Even Kim Kardashian Can’t Escape the 2%: Why SKKY Partners Struggled to Raise Capital

Kim Kardashian is the definition of a business powerhouse. With SKIMS now valued at a staggering $4 billion and her role as the architect of a modern cultural empire, her credentials go far beyond her reality TV roots. So when SKKY Partners launched in 2022 with Kardashian as co-founder, the pairing of her brand with the financial expertise of Jay Sammons—former Global Head of Consumer at Carlyle Group—seemed like a no-brainer.

But by 2024, the Los Angeles-based private equity firm had raised just $121 million of its $1 billion target—an abysmal 13%. For context, Kardashian’s shapewear and apparel brand SKIMS generated $750 million in annual sales that same year, solidifying her status as one of the most successful celebrity entrepreneurs of her time. And yet, when it came to raising capital for SKKY, even Kardashian’s business success wasn’t enough to sway institutional investors.

This isn’t just about SKKY—it’s a reflection of the systemic barriers women face in private equity and venture capital and what it tells us about the funding landscape. Despite controlling 85% of consumer spending, women receive only 2% of PE and venture capital dollars, a reality Kardashian couldn’t escape even with her unparalleled influence and a co-founder with a proven track record. Here’s why SKKY struggled—and what it tells us about the entrenched inequities women face in finance.

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