Michelle Phan posted her first makeup tutorial on YouTube in 2007 while working as a waitress, and became one of the first beauty creators to turn a channel into a company. Celebrity Net Worth puts her net worth at $50 million, but that is an older estimate: the page shows no clear update date and its channel figures date to about 2015. The best-known number in her story is a different one: in 2015 her subscription business Ipsy raised $100 million at a valuation above $500 million. That is a company valuation, not her personal wealth.
Michelle Phan net worth: quick facts
| Full name | Michelle Phan |
|---|---|
| Net worth | $50 million (Celebrity Net Worth, older estimate with no clear update date) |
| Born | April 11, 1987, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American, of Vietnamese refugee parents |
| Profession | Makeup artist, YouTuber and entrepreneur |
| Known for | Beauty tutorials, co-founding Ipsy, EM Cosmetics |
| Channel | More than 8 million subscribers and 1 billion views (Forbes and Celebrity Net Worth, as of about 2015) |
| Companies | Ipsy (co-founder), FAWN network, EM Cosmetics |
What is Michelle Phan’s net worth in 2026?
Celebrity Net Worth estimates $50 million. The page we read does not show a clear update date, and its channel numbers (8 million subscribers, 1 billion views) match what Forbes reported in 2015. Treat the figure as an older, outside estimate. The Forbes profiles we reviewed report no personal net worth figure for her.
The strongest hard data point is Ipsy. Forbes reported in October 2015 that Ipsy raised $100 million, valuing the company at more than $500 million, and that Phan had founded it in 2012. In a 2017 Teen Vogue piece she wrote that the company raised $100 million. Her personal share of Ipsy is not public, so the valuation cannot be turned into her net worth.
Celebrity Net Worth also reports that in 2017 she paid $4.715 million in cash for a home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, based on real estate records.
Michelle Phan net worth estimates compared
| Source | Figure | Date and context |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrity Net Worth | $50 million | Net worth estimate. No clear update date on the page. |
| Forbes, October 2015 | More than $500 million for Ipsy | Company valuation after a $100 million raise. Not her net worth, and her ownership share is not disclosed. |
These measure different things, so we do not average them. The $50 million figure is the only wealth estimate.
How Michelle Phan makes money
Ipsy. She co-founded the beauty sample subscription service, first called MyGlam, in 2011 or 2012 depending on the source, and Forbes called it her most lucrative business.
EM Cosmetics. L’Oreal launched the line EM Cosmetics by Michelle Phan in 2013. Hypebae reports she bought all the shares through Ipsy in 2016, and she relaunched the brand in 2017 with an affordable focus.
YouTube and partnerships. Her channel earned through ads and brand work, including a role as Lancome’s first official video makeup artist in 2010. She also launched the multi-channel network FAWN in 2012.
Book. She wrote the 2014 book Make Up: Your Life Guide to Beauty, Style, and Success – Online and Off.
Michelle Phan career and earnings timeline
- 2005: Starts a makeup blog and posts tutorials on Xanga.
- 2007: Posts her first YouTube video, a natural makeup tutorial.
- 2010: Becomes Lancome’s first official video makeup artist.
- 2011: Co-founds the subscription service MyGlam, later renamed Ipsy.
- 2012: Launches the FAWN network.
- 2013: L’Oreal launches EM Cosmetics by Michelle Phan.
- 2014: Publishes her book. Ultra Records sues over music in her videos and she countersues. Both cases are dropped in August 2015 after a settlement.
- September 2015: Ipsy raises $100 million at a valuation above $500 million, per Forbes. She appears on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
- 2015 to 2017: Steps back from YouTube and social media for about two years.
- 2016: Takes full ownership of EM Cosmetics, per Hypebae.
- 2017: Relaunches EM Cosmetics, posts a video in June explaining her break, and buys a Los Angeles home for $4.715 million.
- September 2019: Celebrity Net Worth dates the official end of her hiatus here. Sources do not agree on exactly when she resumed regular uploads.
FAQs
How much is Michelle Phan worth?
Celebrity Net Worth estimates $50 million. It is an older outside estimate, and the Forbes profiles we reviewed give no net worth figure.
Is Michelle Phan a billionaire?
No. Forbes reported Ipsy was valued at more than $500 million in 2015, but that is the company’s value, and her share is not public.
What is Ipsy?
A monthly beauty sample subscription service she co-founded. Forbes said it shipped more than 1.5 million bags a month in 2015.
What happened to EM Cosmetics?
L’Oreal launched it in 2013. After a weak start she took over the brand in 2016 and relaunched it in 2017 with lower prices, with an eyeliner at $15.
Why did she leave YouTube?
In 2017 she wrote that she took a break to step away from the pressure and rethink her life. She said she wanted to enjoy her twenties and feel better.
Sources
- Celebrity Net Worth: Michelle Phan
- Forbes: How Michelle Phan Built A $500 Million Company (October 5, 2015)
- Teen Vogue: Michelle Phan Relaunches Em Cosmetics (April 11, 2017)
- Hypebae: Michelle Phan on EM Cosmetics (May 27, 2021)
- Interview: Makeup Mogul Michelle Phan: Building a YouTube Empire
About the Author
Jason Liam writes about celebrity net worth on Sneaky Insights. He loves exploring the stories behind the fortunes: the career breakthroughs, businesses and endorsements that helped famous names build their wealth. His favorite part is looking beyond the headline number to tell the story of how the money was made.
