Twenty-somethings are all about keeping up with the Kardashians — especially when it comes to stacking cash.
Rather than wasting time heeding the counsel of purported financial experts online, money-making women between the ages of 18 and 24 are taking their economic cues from Kim K’s stinking rich little sisters, according to a buzzy new study.
“Financially-aware Gen Zers are 62% more influenced by people they follow on social media than the national average, with their highest affinities being gamers, reality show stars, and fictional characters,” read an August 2023 report on the demographic’s financial behaviors and attitudes via marketing consultancy Sooth. “Yet, they are 61% less likely to be influenced by a financial expert on social media.
“Gen Z tends not to engage with people who purport to be leaders in financial services, choosing instead to look to people they see as successful, self-made female role models,” the study continued.
The analysis applied AI-driven psychographic models to data across consumer surveys, social conversations, financial habits and media usage of more than 625,000 financially aware Gen Z adults.
Researchers found that young breadwinners prefer mimicking the financial opinions and behaviors of A-listers who’ve successfully forked in a fortune.
“They have the highest affinity for Kylie and Kendall Jenner above all other social influencers,” noted the study, adding that their million- and billion-dollar older siblings, as well as Ariana Grande, Zendaya and Selena Gomez, also ranked as the top tycoons that ladies in their teens and twenties revere.
And when it comes to selecting well-to-do heroines, the Kardashians aren’t a bad choice.
In June, both the buxom Kylie and Kim earned enviable positions on the Top 50 of Forbes’ “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” list.
Jenner, 25, who helms her ever-trending Kylie Cosmetics brand, snagged the 38th spot on the coveted countdown with a net worth of approximately $680 million. However, Kardashian, 42, the mastermind behind leisure apparel line Skims, scored the 21st slot on the chart with an impressive $1.2 billion.
And “7 Rings” singer Ariana Grande, 30 — who recently filed for divorce from husband Dalton Gomez — is said to boast a bountiful bundle of around $240 million, making her a prime paragon for the working woman. Hollywood hot-shots Selena Gomez, 31, and Zendaya, 27, are reportedly mega-millionaires worthy of praise, too.
Gen Z males, however, named Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, 62, a native New Yorker with a reported net worth of $40 million, as their favorite investment influencer, per the poll.
Young guys valued Fils-Aime’s acumen six times more than that of multi-billionaire business magnate Warren Buffet, 93, or any mainstream financial thought leader.
The study went on to note that 89% of the most financially aware Gen Z adults, who prioritize savings and wealth creation, are women.
“Gen Z women are 15 times more likely to engage with online content about saving money than the national average,” researchers determined. “Social media is the predominant learning channel for this generation.”