Sara Blakely turned $5,000 in savings and a pair of scissors into Spanx, owned the entire company for more than two decades, then sold control at a $1.2 billion valuation just before the shapewear market turned. So how much is the self-made billionaire worth in 2026? Here is a closer look at her fortune, her fax-machine-to-boardroom story and the second act she is building with Sneex.
What is Sara Blakely’s net worth in 2026?
Sara Blakely’s net worth is estimated at $1 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth’s estimate last updated August 7, 2026. As with every profile here, that is an informed estimate rather than a verified bank balance. The remarkable part is the timing of her fortune: she sold a majority stake in Spanx to Blackstone in October 2021 at a $1.2 billion valuation, converting most of her ownership into other assets years before Spanx ran into financial trouble. In 2026 the company went through a restructuring that handed control to private credit firm HPS Investment Partners and saw Blakely leave the board, but because she had already monetized the majority of her stake, the collapse in Spanx’s equity value did not erase her wealth. Her fortune today also includes investments, real estate gains, a minority stake in the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and her new footwear company, Sneex.
Early life and background
Sara Treleaven Blakely was born on February 27, 1971, in Clearwater, Florida. Her father, John, was an attorney and her mother, Ellen, an artist. She graduated from Florida State University in 1993 with a degree in communications, having planned to follow her father into law until disappointing LSAT scores forced a change of direction. She briefly worked at Walt Disney World and tried stand-up comedy at night before landing a sales job at office-equipment company Danka, selling fax machines door-to-door across Florida. It was in that job, frustrated by how pantyhose looked under white pants in the Florida heat, that she cut the feet off a pair of control-top hose and stumbled onto the idea that would make her a billionaire.
Career timeline
- 1971: Born in Clearwater, Florida.
- 1993: Graduates from Florida State University with a communications degree, then shelves her law-school plans.
- Mid-1990s: Selling fax machines for Danka, she cuts the feet off her pantyhose and begins imagining a new kind of undergarment.
- Late 1990s: Moves to Atlanta and spends roughly two years developing Spanx with $5,000 in personal savings, writing her own patent and hearing no from mill after mill until one manufacturer calls back.
- 2000: Wins over Neiman Marcus by demonstrating the product in a bathroom; in November, Oprah Winfrey names Spanx one of her “Favorite Things.” Spanx books about $4 million in first-year sales and roughly $10 million in its second year.
- 2001: Appears on QVC and sells thousands of units within minutes.
- 2005-2006: Competes on Richard Branson’s reality series “The Rebel Billionaire,” then founds the Sara Blakely Foundation with the $750,000 she received from Branson.
- 2012: At 41, becomes the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world at the time.
- 2013: Signs The Giving Pledge, committing to give at least half her wealth to charity.
- 2015: Joins the Tony Ressler-led investment group that buys the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks for $850 million; she remains a minority owner.
- October 2021: Sells a majority stake in Spanx to Blackstone at a $1.2 billion valuation, keeping a significant minority stake and becoming executive chairwoman. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd later join the investor group.
- August 2024: Launches Sneex, a luxury sneaker-heel hybrid priced from roughly $395 to $595.
- 2026: Spanx undergoes an out-of-court restructuring after its debt trades as low as roughly 70 cents on the dollar; Blackstone exits, HPS Investment Partners takes control and Blakely leaves the board.
How does Sara Blakely make her money?
The foundation of Blakely’s wealth is the Spanx sale: she owned virtually 100% of the company for over two decades and took no outside investors before the Blackstone deal, so the 2021 transaction was an enormous personal liquidity event even though the exact proceeds were never disclosed. Beyond that, she and her husband, entrepreneur Jesse Itzler, bought a three-bedroom condo at 15 Central Park West in Manhattan for $12.11 million in 2008 and sold it in 2014 for $30 million. The couple are minority owners of the Atlanta Hawks, and Blakely has poured her energy into Sneex, her second swing at reinventing a staple of women’s wardrobes. Her philanthropy runs through the Sara Blakely Foundation, which committed more than $5 million to female founders through the Red Backpack Fund during the pandemic.
For a very different path to a business fortune, read about how Tim Cook climbed from an Alabama shipyard town to the top of Apple, or see how Charli D’Amelio turned a personal brand into a consumer business. You can also browse more profiles in our Business category.
Watch: Sara Blakely on building Spanx with Tony Robbins
In this interview with Tony Robbins, Blakely walks through the early days of Spanx: the $5,000 stake, the rejections, the Neiman Marcus bathroom pitch and the mindset that kept her going.
FAQs
What is Sara Blakely’s net worth in 2026?
Her net worth is estimated at around $1 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth’s estimate last updated in August 2026, anchored by the 2021 sale of a majority stake in Spanx at a $1.2 billion valuation.
How did Sara Blakely start Spanx?
While selling fax machines door-to-door, she cut the feet off a pair of pantyhose, then spent about two years and $5,000 in savings developing the product before Neiman Marcus agreed to carry it in 2000.
Does Sara Blakely still own Spanx?
She sold a majority stake to Blackstone in October 2021 and left the company’s board during the 2026 restructuring that gave control to HPS Investment Partners. The value of any stake she kept has not been publicly disclosed.
What is Sneex?
Sneex is Blakely’s luxury footwear brand, launched in August 2024, built around a hybrid of a sneaker and a high heel. Launch styles were priced from about $395 to $595.
How old is Sara Blakely?
She was born on February 27, 1971, making her 55 years old in 2026.
About the Author
Jason Liam writes about celebrity net worth on Frotheen. 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.
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