Gwyneth Paltrow joins Shark Tank: inside her epic net worth and business success, from Goop and investments in wellness start-ups to real estate – but did she really start the avo toast trend?

Gwyneth Paltrow has carved a quite the name for herself in Hollywood. Not only has she won an Academy Award and starred in Marvel’s first franchise, Iron Man, the wellness guru is also the founder of one of the world’s most successful female-led lifestyle brands, Goop.

Though the company has mixed reviews, with its controversial candle scents and adult toys, Paltrow has undeniably grabbed plenty of attention with the brand – even if some of it is due to debates on the internet.

However, she doesn’t seem to mind. The savvy businesswoman is even open to sharing her expertise, joining reality TV show Shark Tank as a guest judge for its upcoming 14th season airing on September 23.

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As we wait to see how the star embodies her new role, we dig into her indelible success, business investments and, yes, her massive Goop wealth that saw her rake in a reported net worth of US$200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

A veteran actress

Paltrow didn’t fall into showbiz by chance. Her dad was successful TV director and producer Bruce Paltrow and her mum is Tony Award-winning actress Blythe Danner. It’s safe to say that Paltrow enjoyed a comfortable childhood, but her massive net worth today is derived from her own hard work.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, she has a net worth of US$200 million and a large part of the sum comes from her successful acting career. She began acting in the early 90s, but gained worldwide attention for her role in Seven (1995) with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, Emma (1996) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).

She won an Oscar for her portrayal of Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love (1998). Her pay cheques went from US$750,000 to US$10 million in just four years, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Her fame skyrocketed even further after she played Pepper Potts in Marvel’s Iron Man franchise. She reprised her role in three Avengers films and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Paltrow was listed as the 12th highest-paid actress in the world by Forbes in 2015.

With 61 acting credits under her belt, Paltrow’s films have grossed a total of US$8.8 billion worldwide, per Celebrity Net Worth.

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The Goop wellness empire

What started as a fun newsletter directory from her kitchen table has now grown into a US$250 million business empire.

“I’ve personally been steered wrong so many times. I unwittingly became the recipient of phone calls from friends saying, ‘Where should I eat here? Where should I go?’ so I started collating all this information,” she told The CEO Magazine in 2021.

She continued, “Goop was originally going to be just a private database for my friends. I had access to such interesting people by the very nature of my job, so it came about as a place to share information and ideas.”

Paltrow first shared turkey ragu and banana nut muffin recipes in her newsletter, but now you can find almost everything on Goop. From US$125,000 gold dumbbells and healing amethysts to psychic vampire repellent spray and sex dust, the alternative lifestyle e-commerce platform carries the most unexpected wellness trends imaginable.

Goop’s mega-success was also backed by several investors who believed in Paltrow’s business instincts. “She is one of the best entrepreneurs I’ve ever had the chance to work with. Since we invested, she’s built a tremendous community and a very strong brand,” said Felix Capital founder Frederic Court to The CEO Magazine.

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Business instincts aside, Paltrow also has a firm belief in her venture and doesn’t let the critics deter her motivation. Here’s what Paltrow said to her naysayers, per The CEO Magazine.: “I don’t care about the haters. They are irrelevant to me. It’s like Brené Brown says: ‘I’m not making this work for people who aren’t in the arena.’ Haters don’t mean anything because they are not my people.”

Her 15 business investments …

Apart from Goop, Paltrow exercises her sharp business instincts on tons of other investments, too. In 2020, she made headlines after she invested in Cann, a cannabis-infused drink maker, and said that the substance is the “hero ingredient of the future”, per CNBC.

According to Crunch Base, Paltrow has invested in more than 15 companies ranging from an online design platform called The Expert and a telehealth start-up for women in menopause, Evernow, to Hollywood celebs’ favourite crypto start-up MoonPay.

Others include tonic line Olipop and Saie, a clean beauty brand.

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Was she responsible for the avo toast fad?

Long before Goop, Paltrow had already established herself as Hollywood’s lifestyle guru. She kicked off detox programmes, told The Wall Street Journal she was judged for practising yoga before it got popular, and published several cookbooks that went on to become bestsellers.

She’s also been credited for starting the avocado toast trend with her 2013 recipe book It’s All Good.

She is also a real estate mogul

Earlier this year, fans were invited to take a peek into Paltrow’s Montecito home in an Architectural Digest video. The elegant abode was filled with eclectic decor, interiors and furniture, but the extravagant in-house spa was what caught many viewers’ attention. It’s only fitting for the founder of a global wellness brand though, right?

It’s not the only property under her name though. Over the years, the 49-year-old actress has owned and sold many homes across the US, from New York to Malibu.

In 2006, she and ex-husband, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, bought their first Hamptons home for a reported US$5.4 million. The 7,000 sq ft space boasted five bedrooms and seven and half bathrooms. While the two are now separated, Paltrow reportedly still owns the property and even got married there to current husband Brad Falchuk, per Yahoo!

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She also owns a gorgeous equestrian estate which she also bought with Martin for US$10 million back in 2012. The mansion has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a built-in outdoor barbecue and, of course, a horse stable.

She expanded her West Coast portfolio when she acquired the US$14 million Garwood Residence in Malibu. The property reportedly features beautiful gardens, a yoga studio, tennis court and protected backyard anchorage, per Architectural Digest.

Paltrow’s latest purchase was in 2016: the Montecito family retreat she bought for nearly US$5 million, where she now lives.

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