The highest-paid model in the world in 2025 is no longer limited to the runways of Paris or New York Fashion Week. The earnings of top models now depend on their ability to diversify their activities: advertising contracts, product lines, social media presence, and collaborations with platforms like Netflix. This ranking is based on estimated earnings combining runway fees, brand partnerships, and entrepreneurial activities.
1. Kendall Jenner – model and media empire
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Kendall Jenner maintains her position at the top of the highest-paid models ranking. Her strategy is based on a comprehensive ecosystem: runway shows for the biggest fashion houses, advertising contracts with cosmetic and fashion brands, and a massive social media audience that turns every post into a commercial lever.
Her tequila brand 818 and her regular collaborations with luxury giants ensure her earnings far exceed traditional modeling fees. Kendall Jenner embodies the hybrid model of model-entrepreneur that dominates the current industry.
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For a detailed overview of the accumulated fortunes, the page dedicated to the highest-paid model in the world in 2025 according to Glamiz offers additional analysis on the financial trajectories of these profiles.
2. Gisele Bündchen – a fortune built over two decades
Gisele Bündchen remains one of the richest models in the world thanks to decades of accumulated contracts and savvy investments. While she reduces her presence on the runways, her passive income from historical partnerships and her own product lines continues to weigh heavily.
Her total fortune surpasses that of most active models. Her positioning on wellness and ecology opens doors for collaborations with brands aligned with these values, a rapidly growing segment in the fashion industry.
3. Bella Hadid – model and emerging actress
Bella Hadid has diversified her activities beyond the haute couture runway shows. Her perfume brand and appearances in audiovisual productions significantly expand her sources of income.
Her journey illustrates an underlying trend: top models are becoming cultural figures in their own right, combining fashion, creation, and media presence. Her collaborations with Parisian houses ensure her constant visibility in the European and Asian luxury markets.
4. Hailey Bieber – advertising as the main driver
Hailey Bieber derives most of her income from her brand Rhode and targeted advertising contracts. Rhode has repositioned Hailey Bieber as an entrepreneur before being a model, a shift that is directly reflected in her annual earnings.
Her digital strategy, centered on beauty and lifestyle content, generates engagement above the industry average. Cosmetic and fashion brands compete for her image to reach a young and connected audience.
5. Adut Akech – the rise of African models
The rise of Adut Akech reflects a trend documented by several industry analyses: African models are occupying an increasing place in the global top. The geographical diversification of luxury brands, which seek to conquer new markets, favors profiles like hers.
Originally from South Sudan and based in Australia, Adut Akech has multiple magazine covers and campaigns for prestigious houses. Her journey embodies the increased demand for inclusivity in major castings, a preference that now affects the majority of major campaigns.
6. Gigi Hadid – between fashion and design
Gigi Hadid remains a central figure in global modeling thanks to her dual role as a model and designer. Her brand Guest In Residence, specializing in cashmere, adds an entrepreneurial dimension to her runway earnings.
Her regular presence at Paris and Milan Fashion Week events guarantees top contracts. However, her pure modeling income tends to stabilize in favor of her creation and design activities.
7. Naomi Campbell – a record longevity in the industry
Naomi Campbell defies age conventions in an industry historically focused on youth. Her longevity is a unique case in the history of modeling. Her appearances on the runways remain event-based and highly paid.
Her income also comes from her foundation, occasional collaborations with luxury brands, and her role as a producer. She illustrates the transition to a modeling world where experience and networking matter as much as image.
8. Lil Miquela – the virtual model shaking up the rankings
Lil Miquela, a virtual model created by artificial intelligence, generates stable advertising contracts that rival those of some physical tops. This phenomenon raises a direct question: customizable avatars could render traditional rankings obsolete in a few years.
Advancements in augmented reality already allow brands to design entirely digital campaigns, without logistical constraints or travel fees. If this trend accelerates, virtual models could capture a significant share of fashion advertising budgets by 2030, radically transforming the very notion of the highest-paid model.
9. Liu Wen – first Chinese model in the global top
Liu Wen remains the highest-paid Asian model in the world. Her contracts with European and American houses are complemented by massive partnerships with Chinese brands, an advertising market whose volume exceeds that of several combined Western markets.
Her influence on the Asian luxury market gives her a unique competitive advantage. She benefits from dual exposure: international campaigns and local collaborations that capitalize on her fame in China.
10. Paloma Elsesser – the new landscape of plus-size models
Paloma Elsesser illustrates the transformation of selection criteria in the industry. Major castings now include profiles of various sizes, and this evolution translates into concrete earnings for models who embody this diversity.
Her campaigns for leading brands and her covers of international magazines confirm that inclusivity is no longer a marketing argument but a revenue factor. Agencies report a growing preference for diverse profiles in the majority of castings, which directly benefits models like Elsesser.
This ranking reflects an industry where a model’s salary depends less on the number of runway shows than on their ability to build a personal brand. Between virtual models, geographical diversification towards Africa and Asia, and the rise of augmented reality, future editions of this type of ranking could present a radically different landscape.