How Spanx founder Sara Blakely makes and spends her $1.1 billion fortune

Inspiration struck in 1998 when Blakely cut the feet off her pantyhose to wear under a pair of pants for a smoother look, according to Spanx's official website. Two years later, her body-shaping invention went into production and was named one of "Oprah's Favorite Things," making it a favorite of celebrities and everyday customers alike.

In 2012, Blakely appeared on the cover of Forbes as the world's then-youngest self-made female billionaire at age 41. Today, at 52 years old, she ranks 22nd on Forbes' list of America's self-made women with a net worth of $1.1 billion.

To celebrate the sale, Blakely gifted all Spanx employees two first-class Delta plane tickets to anywhere in the world and $10,000 cash.

"I really want every employee to celebrate this moment in their own way and create a memory that will last them a lifetime!" Blakely wrote on Instagram.

In 2016, Variety reported that the celebrity judges on "Shark Tank" made $50,000 per episode. Blakely appeared as a guest shark on seasons nine and 10.

Blakely's speaking fees range from $100,000 to $200,000, according to booking agent AAE Speakers.

"Even though I give speeches all the time, I still get scared," she wrote in an Instagram post in August. "Public speaking is on my long list of fears (along with flying which I also do all the time). The only way to build courage is to feel the fear and do it anyway."

Blakely owns a 10,000-square-foot home in Atlanta that features a gumball machine and sauna and steam rooms, People magazine reported.

In 2011, she purchased two lots on Florida's Clearwater Beach for $8.8 million, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

She also owns homes in New Fairfield, Connecticut, and La Jolla, California, according to a 2011 New Yorker profile. She purchased a 37th-floor apartment overlooking Central Park in New York City for $12.11 million in 2008, then sold it for $30 million in 2014, The New York Daily News reported.

Blakely and Itzler met at a charity poker tournament in 2006 and bonded over not knowing anything about the game, Business Insider previously reported, citing a report in Atlanta Weddings.

They wed in a lavish ceremony at the Gasparilla Inn in Boca Grande, Florida, with over 400 guests in attendance, The New York Times reported.

Despite her billionaire status, a 2014 Wall Street Journal profile revealed that she drives a Toyota minivan to work.

In 2022, Blakely invested in the skincare brand Supergoop!, which is also part of Blackstone's portfolio of businesses, according to a Business Wire press release.

In 2013, Blakely became the first self-made female billionaire to sign the Giving Pledge created by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, according to the Sara Blakely Foundation. Her foundation has since given millions to charities focusing on uplifting women and girls around the world.

"I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment," she wrote in a letter on the foundation's website.