Disclaimer: The following net worth value is subject to change.
The more expressive Christine Chiu (moneywise, of course) takes the center stage of what is dubbed ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians meets Crazy Rich Asians’, but there's more to reckon from Bling Empire. And while some are admittedly born with a silver spoon in their mouth, some have their own story to show for their wealth and luxury.
Kelly Mi Li is an entrepreneur and businesswoman by profession, but you'll be surprised to find that she's been a producer in the entertainment industry recently having produced a movie, Echo Boomer, with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Patrick Schwarzenegger in 2020. She is also credited as the executive producer of one episode of Bling Empire.
Prior to her on-screen debut and the entry into the entertainment industry entirely, Mi Li was all business, particularly in the tech industry with which she first broke into the scene. It's not particularly a rags-to-riches story for her, but she's used her knowledge in business smartly enough to have no qualms about flaunting her self-made wealth on social media, as we've come to see.
Answering the Question Directly: What Is Kelly Mi Li's Net Worth?
Coming in to 2021, it's been estimated that Kelly Mi Li is worth somewhere around $20 million. The majority of the wealth is attributed to her entrepreneurship, particularly whatever returns she gets from investing in the tech industry with her very own Be Great Partners.
Kelly Mi Li is one of those who can afford a private jet and fly around the world.
Photo Source: Kelly Mi Li, Instagram
Additionally, she's delved into the fashion industry with Skinny Bikini Swimwear, as well as the real estate and music industries with separate companies for each of the two areas. It's also important to note that she's got a real passion to help the less fortunate with her philanthropic endeavors.
The Path Mi Li Journeyed to Accumulate Such a Fortune
Like most ambitious entrepreneurs, Mi Li is also a busy woman such that she doesn't have time to go to lavish get-togethers with the others in the Bling Empire cast. "Success didn't come easy; being an entrepreneur is not a nine to five. You're on it 24/7," she says. And sure enough, it means she didn't just get the money to start her journey like a few of the others have. Jumping from one business to other takes a toll, in her case, it took her time.
Born in Kunming, China, on November 13, 1985, she moved to Illinois with her parents at the age of 10. Both her father and mother have a medical background. But while her mom got a sufficient job at the University of Illinois, her dad had to go back to China due to unemployment issues.
Mi Li's message to her 10-year-old self: Speak Up. Your voice matters! Set healthy boundaries.
Photo Source: Kelly Mi Li, Instagram
Always eyeing for a future in business, she left Illinois for Los Angeles after school in search of something she could do to launch herself. Before her big break, she built connections in a number of companies over the years. Having worked in life insurance at 18 in New York, Mi Li gave her hand at real estate, food and beverage industry in LA.
Related: Details of Christine Chiu's Comparable Net Worth Empire
With sufficient experience, the 35-year-old launched her own startup incubator, Be Great Partners, in early 2012. It was a rapid success as the mayor of LA, Eric Garcetti, recognized it as one of the most influential companies to be changing the tech startup eco-system of the city. She serves as the General Partner and was an early investor for the likes of Change.org, Me Undies and Nature Box.
She's Heavily Involved in the Entertainment Sector Even Through the Pandemic
Later the same year of 2012, she immediately moved ahead with her high fashion swimwear line, Skinny Bikini, as a Managing Partner. From then on, she repeatedly branched out to the the music and film industry. She was the talent manager at East West Artists, representing Asian talents in the US.
Mi Li co-founded Organic Media Group and Wet Paws Media, and she is also a partner at Greyscale Lab. Through the first one, she executive-produced the entirety of the crime mystery, Cypher, in 2020. And that's besides the Schwarzenegger collaboration in Echo Boomers.
We've only ever seen glimpses of her massive net worth empire.
Photo Source: Kelly Mi Li, Instagram
There are a number of projects she has lined up in their post-production stage that she produced. "I'm in post-production right now for a little thriller that I shot during COVID called AMP House," she lays it out. "And then I have a new TV show called Cypher that's coming out [in] early spring in the U.S."
There's also a music documentary, Immediate Family, following the lives of legendary 1970s session musicians, coming later this year. Additionally, sci-fi movie Ice Moon Rising, comedy thriller The Last Party, Aaron Eckhart-starring thriller Afterward and sci-fi TV series Interface are all in their pre-production phase, Mi Li working as a producer or executive producer in each of them. Good Guys has also been announced.
Also worth noting, she established a merchandising company in 2015 that currently manufactures PPE equipment for the pandemic.
Mi Li Aspires to Inspires Others with Philanthropy
The proud dog-lover believes in success coming from inspiring others and helping the less fortunate. Her entry into philanthropy began with the success of her entrepreneurship. She became the first and only international ambassador for Prince Harry's charity Well Child in 2013. She launched the Be Great Fest 2013 with Be Great Partners to raise enough money to build a school.
She is an advocate of 'Adopt, Don't Shop', by the way.
Photo Source: Kelly Mi Li, Instagram
Speaking of school, she's an active volunteer for Pencil of Promise that builds schools in developing countries. And according to her about.me profile, she was on the advisory board for UNICEF’s Chinese Children Initiatives (CCI). Also take note that both her dogs she showcases on Instagram, Sophia and Kilo, were rescued and adopted.
Speaking of Instagram, Mi Li is mildly popular on Instagram with just over 80,000 followers but no blue check by her name. Her advocacy for dog adoption is certainly clear from her bio. Plus, she's quite fond of traveling around the world. With a private jet, why not? She first started the account in July 2012.
Mi Li Says Her Ex-Husband Committed "One of the Biggest Cyber Scams in American History"
With all her money, she does like to spend quite some for herself too. Although, after the incident with her ex-husband, her expenditure might be in check these days. She has discussed the dark chapter of her life in the very first episode of the Netflix show, and with reporters.
Recommended: Bella Poarch's Net Worth Earnings Since the Recent TikTok Fame
The 35-year-old explained that she and her first husband used to live an outrageously lavish lifestyle, unbeknownst to her that he was hiding something huge from her.
"In my twenties, I was married to a Chinese guy, and we lived in a privileged, outrageous lifestyle,” she reportedly said on the show’s premiere. “You know, seven cars, four houses. I think at the time we were spending, like, 400k a month on our black [American Express card] until one day, the government showed up and took everything from us, and my ex-husband was arrested."
She describes herself as a "Travel Junkie".
Photo Source: Kelly Mi Li, Instagram
She continues, "I didn’t know it at the time, but he was running one of the largest cyber scams in American history. All of our assets were frozen, and we gave the government, I think it was, like, $168 million. Yeah. I didn’t even know who I was sleeping next to."
It seems a net worth of $20 million is clearly unjustifiable to label Mi Li with. But as we get to know more about her, the number is sure to be updated in the near future.
Stay in touch with Celeb$fortune for more celebrity Net Worth content. Keep checking the Focus section for more updates.
