Kathy Ireland

Born on March 20, 1963, in Glendale, California, Ireland was raised in Santa Barbara in a middle-class family. Her father worked as a labor union organizer, and her mother was a nurse. As a child, she sold painted rocks and delivered newspapers, showing an early entrepreneurial spirit. At 16, while attending San Marcos High School, she was scouted by an Elite Model Management agent. She began modeling during summer breaks and moved to New York after graduating in 1981. She is of Irish, English, and Scottish descent.

Ireland rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s as a supermodel, appearing on over 50 magazine covers, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She graced the Sports Illustrated cover in 1989, 1992, and 1994, with the 1989 issue being the best-selling. She appeared in 13 consecutive issues. Her campaigns included Revlon, Lands' End, and CoverGirl, and she walked runways for designers like Anne Klein. She never worked with Victoria's Secret, focusing instead on accessible brands.

Ireland transitioned from modeling to business in the 1990s. She founded Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW) in 1993, which licenses home goods, apparel, and furniture sold at retailers like Walmart and Wayfair. The company grew to $2 billion in annual retail sales, making her one of Forbes' richest self-made women. Her net worth is estimated at $500 million. She authored books like Powerful Inspirations (2002) and supports charities such as March of Dimes and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Ireland also acted in films like Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) and TV shows such as Melrose Place (1994) and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1997). She appeared in music videos, including Chris Isaak's "Somebody's Crying" (1995). She competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2010. She married physician Greg Olsen in 1988, and they have three children: Erik, Lily, and Chloe. The family lives in Santa Barbara, where she prioritizes her Christian faith. She maintains a modest social media presence with over 200,000 Instagram followers, where she shares business and faith-based content. She has no tattoos, and her only piercings are earlobes.