Quick Facts

American entrepreneur and philanthropist Sara Treleaven Blakely is better known by her stage name Sara Blakely. Spanx, an American corporation that manufactures intimate apparel and was established in Atlanta, Georgia, is owned by Blakely. She saved $5000 while working as a fax machine salesperson before launching her business. When she first launched her business, she was the youngest self-made billionaire. In 2021, she offered the majority of her shares in Spanx to Blackstone

How much is the Net worth of Sara Blakely?

Sara Blakely is a Self-Made Billionaire. She became wealthy because to her intimate apparel business, Spanx. She is among the world’s most prosperous businesswomen. The Atlanta Hawks are a team that Sara and her husband support. Her current estimated net worth is more than $1.2 billion.

Early Years and Bio

She was born on February 27, 1971, as Sara Blakely. Sara Treleaven Blakely is her legal name at birth. In the United States, she was born in Clearwater, Florida. She is a citizen of the United States. She was conceived by her parents, Ellen Ford and John Blakely. Ford Blakely, her only brother, is her only sibling. She converted to Judaism and is of Caucasian ethnicity. Also, she is a Pisces by horoscope.

She attended Clearwater High School, thus that’s her educational history. Following her high school graduation, she enrolled at Florida State University. She received a communication bachelor’s degree upon graduation.

What is the Professional Career of Sara Blakely?

Sara Blakely originally intended to study law. She chose not to pursue a legal career, however, because she received a low score on the Law School Admission Test. After that, she spent three months working at Walt Disney World in Florida. Later, she went door-to-door for the supply firm Danka to sell fax machines. At the age of 25, she was given the position of national sales trainer. At the age of 27, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia. She kept working for Danka and accrued $5,000 in savings. At the time, she was doing research and creating her hosiery idea. She then took a car trip to North Carolina to tell hosiery factories about her proposal. Every business she went to rejected her. She received a call from a male mill owner in Asheboro, North Carolina, who backed Blakely’s plan.

She eventually produced the first prototype of the product. In order to complete her application before submitting it to the USPTO, she went back to a patent attorney later. The man agreed to help her in exchange for $750. She then began to work on the product’s packaging. She paid $150 for the “Spanx” trademark on the USPTO website using her credit card. Her product was offered in seven Neiman Marcus stores after she spoke with executives of the Neiman Marcus Group. She had changed into the invention in the women’s restroom to demonstrate its advantages. She also sent a basket of goods and a gift card explaining her development efforts to Oprah Winfrey’s television show. Sales of Spanx increased after Winfrey listed them as one of her “Favorite Things” in November 2000.

Blakely quit her job at Danka. $4 million in sales were made by Spanx in its first year. In the second year, $10 million was reached. In 2001, she secured a contract with QVC, a home shopping network. She wanted to create the most comfortable high-heel shoe in the entire globe. In 2005, she came in second place on The Rebel Billionaire, where she first met Richard Branson. She saw Richard as a mentor. She served as one of the judges on the reality competition show American Inventor on ABC. Throughout multiple episodes of Shark Tank’s seasons 9 and 10, she appeared as a guest investor. She made a fleeting guest appearance in a Billions episode from season three. In October 2021, she sold a majority share in Spanx to Blackstone. She gave her staff members $10,000 apiece to use for travel as part of the celebration.

Who is the spouse of Sara Blakely?

Married Sara Blakely has one child. Her husband is Jesse Itzler. He is one of Marquis Jet’s co-founders. At a Net Jet Poker Tournament, the two struck up a relationship. In 2008, the couple exchanged vows. In addition to Olivia Newton-surprise John’s performance, Matt Damon was there for her wedding. Together, the couple has four kids.

In 2006, she established the Sara Blakely Foundation. She started the organization with the intention of empowering women via training in business and education. Her Foundation was founded with a $750,000 grant from Richard Branson. Young women at the Community and Individual Development Association City Campus in South Africa have received scholarships from the charity.

In 2006, she made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and gave a $1 million donation to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. In 2019, she spent $162,500 at an auction to purchase the black pants Olivia Newton-John wore in Grease. Newton-cancer John’s treatment facility in Melbourne, Australia profited from its revenues. She promised to provide $5 million to help women-owned small businesses in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic strikes.

Body Measurement: How tall is Sara Blakely?

Sara Blakely is approximately 1.71 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) tall. She weighs approximately 132 pounds, or 60 kg. She has a lean physique. Her blonde hair and hazel eyes are also the same color. She is straight in her sexuality.

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