Tom Ford Net Worth - Wealthy Designers

Tom Ford is an American fashion designer and film director who has a net worth of $2 billion.

Tom Ford, the renowned American fashion designer and film director, amassed a significant portion of his wealth during his tenure as the creative director for Gucci and YSL, as well as through his eponymous fashion brand, Tom Ford. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Ford catapulted to prominence by orchestrating a remarkable turnaround of the Gucci fashion house during its challenging periods.

The establishment of his own label further elevated his stature and market demand within the fashion industry. Ford’s collaborations with Gucci and other illustrious brands have cemented his status in the fashion and retail sectors.

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What is Tom Ford’s Net Worth?

Tom Ford is an American fashion designer and film director who has a net worth of $2 billion. Tom earned the majority of his net worth in November 2022 when he sold his eponymous fashion brand to Estée Lauder for $2.8 billion. Outside of his own brand Tom Ford has worked as creative director of Gucci and YSL.

Over the course of the next fifteen years, as he rose through the ranks to become the company’s Creative Director, he increased the company’s value from near bankruptcy to $10 billion. Along the way, he won just about every fashion award possible. He and the Gucci Group parted company in 2004 after a protracted battle for artistic control of the organization.

Tom then shifted his focus to film, writing, producing, and directing the feature film, “A Single Man”, which starred Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. The movie won multiple major film awards, and was nominated for an Oscar, three Golden Globes, three Independent Spirit Awards, and a BAFTA.

His success at just about everything he does, has resulted in in his ability to buy multiple properties, and he has homes in Paris, Los Angeles, London, and New York. His most interesting property is a massive ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We discuss this property in detail later in this article.

Early Life

Thomas Carlyle Ford, better known as Tom Ford, was born in Austin, Texas, on August 27, 1961. His parents, Shirley Burton (née Shirley Ann Thrasher) and Thomas David Ford both worked as realtors. He spent his early years in Texas, growing up in San Marcos, outside of Austin, as well as in the suburbs of Houston.

Then, when he was eleven years old, his family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He graduated from Santa Fe Preparatory School in 1979. He moved to New York City with the intention of studying art history at New York University, but dropped out after only a year to focus on pursuing an acting career, especially in television commercials.

Later, he began studying interior architecture at Parsons The New School for Design. He switched to studying fashion during his final year at Parsons after working as an intern in Chloé’s press office in Paris, but ultimately still graduated with an architecture degree. It was while living in New York City that he met Ian Falconer, who introduced him to Studio 54. Ford would continue to visit Studio 54, and it was there at the club that he came to the realization that he was gay.

Fashion Career

Tom Ford, without a fashion degree and with little experience, remained determined. His determination led to a job with Cathy Hardwick as a design assistant, where he worked for two years. In 1988, he joined Perry Ellis, staying for another two years. Seeking a new challenge, Ford moved to Europe and became Gucci’s chief women’s ready-to-wear designer in Milan, aiming to rejuvenate the faltering brand.

Ford’s influence at Gucci grew quickly. He started designing menswear within six months and soon added shoe design to his repertoire. Following Richard Lambertson’s departure, Ford became the design director in 1992, overseeing the brand’s ready-to-wear, fragrances, image, advertising, and store design. In 1993, he designed eleven product lines. Promoted to Creative Director in 1994, Ford’s leadership saw Gucci’s sales soar by 90% between 1995 and 1996. With Gucci’s acquisition of Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) in 1999, Ford also took on the role of Creative Director for YSL.

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Eventually, Ford left the Gucci Group in 2004. Two years later, he launched his own eponymous line featuring menswear, beauty, eyewear, and accessories. He has since expanded his brand, and has dressed everyone from former American First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Hathaway, to Daniel Craig, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, Will Smith, Hugh Jackman, and Justin Timberlake, to name just a few names.

Real Estate Portfolio

Tom owns an impressive collection of real estate. In early 2019 Tom and Richard plunked down $18 million to buy a four-story New York City townhouse.

In August 2023 Tom paid $52 million for a home in the Hamptons that has an interesting history. When the future Jackie Kennedy was a child, her family spent summers at the 7-acre estate, which is called Lasata.

Directing Career

In addition to his long career in fashion as a designer, Ford has also pursued several projects as a film director. He launched his own film production company, Fade to Black, in March 2005. His directorial debut came in 2009, with the film “A Single Man”. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, and stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, and Matthew Goode. In addition to serving as the film’s director, Ford also worked as one of the film’s producers. The film received critical praise after premiered at the 66^th Venice International Film Festival, and was nominated for the festival’s top award, the Golden Lion.

Ford’s second film as director was “Nocturnal Animals”, released in 2016. This film was also an adaptation of a novel, this time of Austin Wright’s novel “Tony and Susan”. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Armie Hammer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Isla Fisher. The film was also praised by critics, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Personal Life

Ford married Richard Buckley, his longtime partner, in April 2014. The couple began dating soon after they first met in 1986. According to Tom, they met in an elevator and by the time the doors opened, Tom had fallen in love and decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Richard.

Richard was a journalist who at one time was the editor in chief of Vogue Hommes International. They welcomed a son together, Alexander John “Jack” Buckley Ford, in 2012 via gestational surrogate. Unfortunately Richard died in September 2021 at the age of 71.