Rihanna attends the 2018 Met Gala. John Shearer/Getty Images
- The Met Gala always welcomes billionaires like Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos and Rihanna.
- Some of these wealthy attendees wore iconic and fashionable looks on the red carpet.
What would the Met Gala be without billionaires?
Every year, celebrities, athletes, businesspeople and more gather on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to participate in the glamor ball and raise money for the Costume Institute.
And many of these participants also have fortunes totaling billions of dollars. Think Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos and Rihanna.
Here’s a look at some of the best looks these wealthy Met Gala guests have worn over the years and a few that could have been better.
Kim Kardashian wore a breathtaking mini dress in 2019 that remains one of her best Met Gala looks to date.
Kim Kardashian attends the 2019 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/MG18/Getty Images for the Met Museum/Vogue
Thierry Mugler designed the buttoned piece, matching her skin tone to create a nude effect.
Clear crystals that looked like water droplets worked with the fabric of the garment’s fitted bodice, sheer long sleeves and Kardashian’s sleek hairstyle to create the illusion that she had just submerged in water.
But in typical Kardashian fashion, the outfit was not without controversy.
The TV star and businesswoman, who Forbes estimates is worth $1.7 billion, revealed she took breathing classes with a corset to wear it and didn’t go in the toilet during the event.
Jeff Bezos completely ignored the 2019 “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme.
Kendall Jenner, Jeff Bezos and Jared Leto attend the 2019 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
The Amazon founder, whose fortune is estimated at $200 billion, walked the red carpet that year in a classic Tom Ford tuxedo. It included a black jacket with satin lapels, straight-leg pants, a white button-down shirt and a black bow tie.
The suit was sharp and stylish, but failed to embody the quirky and playful styles of camp fashion.
This was especially evident when the businessman stood next to stars like Kendall Jenner and Jared Leto who wore dramatic, almost surreal pieces.
Rihanna’s papal-inspired ensemble in 2018 became one of the most iconic Met Gala looks in history.
Rihanna attends the 2018 Met Gala. John Shearer/Getty Images
The musician and makeup mogul Fenty, who is worth $1.4 billion, hit the carpet in a pearl ensemble designed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela.
It consisted of a massive coat to match her pearl-encrusted minidress, a pleated wrap skirt, and a pointy headdress that resembled those worn by the pope.
The designer pieces were not only works of art, but also perfectly complemented the evening’s theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.”
Elon Musk failed to stand out that year in a black and white suit.
Elon Musk attends the 2018 Met Gala. Taylor Hill/Getty Images
The Tesla CEO has a net worth estimated at $200 billion as of May 2024, so it would have made sense to see him walk the Met Gala red carpet in an extravagant designer outfit.
But instead, he wore a low-key cream-colored blazer over a white top with a black neckline. He also wore simple pants and shiny dress shoes.
There was an interesting feature in his outfit: the phrase “novus ordo seclorum”, which translates from Latin to “new world order”, written on the back of his jacket.
But since it was sewn in white, the words were barely perceptible.
Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia set the 2023 theme.
Joe Gebbia and Isabelle Boemeke attend the 2023 Met Gala. Christophe Polk/Getty Images
2023 Met Gala guests were asked to dress “in honor of Karl” – Karl Lagerfeld, the longtime fashion designer who worked for Fendi, Balmain, Chloé and, most famously, Chanel, before his death in 2019 .
And that’s exactly what Gebbia did. Reflecting Lagerfeld’s signature black-and-white aesthetic, the Airbnb co-founder — who Forbes estimates is worth $9.6 billion — sported a black tuxedo adorned top to bottom with crystal flowers.
The ensemble stood out from other menswear on the red carpet and was the perfect complement to Isabelle Boemeke’s black Bode dress.
Norwegian shareholder Gustav Witzøe took a fashion risk that missed the mark.
Gustav Witzøe attends the 2023 Met Gala. Mike Coppola/Getty Images
At 31, Witzøe, whose net worth is around $3.8 billion, is one of the world’s youngest billionaires. He is also one of the most stylish.
But the black and white striped Palomo suit he wore to the 2023 Met Gala wasn’t his best fashion choice. Her structured jacket had a unique bodice that bubbled at the hips.
But since it was paired with pants that were a bit too long, the outfit looked more clunky than stylish.
Jay-Z looked dapper at the 2014 Met Gala alongside Beyoncé.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé attend the 2014 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The 2014 Met Gala honored designer Charles James and his impact on women’s fashion. So it made sense that year that the rapper and businessman, whose net worth is $2.5 billion, would take a step back with his look.
He wore black suit pants, polished shoes, and a white jacket the exact same shade as his undershirt. He completed the outfit with a black bow tie.
Not only was her suit impeccable, but it also allowed Beyoncé to shine in her Givenchy dress.
Tiger Woods kept things too simple in 2013.
Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn attend the 2013 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The golf legend is now a billionaire – according to Forbes, his net worth stands at $1.3 billion as of May 2024. But years before he achieved that status, he walked the Met Gala red carpet with his little then-friend and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.
Unfortunately, the outfit he wore that year didn’t stand the test of time. Plain suits aren’t exactly memorable when it comes to Met Gala fashion, and Wood’s version seemed almost too big.
A similar suit in a different color and with a better fit could have made all the difference.
