Who Owns Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty is owned by Selena Gomez, who founded the company on February 22, 2019, and remains its primary owner and public face. The brand has no parent company or corporate partner, though CEO Scott Friedman and venture capitalist Nikki Eslami are among its most recognized investors.

Launched publicly on September 3, 2020, Rare Beauty quickly became one of Sephora’s best-selling brands and the fastest-growing celebrity cosmetics label on social media. Its valuation climbed past $2 billion in 2024 and is estimated at over $2.7 billion as of 2025. In February 2026, the brand expanded to Ulta Beauty, and the Rare Beauty Impact Fund has raised over $13 million to support mental health services for underserved communities.

Who Owns Rare Beauty?

Selena Gomez: Founder and Owner

Rare Beauty is privately held and primarily owned by its founder, Selena Gomez. Gomez began developing the brand in 2017, spending roughly two years building out her team and product line before formally announcing it in February 2020. The exact size of her stake is not publicly disclosed, but it is widely understood to be substantial. Bloomberg estimated in September 2024 that approximately 81% of Gomez’s net worth of $1.3 billion originated from Rare Beauty, which at age 32 made her one of the youngest female self-made billionaires in the United States.

No Parent Company

Rare Beauty operates as an independent label with no parent company or corporate partner. The brand is sold exclusively through its own website, Sephora stores globally, and — since February 2026 — through Ulta Beauty. Its independence distinguishes it from many other celebrity cosmetics lines that are often licensed to or owned by larger beauty conglomerates. The brand’s social media footprint, including more than 6.4 million Instagram followers, has been built organically through community-focused marketing. As digital makeup tools reshape how beauty brands connect with consumers, Rare Beauty’s native social strategy has become a genuine competitive advantage.

History of Rare Beauty and Its Founding

Origins and the Concept Behind the Brand

Rare Beauty was incorporated on February 22, 2019, with Selena Gomez at its helm. The name itself was inspired by her third studio album, Rare, released in January 2020. From the start, Gomez positioned the brand not merely as a cosmetics line but as a platform to challenge unrealistic beauty standards and normalize conversations around mental health.

Public Launch and Early Growth

The brand launched to the public on September 3, 2020, initially available through the Rare Beauty website and at Sephora locations across North America. In the accompanying launch video, Gomez stated she had been working on the brand for two years and had assembled a team of 28 people. She described Rare Beauty as encompassing an entire lifestyle — one focused on how individuals see themselves rather than how others perceive them.

From 2021 to 2022, the brand’s annual sales doubled. By 2023, revenue grew roughly 50% year over year, and the hero product — the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush at $23 — sold 3.1 million units in 2022, generating an estimated $70 million for that line alone. Rare Beauty expanded to Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, fueled by strong TikTok and Instagram performance. By 2025, the Rare Impact Fund had raised over $13 million for mental health access programs.

Board of Directors for Rare Beauty

Selena Gomez — Founder and Board Member

As the founder and primary owner of Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez holds a seat on the board and remains the public face of the brand’s identity and mission. Her involvement goes beyond celebrity endorsement — she has been actively involved in product development decisions and the brand’s philanthropic direction through the Rare Impact Fund.

Scott Friedman — Chief Executive Officer and Board Director

Scott Friedman has served as CEO of Rare Beauty since January 2019, making him one of the earliest senior hires before the public launch. He holds an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and brings over two decades of experience in the beauty and consumer products sector. His prior roles include CEO of NYX Cosmetics — which he helped guide to a $500 million acquisition by L’Oréal in 2014 — as well as CEO positions at Bellami Hair and DevaCurl. Friedman was also named to the jury for the Business of Beauty Global Awards 2026.

Nikki Eslami — Investor and Board Member

Nikki Eslami joined the Rare Beauty board of directors in 2020 as an investor and strategic partner. She co-founded BELLAMI Hair in 2012 and scaled it into the world’s largest hair extension company before its acquisition by Beauty Industry Group in 2022. She then founded New Theory Ventures, a VC firm directing capital toward women and diverse founders in beauty, wellness, and technology, and co-founded GXVE Beauty with Gwen Stefani in 2022. The evolving role of women building personal brands and influence-led businesses closely mirrors the model Eslami and Gomez have applied at Rare Beauty.

Marketing and Brand Leadership

Katie Welch served as Rare Beauty’s Chief Marketing Officer from the brand’s 2020 launch through late 2025. During her tenure, Welch built the brand’s community-first marketing approach — centered on authenticity, two-way communication, and genuine consumer relationships rather than traditional advertising. She was named to the Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50 list in 2024 and received the CEW Achiever Award in 2025. Welch departed Rare Beauty in early 2026 to take on the role of Head of US Brand and Communications at Chanel. Her work at Rare Beauty helped make it the top-indexed brand on TikTok and Instagram among celebrity beauty labels, with a combined media impact value of $313 million across the two platforms in 2023. The future of the beauty industry increasingly rewards brands that connect technology with authentic storytelling — a formula Rare Beauty has consistently executed.

Largest Shareholders of Rare Beauty

Selena Gomez — Majority Stakeholder

Rare Beauty is privately held and specific ownership percentages have not been disclosed. Gomez is understood to hold a majority stake. Bloomberg’s September 2024 reporting indicated that roughly 81% of her estimated $1.3 billion net worth was tied to Rare Beauty, placing her among the country’s youngest female self-made billionaires.

Scott Friedman — CEO Investor

As CEO since before the brand’s public launch, Friedman joined as both an operational leader and a financial stakeholder. His equity position aligns his interests directly with the company’s long-term performance. His background scaling NYX Cosmetics to a $500 million exit gives him direct experience in the financial mechanics of building and monetizing an independent beauty brand.

Nikki Eslami — Venture Capital Stakeholder

Nikki Eslami invested in Rare Beauty through New Theory Ventures and joined as a co-founding partner alongside Gomez. While her exact stake has not been publicly disclosed, her board seat confirms she holds equity in the company. Her experience scaling and exiting BELLAMI Hair provides relevant context for understanding how her ownership position in Rare Beauty may ultimately be structured or realized.

Potential Future Ownership Shifts

In early 2024, Bloomberg reported that Gomez had engaged advisors to evaluate potential acquisition offers. No sale had been confirmed as of early 2026. The brand’s February 2026 expansion to Ulta Beauty suggests continued investment in growth. Should a transaction eventually occur, it would represent one of the largest celebrity beauty acquisitions on record.