Heidi Klum

Persuaded by a friend to enroll in a national modeling contest, Klum beat out 25,000 contestants to win the grand title. In 1997, Klum signed a contract with Victoria’s Secret; a contract that undoubtedly established the beginning of her career. Since the signing of her contract, Klum has walked in their yearly and highly anticipated fashion shows, appeared in their catalogs, and even has a collection under her name designing fragrances, makeup, and underwear. Since 1998, Klum has appeared in films, videos, and commercials. She is also the creator and executive producer of the hit show, Project Runway. In 2008, Forbes named Klum the world’s second highest-paid model, having made a reported $14 million.