raise awareness of the disease. Later, she attracted more attention when she and various other supermodels graced the cover of the 100th anniversary issue of Vogue, which remains that publication's best-selling issue ever. Evangelista had further famous appearances on the covers of the Canadian fashion magazine Flare and the September 1992 issue of Harper's Bazaar. In 1994, Evangelista was one of a number of models to grace the cover of the 30th anniversary issue of Vogue Italia. The next year, she participated in Thierry Mugler's 20th anniversary fashion show. Evangelista chose to retire from modeling in 1998, and settled down on the French Riviera.
Modeling Comeback
In 2001, Evangelista made a comeback in the modeling world by appearing on the cover of Vogue's September issue. She followed this by appearing in the ad campaign for Versace's 2002 fall/winter collection, and then by returning to high-fashion runways. In 2004, Evangelista was in the spring/summer ad campaigns for Fendi and NARS Cosmetics, and walked the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier's debut collection at Hermès. She continued to revive her former modeling dominance, appearing on the covers of Vogue and Fashion; becoming brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris; and participating in campaigns for such brands as Prada, Talbots, Chanel, Loewe, and Moschino. Evangelista has also been featured on the covers of numerous books, including "In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine," "Philip Treacy: Hat Designer," and "Age of the Supermodel."
Other Media Appearances
Beyond magazines, ads, and other campaigns, Evangelista has appeared on film and television. She has been featured in such documentaries as "Models: The Film," "Unzipped," "Catwalk," "Mademoiselle C," and "George Michael Freedom." In 2014, Evangelista was a guest judge on the reality television competition series "Australia's Next Top Model."
Getty
Personal Life and Activism
In 1987, Evangelista wed Gérald Marie, the head of the Paris office of Elite Model Management. The pair later divorced in 1993. Evangelista subsequently dated actor Kyle MacLachlan, to whom she got engaged in 1995 before calling it off in 1998. Following this, she was in a relationship with French footballer Fabien Barthez. Evangelista became pregnant, but had a miscarriage six months in. She and Barthez broke up in 2000 before reuniting in 2001 and then breaking up again in 2002.
Evangelista then dated French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, with whom she had a son named Augustin in 2006. A highly publicized child support trial followed their breakup, resulting in a settlement out of court. Linda was seeking $46 thousand per month in support.
Among her activist endeavors, Evangelista advocates for HIV/AIDS and breast cancer awareness and medical research. She also advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.
