Escaping the curse of child stars is a challenging task to avoid becoming broken toys. From 1987 to 1995, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen shone brightly as twin child stars who, at just nine months old, began to generate money as the main characters in the family comedy Full House.
The chemistry established between them and the audience was so strong that by the age of 6, they became the youngest producers in showbiz history, and by age 10, they were already the youngest self-made American millionaires. Unlike other parents who squandered their children's fortunes, such as Macaulay Culkin, after whom the Coogan Law was more strictly enforced, named after Jackie Coogan, discovered by Charlie Chaplin with whom he starred in the classic film The Kid.
This law stipulates that 15% of minors' earnings must be deposited into a trust account in their name. In the case of the twins, their parents, David and Jarnette, wisely invested their earnings since in 1991, the young girls were each earning $125,000 per episode. They founded the production company Dualstar, through which the stars transitioned to movies with films like It Takes Two (1995) and Winning London (2001).
Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, they became idols in the preteen market as their faces appeared on clothing, perfumes, and books. The fan phenomenon made them realize two things: they did not want to be actresses and they fervently desired to focus on fashion.
Upon reaching adulthood in 2004, they filmed their last movie, New York Minute, Mattel created dolls in their likeness, and they collaborated on a fashion and fragrance line for Walmart, the world's largest retailer founded by the Walton family, one of the richest families on the planet with a combined fortune of $267 billion according to Forbes' latest balance sheet. In that same year, the sisters had $137 million in their bank accounts.
In 2006, Mary-Kate and Ashley chose New York as the epicenter of their highly lucrative business, The Row, named in honor of London's Savile Row, known for its bespoke tailoring where Carlos III is dressed. It is a luxury brand born from Ashley's quest for the perfect cotton white t-shirt. Today, one of those designs sells for 500 euros.
The twins started by designing a capsule collection of seven pieces that included the white t-shirt, a sleeveless cashmere dress, and satin cotton leggings. The anticipation was such that Barney's New York bought the entire collection. Gradually, The Row positioned itself internationally, leading to the opening of stores in London and Paris. The impact of The Row on the fashion industry has been so significant that some prominent families, who are meticulous in their decisions, decided to acquire a stake in the brand.
According to Bloomberg, in the fall of 2004, the Wertheimer family, owners of Chanel; Françoise Meyers, heir of L'Oréal; and Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter, acquired minority stakes. Following this transaction, in which Mary-Kate and Ashley still hold the majority of shares, The Row reached a value of $1 billion. The brand's products reflect this value, with men's leather sandals priced at 1,240 euros, a wool men's jacket costing 4,590 euros, leather backpacks for just over 5,000 euros, and women's cashmere coats ranging from 7,000 to 11,000 euros.
Apart from their flagship brand, the former actresses also own other labels like Olsenboye, StyleMint, and Elizabeth and James, named after their younger sister (an actress) and their older brother, who writes comics and TV shorts and is the most anonymous of all.
Ashley and Mary-Kate wanted to step away from the spotlight as soon as they turned eighteen. They rarely grant interviews, but Mary-Kate broke this rule with Porter magazine from Net-a-Porter: "I have a husband, two stepchildren, and a life; I have to go home and cook dinner. I ride horses on weekends. You find what helps you relax, and if you don't have it, you have to look for it." After three years of dating, she married Olivier Sarkozy, the younger brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2015. The couple lived in a $13.5 million mansion in New York. At the start of the pandemic, she requested an emergency divorce, which was not granted until 2021. Each retained their fortune, with Mary-Kate having $250 million and him $60 million.
It is known that Ashley previously dated quarterback Matt Kaplan, actor Justin Bartha, and director Bennett Miller. Since 2022, she has been married to artist Louis Eisner, with whom she has a two-year-old son named Otto.