Founders are a special breed of investors who invest their money into their dreams. Sara Blakely is no different, and as the world's youngest-ever self-made billionaire, it seems like she made the right calls.
Who is Sara Blakely?
Who is Sara Blakely?
Sara Blakely might not have a name that rings a lot of bells, but everyone everywhere knows the product she created: Spanx. As a founder, her primary interest is still in investing in small companies that need an angel investor, and she has been an active philanthropist through her foundation, The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation.
Blakely is as far from a venture capitalist as you can probably imagine, but she's still an investor who helps small businesses fund their operations through early-stage funding rounds of all kinds.
She is best known for her founder story, which started with her as a door-to-door fax machine salesperson required to wear pantyhose throughout humid Florida summers. Necessity being the mother of invention, Blakely invented an undergarment that was flattering and better suited to the weather for a special event she was to attend. That early prototype eventually became Spanx.
But the story isn't special due to an invention filling a need; they pretty much all originate that way. What’s special is that Blakely didn't do this with angel investors or seed round funding. She did all the work herself, funded her company with $5,000 from her fax machine sales job, and persisted until she found the suppliers, the media engagement, and the team she needed to disrupt shapewear in a way that had never been done before.
That early experience shaped (no pun intended) everything about how Blakely invests and who and what she invests in.
Sara Blakely's personal stats
Sara Blakely's personal stats
- Age: 52 (born February 27, 1971).
- Source of wealth: Sale of Spanx to private equity firm Blackstone.
- Marital status: Married to Jessie Itzler since 2008.
- Residence: Atlanta, Georgia.
- Children: Lazer Blake (2009), twins Charlie and Lincoln (2014), Tepper (2016).
- Education: Florida State University.
Sara Blakely's investment approach
Sara Blakely's investment approach
Blakely does not invest heavily outside of her own philanthropic efforts but does have a few small companies under her belt. The companies she chooses as an investor tend to be woman-founded and woman-focused. This goes hand-in-hand with her philanthropic philosophy and the mission of her foundation.
Through the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation, many female entrepreneurs have gotten a hand with free advertising for their products inside Spanx catalogs, received college educations, and even got their initial spark through entrepreneurial programs in girls' schools funded by the program. She attributes much of her philanthropic success to the examples set by Bill and Melinda Gates, as well as Warren Buffett.
Her direct investing efforts happen in early fundraising rounds, with records of investments during angel, seed, Series A, and Series C rounds. She is also a part minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks, an NBA basketball team.
Sara Blakely's investments
Sara Blakely's investments
| Company | Funding Round | Money Raised | Company Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| OOVA | Series A | $10.3 million | At-home fertility-tracking technology. |
| Supergoop | Angel Round | Undisclosed | Skin care brand focused on sun care. |
| Alice’s Table | Seed Round | $250,000 | Platform offering online workshops and virtual corporate events. |
| TheSkimm | Series C | $12 million | A media company that provides stories, videos, and podcasts related to trending news. |
More from Sara Blakely
More from Sara Blakely
Although Blakely is an infrequent social media contributor, you can find her on many social media platforms with slice-of-life posts mixed with business advice. Her LinkedIn is reasonably active and focused on business development; her Twitter is established and claimed, but doesn't appear to have ever been used.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarablakely27/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarablakely/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarablakely/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarablakely
Related investing topics
A helping hand to women entrepreneurs
A helping hand to women entrepreneurs
Sara Blakely is not the kind of investor you generally think of when you think of investors. She’s not in on every hot new deal that comes across her desk, nor is she actively seeking unknown companies with the potential to become multibillion-dollar enterprises. Instead, she focuses on a few good companies whose missions she really believes in, run by hardworking people who need a little help achieving their dreams.
She is probably best described as a philanthropist who happens to also be an angel investor rather than the other way around. Through the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation, Blakely has been able to help female entrepreneurs get the education and financial aid that they need to really make their companies a success.
Sara Blakely FAQs
What is Sara Blakely famous for?
Sara Blakely is the founder of Spanx, a company that revolutionized women’s shapewear. Although she sold the majority share to Blackstone in 2021, she is still active in the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation, which is intended to elevate women entrepreneurs.
How did Sara Blakely found Spanx?
Blakely founded Spanx through years of hard work and using her own savings from working a job selling fax machines door-to-door. She decided to open her own company after being turned away from multiple hosiery companies that she approached with her idea for Spanx, which she initially ran and marketed herself.
What companies does Sara Blakely own?
Sara Blakely is currently a minority owner in Spanx.
