Ever since Kim Kardashian was first noticed by the public as being the "friend" of the up-and-coming socialite Paris Hilton, it seemed like the world wanted to know all they could about this dark-haired beauty. The reality series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, showed off Kim and her family in a way that made people want to keep tuning in and the show has continued its popularity after so many years in the limelight. From a number of spin-off shows to countless business endeavors, it seems like the Kardashian clan has always been driven and motivated to make the most out of their 15 minutes of fame.
Kim has famously turned herself into a brand, in and of itself, and her sisters have also branched out to dabble in a number of different business ventures and side gigs over the years. There have been some major successes since the very first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians first aired in 2007, from huge business deals to fantasy weddings. While people love to focus on Kim's app that surpassed everyone's financial expectations, it's interesting to note that there have been far more projects that the family has dabbled in over the years. There have definitely been a few successes for the individuals in the Kardashian clan but there have also been some truly embarrassing failures. Check out our list of the 10 things the Kardashians did for money and regret and wished we'd forget and see if you can recall some of these major failures.
10. SEARS KARDASHIAN KOLLECTION
When it was announced that the Kardashian sisters were going to release a clothing and accessory line in collaboration with Sears, it seemed like a good fit at the time. The Kardashian sisters were just starting to create a brand out of themselves and reaching a broader audience seemed like a great business deal. Yet, the initial intrigue over the mass-produced line wore off rather quickly. The clothes were at an extremely low-price point and didn't quite fit with the idea that the Kardashians are in the elite of the rich and famous. Kim and her sisters are often photographed watching some of the most elite fashion shows and Kim married a man that famously launched his own high-end fashion line. It's no wonder that Sears wound up ending its partnership with the Kardashians and the sisters are probably kicking themselves for even diminishing their brand by collaborating for such a low-end project.
9. ROB’S ARTHUR GEORGE SOCK LINE
When Rob Kardashian launched the Arthur George sock line in 2012, there were high hopes that the only brother in the entire clan would branch out to find some semblance of success. Yet, it became obvious that Rob wasn't willing to put in the hard work like his entrepreneurial sisters. The reality series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, featured episodes where the sisters spoke out about his lack of effort in contributing to the success of his company and it came as no surprise when retailers like Neiman Marcus pulled the socks from their shelves. There were a number of reviews on the socks, stating that they were poorly made and ridiculously overpriced. With his failing business being showcased in the headlines, there's no doubt that the entire Kardashian clan wished that he never even ventured out into the sock world.
8. KRIS JENNER’S TALK SHOW
When it was announced that Kris Jenner was going to get her very own talk show, there was a definite question as to whether or not it would succeed. Kris definitely knew how to thrust herself into the spotlight, even when her kids were supposed to be the main focus. She also had a huge position as their "momager" throughout their careers and undoubtedly made a few celebrity friends along the way.
It would seem that she would be the perfect fit for a talk show of her own but there was one thing that people didn't quite take into account about Kris Jenner.
The simple truth is that she hasn't exactly had the best reputation over the years, with many people thinking of her as a mother that likes to exploit her children for money. That didn't give her likeable points in the eyes of viewers and after a six-week trial run, FOX ultimately canceled the show.
7. KHLOE’S X-FACTOR HOST JOB
When Simon Cowell left American Idol, he wasn't gone from the American audience for long. He wound up becoming American Idol's competition with the singing competition show The X-Factor. Because he was in competition with other singing reality shows and because it seemed like his reputation was at stake in regards to the success that was expected in this new show, it wasn't surprising that he brought in some big names to help out.
Demi Lovato obtained a judge's seat and even Britney Spears took the steep paycheck to come onto the series. Yet, the most interesting part was having Khloe Kardashian as a host alongside Mario Lopez.
Her appearances were incredibly awkward and she seemed extremely nervous on stage. Showcasing her lack of personality as a television host and ultimately losing her job so that Mario Lopez could appear all by himself is undoubtedly a sore spot for Khloe.
6. KIM’S RUN ON DANCING WITH THE STARS
While there are some people that criticize Dancing With the Stars for being a show that can't seem to get quality celebrity contestants, there have been a number of famous faces that have really improved their public persona through competing on the show. Alfonso Ribeiro impressed viewers and his newfound popularity helped to land him the new role of being the host of America's Funniest Videos after his run on Dancing With the Stars. Yet, that definitely wasn't the case with Kim Kardashian. People criticized the series for even casting her as a "celebrity" since she was eliminated during the second week of the show's seventh season.
It should come as no surprise that when asked to come on stage with Prince during one of his concerts, he famously kicked her off.
Her previous appearance on DWTS is undoubtedly a huge embarrassment to Kim Kardashian.
5. $500,000 FOR A SINGLE DATE WITH AUSTRIAN BUSINESSMAN
Richard Lugner is an Austrian businessman that famously pays celebrities to be his date to the annual Vienna ball. He's previously been accompanied by Geri Halliwell, Dita Von Teese, Carmen Electra, and Paris Hilton. In 2014, he asked Kim Kardashian to be his date and offered her $500,000. She accepted and the entire scene was played out for the Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality show. She later described it as "hell" because of the amount of racism she had to endure. A television personality dropped an inappropriate word while he interviewed her, a man in dark makeup pretended to be Kanye West and called out to her, and Kim alleged that Lugner was "aggressive" and repeatedly tried to grab at her throughout the night.
4. KIM SELLING HER STUFF ON EBAY
With Kim Kardashian coming from such a prestigious and wealthy family, people would think that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Yet, that definitely wasn't the case with her famous attorney father, Robert Kardashian. She supposedly needed to pay him back for certain expenditures and she needed a way to make her own money. She chose to purchase high-end items through her father's contacts and then turned around and sold them on eBay for a huge markup.
In a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, Kim talked about buying five pairs of Manolo Blahnik shoes for $700 each and then selling them on eBay for $2,500.
She said that she became addicted to that turnaround and started selling items that she was no longer going to wear in order to keep the cash flow coming in. Once she started making big bucks, people thought the eBay shtick was beneath her and she made a point of giving the profit to charity (even though it was just a percentage).
3. NOVELTY STORE CLOSED DUE TO POOR SALES
In an effort to capitalize on the phenomenon surrounding the Kardashian sisters and their reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, a novelty boutique was opened inside the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Unlike their chain boutique, Dash, Kardashian Khaos didn't focus on ever-evolving apparel and accessories. Instead, it stocked up on novelty items that seemed geared towards diehard fans of the reality series.
Items included things like mugs and t-shirts with the words "Kim Is My Fave" on it or beach towels with Khloe Kardashian's face on it.
This wasn't exactly a store that had a huge demographic flocking to it and it eventually closed after just three years. This is proof that there just wasn't a fanbase large enough to buy these types of items and it's undoubtedly a sore spot for the Kardashian clan.
2. KHLOE AFTER DARK RADIO SHOW
One of the interesting things about the Kardashian sisters is how much they seem to be in competition with one another and how it's not just Kim that likes to be in the spotlight. When it was revealed that there was going to be a spin-off series without Kim, people wondered whether or not it would do well. Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami was a way to show the world that the other two sisters could be just as exciting but it seemed like the series fell below the mark with viewers. In one storyline, Khloe had a short stint on the late-night radio show, "Khloe After Dark."
Yet, she wasn't exactly thought of as a professional DJ or radio personality in many ways.
During one incident, Khloe felt like it was fine to bring substances into the radio show in order to make jokes about it, but it was definitely not alright with the station. This brief time as a radio personality was probably not the biggest highlight of her career.
1. PROMOTING WAIST TRAINERS
While the focus seems to always be centered around the Kardashian's derriere, part of their incredible fox appeal has been the contrast of their large bottom to their minuscule waistline. This is when they jumped on the waist trainer bandwagon and began promoting it via social media. This was shown to make it seem like this was their little secret that they used in order to sculpt their bodies and then used it to maintain their figure. Angel Curves is currently selling the Kardashian Waist Trainer for $70 and it features a picture of Kim herself sporting it at the gym. While it was quite the craze for a while, there have been studies that have been released regarding how little the waist trainer can actually do to sculpt the torso and also the damaging effects of prolonged use.