Gisele Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model. Since 2001, she has been one of the highest paid models in the world.
In 2007, Bündchen was the 16th richest woman in the entertainment industry and earned the top spot on Forbes top earning models list in 2012.
In 2014, she was listed as the 89th Most Powerful Woman in the World by Forbes.
Listed below are 20 things women should know about this super model:
1. She was born on July 20, 1980 in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Her family was Roman Catholic.
2. Gisele Bundchen has five sisters: Raquel, Graziela, Gabriela, Rafaela and her fraternal twin, Patrícia.
3. Although her parents speak German and Bündchen learned German in school, she no longer speaks the language. Bündchen speaks Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish and French.
4. In 1997, Bündchen was rejected 42 times in London before being cast in an Alexander McQueen runway show in 1998.
5. In 2000, Bündchen appeared on 37 international Vogue covers, including three in the American edition. In January 2000, Gisele Bündchen was featured on the covers of the U.S. and British editions of Vogue.
6. In 2000, Bündchen wore Victoria’s Secret’s Red Hot Fantasy Bra worth $15 million and listed in Guinness World Records as the most expensive lingerie ever created. Bündchen modeled the Sexy Splendor Fantasy Bra in 2005, the second most expensive bra valued at $12.5 million.
7. In 2015, Bündchen decided to quit the catwalk for good. She made the announcement on Instagram explaining that she had been doing it since she was 14 and had decided to move on with doing other things related to the business. “I am grateful that at 14, I was given the opportunity to start this journey.”
8. Since the 2000s, Bündchen’s main focus has been social and environmental causes. She has also supported the Breast Cancer Campaign to educate women on how to perform a breast self exam.
9. Gisele Bündchen follows a plant-based diet. “We eat mostly a plant-based diet. It makes us feel good, and it also has less of an impact on the environment.”
10. Bündchen donated $150,000 to Brazil’s Zero Hunger Program. She designed a limited necklace edition for Harper’s Bazaar crafted by jewelers Gumuchian Fils, which were sold to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
11. While she still does modeling from time to time, her focus is more set on other endeavors, like writing books and helping charities. She officially left IMG modeling in February 2021.
12. Last year, Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen is back on the fashion scene with new management. The model-activist has signed with The Lions Management for fashion representation.
13. This first-ever model billionaire is regarded as the most popular fashion export from Brazil and is ranked on Forbes’ list of ‘top-earning models’ for eight consecutive years. As of 2022, Gisele Bündchen’s net worth is estimated to be $400 million.
14. The model is involved with several environmental and social organizations, such as the Projeto Água Limpa (Clean Water Project), which implements sustainable environmental management systems for water in Brazil. She has also been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program since 2009.
15. Bündchen started The Luz Foundation in 2007, a project to empower girls and help them deal with self-esteem issues.
16. Bündchen was featured in the 2015 Guinness World Record book as the model who earned the most money from June 2014 to June 2015.
17. Forbes ranked Bündchen No. 61 on its Most Powerful Celebrities list in 2012. Forbes ranked her fourth on the World’s Most Powerful Latino Celebrity list in May 2012. In 2013, she ranked No. 5 on the Forbes 10 Most Powerful Businesswomen in Brazil.
18. In 2018, Gisele released her book called Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, which was a New York Times bestseller and was the best selling book for over six months in the non-fiction category in Brazil. The proceeds from her book went to support social and environmental causes.
19. In February 2021, it was reported that Bündchen was leaving IMG Models after 22 years and that her twin sister, Patricia would be taking over as her manager.
20. In December 2006, Bündchen began dating NFL quarterback Tom Brady after a mutual friend introduced them on a blind date. The couple married on 26 February 2009 in a small ceremony at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. In April 2009, the couple had a second marriage ceremony, in Costa Rica. Bündchen and Brady have two children: son Benjamin Rein (born 2009), and daughter Vivian Lake (born 2012). She is the stepmother of Brady’s first son (born 2007) from a previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan. Bündchen and Brady are Roman Catholics.
