Donatella Versace’s Net Worth: Is She Still the Owner of Versace?

By Sirjan Chetri Last updated Jul 26, 2022

Donatella Francesca Versace is a fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model from Italy. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, the founder of the luxury fashion firm Versace, with whom she collaborated closely on the brand’s development, particularly its blending of Italian luxury with pop culture and fame.

She inherited a piece of the Versace brand after Gianni died in 1997 and became its creative director. She is the brand’s current chief creative officer.

She and her brother Gianni are largely recognized with launching the supermodel craze in the 1990s by casting editorial women on the runway.

Net Worth:	$400 Million
Date of Birth:	May 2, 1955 (67 years old)
Gender:	Female
Height:	5 ft 4 in (1.65 m)
Profession:	Fashion designer, Designer, Costume designer
Nationality:	Italy

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Early Life of Donatella Versace

Donatella Francesca Versace was born Donatella Versace in Reggio di Calabria, Italy, on May 2, 1955. She was raised by her mother Francesca, a tailor, and father Antonio, a salesman, together with her three older siblings, Gianni, Santo.

And Tina, who tragically died at the age of 12 from a tetanus infection. Donatella and Gianni learned about fashion design from Francesca, and Versace started bleaching her hair when she was 11 at Gianni’s urging.

Donatella studied at the University of Florence in 1973 with the intention of becoming a teacher and concentrating in foreign languages. She frequently travelled to Milan while in college to assist Gianni with his clothing company.

Donatella Versace’s Career

Versace had initially intended to work in Gianni’s company’s public relations division, but he prized Donatella as a critic and muse, so when he launched Versace in 1978, he made her vice president of the business.

Gianni gave Donatella Versace a fashion label, Versus, in the 1980s and developed a perfume, Blonde, in her honour. Donatella assisted Gianni in organizing Versace’s fashion presentations and advertising campaigns.

When Gianni was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the 1990s, Donatella became more active with the company, and when he was killed in 1997, Donatella Versace was named Versace’s head of design.

Donatella Versace’s commercial campaigns have included Madonna, Demi Moore, Courtney Love, and Nicki Minaj among other famous people.

Gianni and Donatella’s most famous creations were on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum from October 2002 to January 2003 as part of a special exhibition titled “Versace at the V&A.”

The low-cut silk chiffon dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards is Donatella’s most famous creation; within 24 hours of the event, photos of the garment had been downloaded more than 640,000 times on the Grammy website.

Trey Parker, the creator of “South Park,” wore a replica of the famous outfit to the Academy Awards later that year. Donatella has been portrayed in popular culture by Maya Rudolph on “Saturday Night Live,” Gina Gershon in House of Versace.

And Penélope Cruz in “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” Lady Gaga also wrote a song for Donatella called “Donatella,” which can be found on her 2013 album “Artpop.” In 2016, Donatella published the book “Versace,” which details both her career and the legacy of the brand.

What Is Donatella Versace’s Net Worth?

Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace has a net worth of $400 million. Donatella Versace, the famous designer Gianni Versace’s younger sister, took over running Versace after his sad death in 1997.

She was Versace’s CEO, CCO, and artistic director, and she played a key role in the company’s sale to Michael Kors in 2018 for $2.12 billion.

Versace was responsible for the design of the Palazzo Versace resort in Dubai and Australia, and in 2005, she created a Mini Cooper Cabrio to raise money for the Life Ball charity event.

Allegra, the daughter of Donatella Versace, received a 50% ownership interest in the Versace fashion company after her father Gianni was assassinated in 1997 by an insane fan.

Donatella received 20% of the business, while her uncle Santo (Gianni’s brother) received 30%. While Allegra’s terrible uncle was killed when she was just eleven years old, Donatella and Santo assumed command.

Versace Purchases

In 2014, Versace sold private equity firm Blackstone a 20 percent ownership in the company. Versace was valued at around $1.4 billion by the investment.

The value of Donatella’s and Allegra’s respective 50% stakes at that time was $280 million and around $700 million, respectively. Versace will be purchased by Michael Kors Holdings for $2.2 billion, the company revealed on September 25, 2018.

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Personal Life of Donatella Versace

Before getting divorced in 2000, Donatella and American model Paul Beck welcomed daughters Allegra Versace in 1986 and Daniel in 1989.

Manuel Dallori and Versace got married in 2004, but their union was annulled the following year. Gianni and Donatella had a tight relationship, so when Andrew Cunanan killed Gianni in July 1997, Donatella was distraught.

After the death of her beloved brother, she battled drug addiction and entered rehab in 2004.

Honors and Awards

Versace was named Fashion Designer of the Year by “Glamour” magazine in 2012 and 2016, as well as Woman of the Year in 2010.

In 2008, she got the FGI Superstar Award, and in 2017, she was named the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Icon of the Year.

Donatella became the first woman to win the Designer of the Year title at the “GQ” Men of the Year Awards in both the United Kingdom and China in 2018, as well as the Fashion Icon award at Berlin’s “GQ” Awards.

In 2018, she received the International Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and The Green Carpet Fashion Awards presented her with The CNMI in Recognition for Sustainability Award.

Property Management

Donatella Versace spent around 5 million euros ($5.6 million) in 2019 for Villa Mondadori, a 15,000 square foot mansion in Meina, Italy.

The four-story house, which overlooks Lake Maggiore, has 50 rooms, including 20 bedrooms and 12 baths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Donatella Still the Owner of Versace?

After Gianni’s death in 1997, Donatella acquired a share of the Versace brand and became its creative director. She is currently the brand’s chief creative officer.

Who Inherited Gianni Versace’s Fortune?

On her eighteenth birthday, she purchased half of Gianni Versace S.p.A. Allegra’s uncle Santo Versace held 30% of the fashion empire, and her mother owned 20%; however, due to a long-standing feud between the two, Gianni left Allegra the remaining 50% of the Versace empire.