'Harvard Should Be Ashamed': Kim Kardashian Slammed For Giving Lecture at Harvard Business School Kardashian visited Boston on Friday with Skims co-founder Jens Grede to talk to students about the shapewear company.
By Emily Rella Edited by Jessica Thomas
Though she might not be best known for her business acumen and entrepreneurial knowledge, it goes without saying that reality star Kim Kardashian knows a thing or two about running a successful empire.
But not everyone is sold on Kardashian being the one to dole out advice. The star faced backlash on social media over the weekend for giving a speech at Harvard Business School.
Kardashian visited HBS in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Friday with Skims co-founder Jens Grede to talk to students about the shapewear company for nearly two hours as a part of a direct-to-consumer seminar.
I spoke At Harvard Business School yesterday for a class called HBS Moving Beyond DTC. The class's assignment was to learn about @skims, so my partner Jens and I spoke about our marketing, our challenges and our greatest wins. pic.twitter.com/42FiWDlmaj
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) January 21, 2023
Though cameras did follow her around campus, the seminar itself was not filmed.
Related: Kim Kardashian Says Her 20-Year Reign of Relevance Is Thanks to This One Personality Trait
Many took to Twitter to criticize Harvard's decision to invite the 42-year-old to speak at the highly reputable institution.
"I'd hate to pay that Harvard tuition $$$$ to only get her as a speaker," one user bluntly wrote. "Do Better, Harvard."
Not everyone was anti-Kardashian, though. Many pointed to the success of her multiple business endeavors as grounds for credibility.
"I don't get what the hate is about. A bunch of jealous people," one user pointed out. "The reality is, she wasn't born ultra wealthy. She created a company, leveraged her talents, and built a brand."
Kardashian's Skims brand doubled in valuation last year after a $240 million financing round led by hedge fund Lone Pine Capital and investment firm D1 Capital Partners.
The company is currently estimated to be worth around $3.2 billion.
Though Kardashian has quite an impressive business portfolio, the bulk of her non-endorsement-deal earnings come from majority equity stakes in Skims and her beauty line, KKW Beauty, in which she sold a 20% stake for $200 million in 2020.
Kardashian's net worth is estimated to be $1.4 billion.
