Ireland turned out to have a phenomenal mind for business and marketing. She knew her likeness was worth money, and she knew precisely how to market it. In 1993 she founded 'Kathy Ireland Worldwide,' and started selling branded socks via Kmart. More than 100 million pairs of the socks were sold, and she no longer needed Kmart's support.
In the here and now, Ireland has a personal fortune of more than $420m. She's found success in making fitness videos, writing books, appearing in more movies and creating home furnishings. There's very little that her company doesn't do. She uses her fame and wealth for good, too: she's donated vast sums of money to AIDS charities and to charities who work with disadvantaged children. Other models have tried to capitalize on their own brand in the same way, but nobody has ever done it better than Ireland.