When it comes to monetizing fame, few have done it like Kim Kardashian. Recently, she launched a private equity firm, SKKY Partners, a move likely to set a new standard for celebrities looking to transform influence into sustained wealth. For many high-profile figures—including media personalities, artists, and other well-known individuals in Jamaica—the challenge remains to balance fame with financial returns. Kim, the ex-wife and mother of Kanye West’s children, has consistently managed to do just that.
Her partner in SKKY Partners, Jay Sammons, has a proven track record of converting celebrity status into successful ventures. Sammons, who invested in Big Machine Records (home to Taylor Swift’s first six albums) through a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions, is set to support Kim and her mother, Kris Jenner, in their quest to acquire and grow profitable media platforms.
In Jamaica, as soon as celebrities gain fame, brands often swoop in with short-term endorsement deals, featuring them in vibrant ads that help fill income gaps between artistic projects. Yet, as newer generations of Jamaican influencers own more of their media channels and platforms, the opportunity remains for them to capitalize fully on their brand potential—something Kim has achieved through her reality TV shows, makeup lines, and her billion-dollar loungewear brand, SKIMS.
Earl Chapman, a middleman at the Jamaica Stock Exchange, explained to World Music Views that while Jamaica may lack a competitive edge in terms of incentives, its unique culture holds a powerful allure for both businesses and celebrities.
“When people get ingrained in Jamaican culture, lifestyle, food, and music, they start asking, ‘How can I stay there?’” he noted. “While Jamaica doesn’t offer banking incentives, it has rich culture and warm people that attract business interest.”
Chapman believes that intellectual property ownership could be one of the best ways to monetize Jamaica’s cultural capital. “Every Jamaican artist who owns their IP and makes money from it has immense value,” he said. In past decades, Jamaican celebrities in music often saw little return on their work due to informal industry structures, but today, many top artists and influencers boast over a million followers on YouTube and other social media platforms. This trend is especially promising as smaller creators have begun successfully monetizing their content across YouTube and Facebook.
Sean Paul is the most certified artistic the history on Jamaica and he leads the Jamaican YouTube scene, with 4.29 million subscribers as of June 2022, followed by Vybz Kartel and Shenseea. There are countless other channels in Jamaica with hundreds of thousands of subscribers and these channels rack up billions of views, which have become lucrative revenue streams in a digital age. According to Chapman, income from platforms like YouTube offers significant market value. “It’s not the food picture likes that count—it’s the sustained internet earnings that attract firms like SKKY Partners,” he said. “These YouTube channels generate consistent revenue but must operate as businesses to meet regulatory standards.”
Sammons, leading SKKY Partners, has already proven the viability of celebrity-driven private equity. His deals, including an early investment in Beats by Dre, show the value of music and celebrity influence as an asset class. Music remains valuable, says Chapman, as it has universal appeal and enduring cultural impact. “I applaud artists who retain ownership of their masters. Music value increases over time, and owning their work allows them to create more value for themselves.”
Currently, Jamaica and the wider Caribbean have no private equity firm equivalent to SKKY Partners, leaving open a prime opportunity to invest in Jamaican cultural capital, particularly in reggae, dancehall, and celebrity influence. Following SKKY’s model, there is potential to build a business around reggae, dancehall, and Jamaican celebrity influence, developing it into products, digital media, e-commerce, live events, hospitality, and luxury brands.
