Former Top Model Contestants Who Live An Incredibly Lavish Life
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From Winnie Harlow to Nyle DiMarco, there are plenty of "America's Next Top Model" contestants who have become extremely successful and made big names for themselves in the fashion and entertainment industries. Gaining fame and recognition seemingly overnight, it appears that many former Top Models experienced a dramatic rise in their social media following after the show aired, helping to launch their careers in modeling, acting, or whatever they chose to pursue. In a conversation with Cycle 23 winner India Gants, Cycle 24 winner Kyla Coleman shared on her podcast, "Not So Glamorous," "Like one season of TV, like it's just, everything completely changes."
While the "Top Model" stars no doubt have to work hard to achieve fame and fortune after the show, the $100,000 cash prize and overnight celebrity status can certainly help boost their careers and their cash flow. Whether it's founding a company as an entrepreneur, becoming an actor, or utilizing their social media following, the "ANTM" alums have learned how to make the most out of their platforms following the show in order to make some serious cash and live extremely luxurious lives.
Lisa D'Amato became the wealthiest ANTM contestant
The Cycle 17 winner and the richest "America's Next Top Model" contestant, Lisa D'Amato is worth a whopping $46 million, according to Married Biography. Thanks to the exposure she gained from the show, D'Amato has successfully pitched her product Dare-U-Go! on "Shark Tank," released two albums, and had a few more appearances on reality TV shows like "Celebrity Rehab" and "Marriage Boot Camp." All of this has allowed her and her husband, Adam Friedman, to live a glamorous life in their Hollywood Hills mansion, which, thanks to D'Amato's Instagram, we know looks a lot like a castle.
When asked about her multiple business ventures in an interview with KB Pop Culture in 2020, D'Amato explained that she is "an incredibly active person in general with a lot of energy." She noted that she'd had more than one job ever since she was around 14 years old, explaining, "Multitasking and being responsible every single day was survival so now as a grown up for many years it's just a pace I have always continued or challenged."
With this kind of dedication to hard work that came to fruition long before the show and a mind made for business, it's no wonder D'Amato has accumulated so much wealth since her victory on the show.
Sophie Sumner combined a career in fashion, social media, and entertainment
If you watched "America's Next Top Model" Cycle 18, aka the "British Invasion" season, then you probably remember the bubbly girl with the bright colorful hair from Britain, Sophie Sumner. A true fan-favorite since the first day, Sumner dazzled the judges with her energetic personality and work ethic in order to win the cycle, so it might be no surprise to you to learn that she has launched a career as a style host for Amazon Live and contributing editor at The Daily Front Row.
Thanks to her popularity on the show, Sumner's work in the entertainment industry has earned her over 183,000 followers on Instagram and plenty of invites to movie premieres, brand trips, and plenty of other opportunities.
Sumner's gig at The Daily Front Row allows her to collaborate with brands like Avec Les Filles and Nicole Miller, while scouting out the latest trends at events like COTERIE Marketplace. Whether she's at an event for Christian Louboutin, attending the "Black Widow" premiere, or enjoying a vacation in the Hamptons, Sumner's career, which combines her social media, entertainment, and fashion expertise, allows her to live a picture-perfect life.
Winnie Harlow shares her luxurious life on social media
One of the most recognizable "America's Next Top Model" contestants, Winnie Harlow is never shy about sharing her luxurious lifestyle on social media. From her epic 27th birthday bash to her "retail therapy" at Chanel, Gucci, and Dior to her time flying in a private jet, Harlow's $3 million net worth affords her a lot of Insta-worthy opportunities.
In December of 2020, the first-time homeowner shared a peek of her new mansion with her 8.9 million followers. The spacious white abode with black trim has a stunning backyard complete with a pool and plenty of room for Harlow's dog, Snow, to run and play. In a video posted to her Instagram, Harlow happily shared, "Merry Christmas to me! I bought my first house; I'm so proud."
Although the star seems to have skyrocketed to fame and a subsequently dream-like life following the show, Harlow shared in a 2019 interview with Forbes that her persistence and dedication to hard work has gotten her to where she is today. When asked about what she learned from her collaboration with the Kardashians for KKW Beauty, Harlow told Forbes, "I watched 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' religiously and have seen how much they've built. It always inspired me to know that even though I didn't start from where I am now, I could get there. And I've carried that with me my whole career."
Nyle DiMarco loves to be a jet setter
It seems like "America's Next Top Model" and "Dancing with the Stars" winner Nyle DiMarco is always on the move. Although, according to The Washington Post, DiMarco entered the modeling world by chance — and the social media sleuthing skills of "ANTM" casting directors — he wowed the judges with his piercing blue eyes and extraordinary camera presence. Since his victory as the first deaf contestant on Cycle 22 of "ANTM," DiMarco has put together an impressive resume. He was an actor on the Hulu show "Difficult People," a creative producer for the Broadway play "Children of a Lesser God," and produced two Netflix documentary projects, "Deaf U" and "Audible."
Even with all of these projects, DiMarco still makes time to jet set to gorgeous vacation spots that look like they're straight out of a movie. DiMarco's success has enabled him to travel to dream destinations like Lake Como, Italy for some quality relaxation time and Moab, Utah for a cycling adventure.
While winning "ANTM" has benefited DiMarco and allowed him to build a social media presence of 1.7 million followers on Instagram, in a 2015 interview with People, DiMarco stated, "I wanted to take advantage of the platform, not only to prove that I'm the best but also to educate and prove to the world what Deaf people are capable of."
Eva Marcille is worth millions of dollars
"America's Next Top Model" Cycle 3 winner and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Eva Marcille is worth an estimated $4 million thanks to her careers in the entertainment and modeling worlds. Marcille has not only had a successful acting career, but she's also always promoting her jewelry line, Eva by Eva Marcille, and has even founded her own CBD company, cEVAd.
While Marcille spends some of her earnings on luxurious vacations like her recent trip to The Bahamas, she also independently bought her own house in 2019 complete with five bedrooms and five bathrooms, adding up to a total of 4,700 square feet for $780,000, according to The Blast.
Marcille clearly attributes a vast amount of her success and earnings throughout her career to "ANTM," as she criticized Winnie Harlow on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" for claiming that the show did not help her modeling career. Marcille said, "You know what, it amazes me that people get opportunities and they totally forget who gave them those opportunities. Winnie Harlow is a beautiful girl, but let's be clear: We know her because of 'Top Model.'"
Kyla Coleman went from working at a Starbucks to walking at Paris Fashion Week
"America's Next Top Model" Cycle 24 winner Kyla Coleman is still a working model after the show. However, Coleman revealed in a 2018 interview with Seattle Magazine that her life wasn't always as glamorous as it is now. "I was just on my grind working 80 hours a week at Starbucks and a couple other jobs," Coleman explained.
But after her success on "ANTM," the Washington native's life took a complete 180 and she's now traveling the world as a professional model and has even walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week in 2020 for brands such as Off White — no small feat for Coleman's first PFW appearance. When asked about if she enjoyed her whirlwind career in an interview from 2020 with i-D, Coleman stated, "I love it! I wouldn't have traveled as much as I have if it weren't for modeling, and most of my friends are now people I met through the industry in some way."
India Gants expanded her social media following to make more cash
Another model who experienced a dramatic increase in their social media following is Cycle 23 winner India Gants. You may remember Cycle 23 as the only season to not include Tyra Banks as the show's host, with English singer and actress Rita Ora taking the reins instead. In a conversation with Kyla Coleman on "Not So Glamorous," Gants explained that having Ora as the host gave her the opportunity to sign with the pop star's then-management after the show, leading Gants to many opportunities and helping to promote herself as a brand. While Gants admitted on the podcast that winning the show hadn't necessarily helped her modeling career, "ANTM" did help with the "socialite aspect."
In a video on Gants' YouTube channel, she shared, "A big part of my income is from Instagram and social media partnerships," aiding her $400,000 to 500,000 estimated net worth. Gants' Instagram, which boasts over 187,000 followers, is filled with social media partnerships from companies like Green Chef, Afterpay, and Aerie. All of these social media partnerships allow Gants to take trips to Disneyland and the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego and to spend some time golfing in Calabasas.
Don Benjamin proposed to his fiancé, Liane V, on a trip to Abu Dubai
"America's Next Top Model" alum Don Benjamin may not have won his cycle, but he has still managed to make bank after his time on the show, noting in a 2018 interview with Inked that "ANTM" helped him build his platform. Benjamin shared, "My life changed drastically after the show. I can do what I want now entertainment wise and I have a better platform to chase my dreams."
The model documents his life on his personal Instagram with over 2 million followers, and he and his fiancée, Liane Valenzuela, have given their fans an inside look at their on-again, off-again relationship through their Forever Us accounts on YouTube and Instagram. From taking a private jet to Geneva, Switzerland to posing outside of Buckingham Palace and taking beach vacations to The Bahamas and Hawaii, the pair has explored the world together at dreamy resorts and hotels with no plans to stop soon. In Benjamin and Valenzuela's engagement video on YouTube, Benjamin promised during his proposal at the luxurious rooftop Cé La Vie restaurant in Dubai, "We're gonna keep traveling the world together; this is just the beginning."
The globetrotters have a wedding date set for August, and although they have not revealed too many details about the occasion, Valenzuela revealed on their YouTube channel that it will be a destination wedding. If the wedding is even half as stunning as Valenzuela's four-carat engagement ring, we're sure it will be nothing short of spectacular.
Lio Tipton became a movie star
You may recognize Lio Tipton from their roles in "Manhattan Love Story," "Warm Bodies," or "Crazy, Stupid, Love," in which they starred alongside Steve Carell. Thanks to their success on Cycle 11 of the "America's Next Top Model," Tipton has been able to build their acting career and release an album and several singles, all contributing to their estimated $1.5 million net worth (via Celebrity Net Worth).
Although Tipton gained recognition from modeling on the show, they had always dreamed of pursuing acting rather than walking runways. In a 2012 interview with Complex, Tipton explained, "Modeling is like ... If somebody offers you a free trip to Hawaii, you kind of take it. Modeling was my free trip to Hawaii. It was an experience that sounded like fun for a 19-year-old, and it was. It was a blast."
According to Entertainment Weekly, you can expect to see Tipton in more on-screen roles in the future, including "The Long Home" with Josh Hutcherson, Courtney Love, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Keith Carlos starred in Cardi B's Be Careful music video
Between his 2 million followers on Instagram, partnerships with Bang Energy and Adidas, and a role on Cardi B's "Be Careful" music video, Keith Carlos has enjoyed a successful career following his "ANTM" Cycle 21 win. As the first-ever male winner of the show, Carlos explained in a 2018 interview with Complex, "Yeah, pretty much after winning 'America's Next Top Model,' I moved out to L.A. and just learned on the run. I was blessed to get a lot of opportunities. Immediately I had to hit the ground running on my own and network and meet people, and with doing that I've cultivated a lot of relationships, and they pay off."
The former NFL player has credited much of his success and current lifestyle to the show, explaining to "View the Vibe" in 2015 that his social media following increased as a result of the reality show, allowing him "to leverage a lot of other jobs by being on 'ANTM.'" With the Cycle 21 prizes including a contract with Next Model Management, a photo shoot for Nylon, and a cash prize of $100,000, it's no wonder Carlos is so thankful for the show and the fame he has acquired since.
Dani Evans makes money as a model and a milliner
Although the Arkansas native and Cycle 6 winner told Bode Magazine in 2019 that she had auditioned for "America's Next Top Model" just as "a means to get out of Little Rock" and expected nothing to come from it, she has made a name for herself in the modeling, fashion, and literary industry ever since her win. With cash streaming in from her millinery company Monrowe, her book "The Skinny on Getting In: An Inside Peek into the Fashion World for the Aspiring Model," and features in magazines like Series magazine, Evans' estimated net worth is a total of $500,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Even though Evans doesn't think that her time on "ANTM" guaranteed her a lifetime of success, she told the "Ghidotti Podcast," "Winning opened the door for me to get to New York City, but it definitely didn't launch my career like most people think." Despite her hesitation to give the show full credit for her success, Evans has modeled for magazines including Essence, Elle, and more, as noted by E! Online.
The entrepreneur and model can be found treating herself to some well-deserved rest and relaxation whether she's catching some sun on a boat or chilling by the pool, and, of course, she's almost always in a stunning Monrowe hat.