Oh, the race is on. This time two years ago, Kylie Jenner was the spoiled teenager that nobody could take seriously. "We never take out the Lambo" wasn't best received on Life Of Kylie. Nor did sitting there talking about how she is "like, realizing things."
With 117 million Instagram followers, Kylie's IG following sits at 2 million below her big sister and queen bee, Kim Kardashian. Considering that Kylie can easily rack up 100,000 followers overnight, it isn't rocket science, the youngest Kardashian will overtake her sister, big time.
It must have been a kick in the teeth for Kim. When Kylie Jenner fronted Forbes magazine in 2018, the headline was "Youngest Self-Made Billionaire." The Kylie Cosmetics empire has netted Kylie $900 million (and she owns 100% of the company). With just 5 full-time employees and marketing that basically involves updating her IG, Kylie is the 21-year-old CEO who is now way richer than her 37-year-old sister.
Kim was pulling off mom. Kylie joined the club. Kim was pulling off beauty mogul. Kylie elbowed her way in. Whether it's Lip Kits, Stormi updates, eye-popping outfits, or trying to trademark her own name, the youngest Kardashian-Jenner is already dethroning her big sister. With way more brain power than Kylie's ditzy persona might suggest, here are 20 ways that this soon-to-be billionaire is dethroning the great Kim K.
20 Kim Eyes Up Millions, Kylie Eyes Up Billions
"Waiting for my baby to wake up like..." was the caption to this IG update from Kylie in September 2018. Well, that and waiting for the final $100 million to roll in. Sitting there in matching minidresses and heels is all that's required for Kylie's billionaire status to arrive, and at 21, she is the youngest self-made one.
Kim's KKW Beauty line may have sold out in 3 minutes, but her net worth is $350 million (versus Kylie's $900 million).
Kylie doesn't just sell Lip Kits, she breathes them. "You guys, imagine this, but all in lip kits," Kylie said during her Forbes interview.
19 Keep Your Friends Close (But Your Enemies Closer)
Of course, we're kidding. The sisterly bond between all five of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters has been throwing us #SisterGoals ever since KUWTK started airing. That said, some sibling rivalry may be simmering under the surface. Speaking to Majic Radio, Kim said:
"We laugh so hard at this all the time, because people always want to pit us against each other, thinking we have similar careers."
Well, they kind of do. "One business doesn't cannibalize the other," Kim told Hollywood Reporter. "We do have communication over our timelines and launches so that nothing comes too close." That's right – not "too close."
18 Move Over Kim, There's A New Mom In Town
Even Kim had to call this "the best-kept secret of our generation." Kylie Jenner's hidden pregnancy feels like old news now – and it is. The 2018 announcement of Stormi Webster made Instagram history with a record-breaking 18 million likes. That was just the start. Kim has three kids. Baby Chicago was born the same year as Stormi, but Kylie is making way more "mom" headlines than her big sister.
"I'm learning so much about myself and life,"
Kylie wrote on IG. Kendall Jenner is now the only Kardashian-Jenner kid without a baby. Kylie proved that she could do it at 20, and it's only making her more famous.
17 "Being Different Is So Dope"
If Kylie doesn't seem that "different," it's probably because the zillion Instagram copycats are trying their hardest to be the OG. "It's so dope being different," Kylie said in 2015. Answering Elle's questions on bullying, Kylie said that she feels "blessed to be not normal."
Eating cereal with milk for the first time at the age of 21 is not normal. In 2018, Kylie rocked the Internet by announcing that Cinnamon Toast Crunch with milk was her new discovery.
Green hair is something that Kim just copied from Kylie. "I change my style every month," Kylie said. "I'm like, punk one month, ghetto fab the next."
16 "There Are New Rumors About Me Every Day"
Rumors can be catastrophic, but they're the biggest boost that a reality star can have. Kylie spent most of August 2018 shutting down rumors that she and Travis Scott had broken up. "Obviously fake," was Kylie's response on social media.
There's a huge difference between the Kylie rumors and those surrounding Kim. There's also a huge difference in the way that these sisters handle it. When Kanye West and surrogate rumors were surfacing on KUTWK, Kim visibly panicked (while calling the lawyers).
Kylie likely has an assistant to deal with the millions of comments and rumors that her social media causes. A new rumor "every day" just means more coverage.
15 Makeup-Free Motherhood Makes Her Popular
The paparazzi have been camping outside Kylie Jenner's home ever since Stormi was born. Considering that The Sun reports electronic gates and metal detectors, it's fair to say that Stormi is kept well out of sight. While we haven't seen many candid shots of Kylie's motherhood, this one answered all our questions.
"I actually enjoy changing diapers. It's really satisfying. To make her clean again."
Speaking to Kim via The Evening Standard, Kylie showed her down-to-earth motherhood approach (that fans are definitely seeing on IG). Blue Miami skies, "you make all my mornings" captions, and a makeup-free Kylie? That builds popularity, like woah.
14 Caked-Up Motherhood Doesn't Rake In Fans
In the biggest contrast ever, here is Kim in her usual getup. The hot pink athleisurewear, sneakers, and Ariana Grande-esque ponytail are definitely an attempt to stay "relevant," but something about this motherhood look is off. Whether you're a mother or not, you'll know that the reality is more spaghetti flinging and last-minute jacket grabbing than looking perfectly polished.
"I do rely on having a full face on," Kim told Marie Claire. "I hate when women wear the wrong foundation color."
Calling this "the worst thing on the planet?" Er, thanks. Kim might have countless KKW Beauty shades, but her comments sure know how to throw shade.
13 Kylie: Hand-Picked By Donatella Versace
With 7,000 crystals, this is the custom-made Versace gown that Kylie wore to the 2017 Met Gala. Kylie posed on the red carpet with Donatella Versace herself (and they seem to be best buds).
"What color is Kylie doing her hair? Donatella is asking." Those were the words from Kylie's assistant during a gown fitting and Met Gala prep on Life of Kylie. Jordyn Woods answered that one: "Let's see what the queen herself wants." The queen? Could be Kylie, could be Donatella.
Kylie rubs shoulders with the biggest designers out there, including Balmain's Olivier Rousteing and Alexander Wang. We even get #WangGang posts.
12 Kim: Kind Of Chained To Yeezy
Quite how a style queen like Kim Kardashian ended up in Calabasas parking lots wearing Yeezy — well, she's got that husband of hers to thank. Single-handedly doing the promo for Kanye West's Yeezy line, Kim seems to have spent most of 2018 in increasingly bizarre outfits for the latest #YeezyDrop.
"Yeezy will reach $1 billion this year." Kanye's claims are pretty out there. Kim is his walking billboard (and she doesn't seem to have much of a choice).
Kim adores fashion. Versace, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel. While Kylie picks, chooses, and gets cherry-picked by Donatella, Kim seems somewhat chained to Yeezy.
11 The Audience That Is Much Younger
It makes simple business sense. An audience in their teens and 20s are going to last longer than an audience in their 30s and 40s. Put it this way. In 10 years, Kim's customers will be spending their dollars at anti-wrinkle counters, not checking out the latest Ultralight Beam drop.
Girls as young as 11 are fans of Kylie. They're looking up to someone who is just old enough to be an adult, but still young enough to feel like "one of them." Kylie Cosmetics customers are young enough for their dedication to the brand to last decades. Kim's days are numbered when it comes to her merch.
10 The Cars That Are More Powerful
Cars are big deal when you're a Kardashian. In March 2018, Kylie showed off her brand-new $1.4 million Ferrari. The black sports car joins a fleet of luxury vehicles that include a Lamborghini Aventador, a Land Rover, a Mercedes-Benz Maybach, plus the matching Ferrari 488 Spider that she twins with Kendall.
Kim recently matched her hair to her Lambo. Kylie matches her cars to her cars.
Meanwhile, Kim rolls around in a relatively "old lady" Rolls-Royce Phantom. Kim also owns a Mercedes-Benz truck, but this goes way beyond the brands. Kylie has car attitude – she poses by her Ferrari (with the Lambo in the background).
9 The Squad That Is Way More Relevant
You're not a celebrity without a squad. Taylor Swift has hers (although Selena Gomez claims to be "the OG"). Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner form their model squad. Kylie primarily comes as a solo act, but she knows how to surround herself.
It's pics like these that say it all. Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Kylie's BFF, Jordyn Woods, hang out in private jets and at exclusive launches. Kim might attend 2Chainz's wedding in vintage Versace, but the operative word is "vintage."
Kim is papped on beaches with Larsa Pippen. While Kim's friends are more relevant to her 37 years, they're less relevant to fans.
8 Kylie Cosmetics: Filling Every Teenage Room In America
If you buy $3.99 lip glosses from CVS, you'll understand the two words that Kylie Jenner likely lives for: profit margins. The Kylie Cosmetics collection launched in 2015 as Kylie's attempt to make her "passion" a reality. A Lip Kit costs around $30.
With $900 million in sales, the Kylie Cosmetics empire is taking over America, one teenage room at a time. "I'm focused on Kylie Cosmetics and expanding that worldwide."
In her ES interview with Kim, Kylie said that she would "love to be in stores everywhere." Go to the Kylie Cosmetics website yourself. Half the stuff is sold out.
7 KylieSkin: Just Got Trademarked (And You Didn't Even Know)
Here's a piece of news you may have heard. In 2018, Kylie's attempts to trademark her own name were blocked by the singer, Kylie Minogue. What you likely didn't know, is that Kylie has since registered to trademark Kylie Skin. Bustle reports that Kylie has applied for three separate trademarks this year – a skincare line is likely in the works.
What's in the pipeline is unknown, although Bustle speculates that moisturizers, scrubs, and full "retail store services" may be it. Kylie Cosmetics has already invaded Topshop and Ulta, alongside the Kylie Cosmetics pop-ups. KKW Beauty might have made $5 million in 5 minutes, but Kim is trailing behind.
6 Stormi Is Unique, Chicago Is Just A City
The "crazy baby name" trend is nothing new. Gwyneth Paltrow did it with Apple. Angelina Jolie did it with Shiloh-Nouvel. This year threw us Cardi B's baby Kulture, Khloe Kardashian's baby True, plus two more Kardashian babies– Kylie's Stormi Webster and KimYe's Chicago.
"I really don't know how we thought of Storm. I didn't really like Storm – I didn't feel like that was her name. So it became Stormi. And it just stuck."
Speaking to Cosmopolitan, Kylie explained the name. Meanwhile, baby Chicago was named after Kanye's links to the city (especially links to his late mother). Kylie wins with the unique name.
5 Kylie Eats Cereal With Milk, It's Front-Page News
Never in a million years did we expect a Kylie Jenner headline to be linked to Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The Internet is still making up its mind over Kylie's latest discovery – adding milk to her cereal appears to be something that Kylie only discovered at the age of 21.
"I always liked cereal dry I never bothered to put milk," Kylie tweeted. When a fan asked what kind, Kylie replied: "Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Amazing."
How or when Kylie eats her cereal isn't relevant here. What's relevant is the sheer power that Kylie has – literally anything she says or does rocks the Internet.
4 Kylie Promotes A Product: $1 Million
Celebrity endorsements are the way to make money in 2018. Nicki Minaj is the new face of Mercedes-Benz. Selena Gomez is PUMA's new face. Promoting via Instagram is something we see with Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Snooki, and countless others.
In 2018, The Independent named Kylie Jenner "Instagram's most bankable star." $1 million per sponsored post is what Kylie commands.
In 2016, The Daily Mail reported that the Kardashians were commanding up to $500,000 per sponsored social media post. That's half of what Kylie now commands. Kylie promotes less and less – she doesn't need to. Kim continues to promote FitTea and those controversial pregnancy vitamins.
3 Kylie's Social Media Following Will Overtake Kim's
If you've ever measured your own popularity by how many likes a post gets, you'll know exactly how it feels to have social media feel like it dictates your status. It does not. In the celebrity world though, followers equal power.
In 2016, Kylie's social media following was trailing behind Kim's. In 2018? They're almost neck and neck. Kim's 119 million IG followers are just short of 2 million more than Kylie. Racking up around 100,000 new followers a day though, Kylie is set to overtake Kim.
Just look at Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, and Nicki Minaj. Their followings exploded with their popularity. Kylie is the clear winner, here.
2 Travis Scott VS Kanye West
In 2018, High Snobriety called Travis Scott "a trend-setting powerhouse and a millennial figurehead." The 26 year-old rapper and boyfriend to Kylie Jenner is a chart-topping artist with all the charm in the world. Breaking the rapper stereotype, Travis didn't skip town when Kylie had a baby. The guy has swag, talent, and fresh vibes.
Kanye West has his fans, but the rapper's Twitter rants and outlandish statements aren't exactly making him Mr. Popular. As The Daily Mail reports that Kim is "worried" that Kanye is "damaging her brand," we've got the evidence in front of us. Travis is cool. Kanye is, well, whatever you think he is.
1 Kim Is Queen Bee, But It's "King Kylie"
All she has to do is stare down the lens of the camera. Kylie might irritate us. She might seem completely removed from reality. In the end, it all goes out the window. The world is hooked on this girl, her cosmetics, her $1 million purse closet, and everything she does, says, or thinks.
When GQ organized for Travis to answer Kylie's questions, we wanted to hear it. Her toothbrush? It's pink. Her star sign? It's Leo. That scar she has on her left leg. What is it?
If you're curious, Kylie got the scar playing hide-and-seek with Kendall when Kylie was 5 years old. Love them or hate them, you've got your answer. Kylie will dethrone Kim. Hit share on Facebook for anyone you know who is still uncertain.
