NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have taken the art world by storm. In this blog, we’ll explore the world of celebrity NFT collections, including what they are, why they’re popular, and what makes them unique. We’ll also take a look at some of the most notable celebrity NFT collections and what they’ve sold for. Whether you’re a fan of the celebrities or just interested in the NFT space, this blog has all the information you need to understand the world of celebrity NFTs.
Why are NFTs popular amongst celebrities?
NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens have become a popular trend amongst celebrities as they provide a unique and exclusive way to monetize their digital assets such as music, artwork, videos, tweets, etc. With collections like The Merge and The first 5000 Days, celebrities too are now jumping on the bandwagon by creating and selling their own NFT collections.
NFTs allow celebrities to sell a limited edition of their digital content, providing a new revenue stream and giving them control over the distribution and ownership of their work. Additionally, NFTs offer a high level of transparency, security, and immutability through blockchain technology, ensuring the authenticity of the digital asset and giving buyers a sense of ownership and exclusivity.
Celebrity NFT Collections
Following is the list of celebrities in the NFT space, that have taken NFTs by storm.
#1 – Timbaland – Jazzy NFT collections
Timothy Zachery Mosley, better known as Timbaland, is a multi-talented artist who serves as a record producer, singer-songwriter, and rapper. He has a deep love for music and has made significant contributions to albums of various popular musicians. Timbaland, a multiple Grammy winner, has produced hits for well-known artists such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dog, Ludacris, and Ginuwine.
To enter the highly exclusive Bored Ape Yacht Club, Timbaland acquired Bored Ape #590, one of the 10,000 Bored Ape NFTs that are considered to be the most valuable NFTs on the market, along with CryptoPunks. Only NFT art pieces by artists like Pak and Beeple have garnered higher bids.
Timbaland’s Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT #590 is a five-trait ape that boasts a golden cardigan, dark brown sunglasses, and a golden chain that ties his whole look together. He was able to purchase the ape for 74.69 ETH, approximately $220,000 based on the current Ethereum price.
In addition, Timbaland recently made headlines with the announcement of his new venture, Ape-In Productions, in partnership with Yuga Labs. This entertainment company aims to provide a platform for the development of music and animation for metaverse applications, with a focus on giving artists back control and long-term ownership of their creations.
“We’ve built a new entertainment platform in the metaverse that puts creative control and long-term ownership back in the hands of artists, a concept that is incredibly important to us,” said Timbaland.
Thus, Timbaland not only owns a Bored Ape NFT, but he is also showing a keen interest in blockchain technology and the Otherside metaverse. Other celebrities who have purchased Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs include Eminem, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, and Neymar Jr.
#2 – Mark Cuban – Billionaire NFT Collections
Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, as well as a star of the show “Shark Tank,” reportedly received his Bored Ape NFT as a gift in May, according to The Bored Ape Gazette. Despite the rapidly increasing value of the NFT, Cuban has kept it and even showcased it on his Lazy.com NFT gallery profile. He is a staunch supporter of Dogecoin and has invested in several NFT and cryptocurrency-related businesses.
#3 – Lakshmi – Upcoming Artist’s NFT Collections
Lakshmi Manchu, an actor and producer who has worked in both Telugu cinema and American television, recently joined the world of NFTs. In January, she made her first NFT purchase by buying Azuki #4272 for 3.3 ETH, which was approximately equivalent to 10k dollars.
In a statement, Lakshmi expressed her nervousness about being new to the NFT space, but also mentioned her excitement for her new character. She also shared that she plans to use the ownership of the Azuki NFT to gain exclusive rights to content that can later be opened up for audiences who own Azukis. This will be available in the form of games, short stories, and other digital assets. It is exciting to see all the possibilities that NFTs offer to creators.
#4 – LilBaby
LilBaby has joined the NFT market, following the footsteps of popular celebrities such as Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z. The American rapper has substantial popularity, with over 26 million monthly streams on Spotify and close to 19 million followers on Instagram.
In the fall, LilBaby became a Bored Ape NFT owner by mutating a Bored Ape #129 into a Mutant Ape #10259, which was purchased for 37.99 ETH, equivalent to $170,000 at the time of purchase.
In addition to being a celeb Bored Ape NFT owner, LilBaby has 23 recorded NFT purchases, including those from Crypto Cannabis Club, Doodles, DeadFellaz, and Little Lemon Friends.
Other celebrities who own a Bored Ape NFT include Steve Aoki, Shaq, Mike Shinoda, Jimmy Fallon, and Snoop Dogg.
#5 – Pranksy
The anonymous NFT collector known as Pranksy is a significant figure in the world of celebrity NFT ownership and whale activity. Despite the unknown identity of this individual, they have gained notoriety in NFT circles for their extensive collection.
Pranksy is said to have the largest NFT collection on the planet, boasting about 35,000 NFTs in their OpenSea wallet. In January 2023, Pranksy made a record-breaking purchase of a Doodle NFT for 296.69 ETH, adding to their already impressive collection of 71 Doodles and over 34,000 total NFTs, including popular collections like Decentraland, CryptoKitties, SuperRare, and WomenRise.
Starting with just $600, Pranksy has built a collection worth millions and gained a following of nearly 400,000 followers on Twitter. They believe that the NFT market provides more than what people expect and has attributed to its growth. Pranksy has also been involved in launching various celebrity NFT projects, including NFTBoxes.
GaryVee and Treeverse are among the celebrities who have also acquired Doodle NFTs.
#6 – KSI
YouTube celebrity and rapper KSI quickly became immersed in the world of NFTs. He purchased his first NFTs in August and within two days, he established a Twitter account (@ksicrypto) specifically for NFTs and boasted about the appreciation in value of his Bored Ape NFT. He was joined in his NFT journey by Banks, a fellow NFT enthusiast and co-founder of the well-known esports organization, FaZe Clan.
#7 – Yam Karaki
The NFT market is widely recognized as being male-dominated, with male buyers making up around 80% of all NFT sales. In an effort to promote gender equality, Yam Karaki created the World of Women NFT collection. In October, Reese Witherspoon joined the initiative by buying World of Women #8072 for 2.8 ETH, or approximately $9,000.
Reese’s NFT collection includes 108 NFTs across various projects, and she is one of the most active celebrities in the NFT space. A few months ago, she announced her partnership with World of Women through her company, Hello Sunshine. The company aims to create a character universe and move into media production, including feature films and TV series. They will also host live events to educate women on the opportunities in the NFT arena.
Reese commented on the partnership, saying “We’re proud to partner with WoW to expand their universe of characters and to develop innovative scripted and unscripted content. We look forward to engaging with the remarkable WoW community at every step of this partnership and creating opportunities for WoW holders to work collaboratively with Hello Sunshine on transforming the WoW art into powerful stories.”
With NFT celebrity owners such as Reese Witherspoon, there is a lot of potential for the World of Women NFT project. Other celebrities who own a World of Women NFT include FaZe Banks, Huda Kattan, Shonda Rhimes, and Sebastien Borget.
#8 – Marshmello
Marshmello, the renowned electronic music producer and DJ, is one of the most prominent celebrity NFT owners with several NFTs in his collection. Christopher Comstock, the artist behind Marshmello, gained recognition in 2015 and has many hit songs with over a billion views on YouTube.
For a while, Marshmello was a secret NFT collector, but he revealed his love for NFTs when he changed his Twitter profile picture to a CryptoPunk. In October 2021, he added a KaijuKing NFT to his portfolio, which is estimated to be worth over $1 million.
The KaijuKing #1680, which he bought for 5.88 ETH (equivalent to $17,000 today), is one of the 3,333 NFTs in the collection. Besides the KaijuKing, Marshmello is also a proud owner of Bored Ape NFTs, CrypToadz, Wicked Craniums, and other CryptoPunks. His most valuable NFT is said to be the CryptoPunk #8274, which was sold for a stunning $427,000.
Punks NFTs, both regular and celebrity-owned, have a trendy reputation in the NFT community due to their retro pixellated art style. This style, first created by Larva Labs and later acquired by Yuga Labs, is considered as one of the “OG” NFT collections and has a cult following.
For Marshmello, it’s not just the art of NFTs that interests him, but also the community aspect. He stated in a tweet, “This is my favorite thing about NFTs. A lot of awesome fan art being made.”
#9 – The Chainsmokers
The music producing duo The Chainsmokers, who are also involved in the cryptocurrency industry, invested in startups and purchased a Bored Ape NFT in September at a cost of approximately $210,000. Although they are currently on a break and haven’t tweeted since early 2020, they recently updated their Twitter profile picture to the Bored Ape NFT.
#10 – Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum, a renowned supermodel, producer, and television host best known for her role on America’s Got Talent, has joined the world of NFTs with the acquisition of a CryptoPunk. In December of last year, she purchased CryptoPunk #3653 for 80 ETH, which amounts to $260,000.
Despite being traded multiple times, the NFT has found a permanent home in Heidi’s collection. The NFT bears a striking resemblance to the actress, especially in its blonde hair. Heidi also owns 8 other NFTs and the heidiklumofficial.eth ENS domain, according to DappRadar.
Heidi expressed her gratitude for the support of the NFT community on Twitter, saying, “I’m super appreciative of the support within the NFT community. I never expected this type of support and I cannot wait to learn more.”
Other celebrities who have purchased CryptoPunks include Jay-Z, Serena Williams, Jason Derulo, Faze Banks, and Logan Paul.
To Wrap-it-Up
Celebrity NFT collections are a new trend in the art world, where famous individuals are selling unique digital assets in the form of non-fungible tokens. With celebrities like Grimes, Paris Hilton, and Kings of Leon joining the NFT craze, it’s a clear indication that the world of NFTs is evolving and becoming more mainstream.
If you are interested in learning more about all things NFT, including how to mint your NFTs, then read our guide! Whether you’re a collector or simply curious, understanding the basics of NFTs is essential to staying informed in the digital age.
